Max Inferno

Max Inferno is a Canadian independent video game studio based in Halifax, Nova Scotia, founded in 2021 by Annie Macmillan and Lukas Steinman. The two met at art school in Halifax over fifteen years before starting the studio, and the name Max Inferno comes from a corner where they used to meet on their way to school. Their debut game, A Little to the Left, grew from a 48-hour game jam entry into a million-selling puzzle game with two paid expansions and a final free update released in June 2025.

How A Little to the Left Came to Be

The concept for A Little to the Left originated during the GMTK Game Jam 2020, where the theme was Out of Control. Macmillan and Steinman immediately thought of someone coping with that feeling by organizing their home, straightening picture frames, lining up pencils, rotating cans so they all faced the same way. They built a prototype in 48 hours and it was well received. They decided to expand it into a full game, quit their jobs, and officially formed Max Inferno in 2021 to develop it full time. Macmillan came from a contemporary art practice with experience in motion design and illustration. Steinman came from web and mobile app development. The game launched fifteen months later in November 2022.

A Little to the Left

A Little to the Left released on November 8, 2022 for PC and Mac, with a Nintendo Switch port the following day, published by Secret Mode. The game presents players with household objects to organize into satisfying arrangements, with multiple valid solutions for many puzzles and a mischievous cat that occasionally disrupts completed arrangements. It sold over one million copies within its first year and received positive reviews including a Guardian rating of four out of five and praise from NME as a warm, charming triumph. Two paid expansions followed: Cupboards and Drawers in June 2023 and Seeing Stars in June 2024. The game came to PlayStation and Xbox in February 2024 and later to mobile. A final free Packed Update released in June 2025 wrapped up active development. Daniel Crane joined the team as a third member in 2023.

What Comes Next

Max Inferno confirmed with the June 2025 final update that A Little to the Left’s active development was complete but that the studio was already exploring ideas for their next game. No project has been announced.