Gameoverse review: Glitch Productions has another hit on its hands

Glitch Productions' latest 2D animated pilot Gameoverse — created by Ross O'Donovan, co-written with Arin Hanson, and released free on YouTube on 15 May 2026 — delivers a subversive, tonally sharp game-world adventure that proves the Australian indie studio hasn't lost its golden touch.

TL;DR

• The Gameoverse pilot dropped on 15 May 2026 on Glitch Productions' YouTube channel — free to watch in the UK right now.
• The 33-minute episode was created by Ross O'Donovan (RubberRoss) and co-written with Arin Hanson, over a decade in development.
• A star-studded cast includes Erica Lindbeck, jschlatt, Christopher Sabat, and Elsie Lovelock.
• Scottish composer Grant Kirkhope — the Ivor Novello Award–winning mind behind Banjo-Kazooie — scores the series alongside Jake Kaufman.

What is Gameoverse?

Gameoverse is an Australian independent animated web series created and directed by Ross O'Donovan, co-written by Arin Hanson, and produced by Glitch Productions, based on a 2009 web series of the same name. The pilot episode was released on 15 May 2026 on Glitch Productions' YouTube channel.

The series is the seventh in Glitch's Originals brand and their second 2D production, following Knights of Guinevere.

The premise alone earns it a watch. The story follows hero duo Kit (voiced by Erica Lindbeck) and Kaboodle (voiced by jschlatt), along with tagalong Gobbles the Learnasaurus (voiced by Arin Hanson), as they join the Farcade organisation to save various worlds from annihilation. The catch: the heroes must help the villains win, because if the good guys complete the game, the world is destroyed.

Thirteen years in the making

This is far from a rushed passion project. For creator Ross O'Donovan, Gameoverse is the culmination of a thirteen-year journey. O'Donovan's career spans two decades in the online animation scene, including his work as "RubberNinja" on the Newgrounds platform.

In a 2026 interview, Arin Hanson said he and his team spent years pitching the series to various studios but were always rejected. He decided to finance it himself, and thanks to his persistence, it was eventually noticed by Glitch Productions. Hanson said the script underwent "700 different rewrites and iterations."

The long road shows in the quality. Every frame of this pilot feels considered.

A tone like nothing else in indie animation

Gameoverse flips a lot of familiar gaming and fantasy tropes on their head and refuses to treat its world like a standard hero's journey. Most gaming-inspired animation either goes fully comedic or fully dramatic — Gameoverse blends sincerity with internet-style humour in a way that makes emotional moments hit harder because they come right after complete nonsense.

One character in the pilot, Flappers, is utterly hilarious. The drifting eyes and unserious nature of him, mixed with the buff game-winning side, is one of the ways the show portrays this tonal contrast.

While Gameoverse is presented as a vibrant and comedic offering, it carries significant thematic weight. The series explores complex concepts such as planetary collapse, environmental degradation, and the systemic issues that perpetuate the status quo, drawing inspiration from everything from Star Trek and Transformers to Barney & Friends.

The cast and crew

The voice work is top tier. The pilot features a cast spanning both animation and YouTube fame, including Erica Lindbeck (Helluva Boss, Smiling Friends), YouTuber jschlatt, and Christopher Sabat (Dragon Ball Z). Elsie Lovelock rounds out the main ensemble as Miss Information — a perfectly named villain.

Behind the camera, the series is executive-produced by Kevin and Luke Lerdwichagul, the co-founders of Glitch Productions. Kevin Lerdwichagul, CEO of Glitch Productions, noted that 2026 has been a transformative year for the studio, citing the theatrical success of The Amazing Digital Circus: The Last Act and the recent full-series announcement of Knights of Guinevere as key drivers of growth. "It fills us with so much pride and excitement to see the community get behind the projects we're passionate about," Lerdwichagul said.

UK angle: a Scottish legend scores the series

This is where Gameoverse earns a special mention for British viewers. Grant Kirkhope is a Scottish game composer known for his scores on the Banjo-Kazooie series, Donkey Kong 64, and the Mario + Rabbids series — and he is one of the composers for Gameoverse.

Kirkhope is an Ivor Novello Award and World Soundtrack Award winner, and has received BAFTA and ASCAP nominations throughout his career. The soundtrack, co-composed with Jake Kaufman (Shovel Knight, Shantae), "perfectly blends themes of nostalgia with unease," according to Glitch Productions.

For anyone who grew up with the Nintendo 64 era of gaming, Kirkhope's involvement alone is reason enough to press play.

Should Glitch greenlight a full series?

The release is particularly notable for its animation style. While many web animations today lean heavily on digital puppeteering or simplified production techniques, Gameoverse uses traditional animation methods.

It is a bold, labour-intensive choice — and it pays off. The fluidity and expressiveness on screen put many streamer-backed productions to shame.

Glitch Productions has now delivered hit after hit: Murder Drones, The Amazing Digital Circus, Knights of Guinevere, and now this. The studio's track record speaks for itself.

If the audience shows up for this pilot — and early signs suggest they will — a full series feels inevitable.

Verdict: 9/10. A genre-flipping, emotionally textured debut that cements Glitch Productions as the most exciting indie animation studio working today.