Samantha Béart talks BG3’s Karlach, Fading Echo and lifting the lid on game development

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For the newest installment of our Arcade Hang series, I sat down with the incredibly talented Samantha Béart at Four Quarters London Bridge. We played some classic arcade games and talked about all the exciting things they’re working on.

You can view the video at the top of this page, on our YouTube channel, or continue reading for highlights from the discussion.

The video is a fun addition, showing Samantha and me completely losing it while playing Lucky and Wild.

We definitely had to discuss Karlach from Baldur’s Gate 3 – the character became incredibly popular, and Samantha Béart’s performance made a huge impact on players. But what’s the story behind how she landed the part?

Interestingly, I received quite a bit of information upfront. As Béart explained, they provided a short biography of Karlach early on, so I understood her story, her overall development, and her personality. She’s essentially someone who strongly believes in taking justice into her own hands, and that really shaped how I approached the character.

The character is fairly straightforward, Béart explains. What’s interesting is how she responds to things, and the game gives us a lot of time – hundreds of hours – to really delve into that. The audition scene introduced her as someone initially quite guarded and unfriendly, and we experimented with portraying that feeling.

She’s much friendlier in the game now compared to how she used to be. They quickly saw something promising in my work – I heard back within a day or two, although it’s possible they were just really in need of someone.

After the massive success of Baldur’s Gate 3, Béart has been eager to use their newfound popularity to highlight the often-overlooked aspects of making video games.

Season two of It Takes A Village, Béart’s interview series exploring life behind the scenes, is now available to watch on their YouTube channel.

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“I really enjoy meeting the developers behind the games I play,” Béart shared with us. “I’m curious about the people and their process – what a typical workday looks like, and if possible, seeing it firsthand. Growing up, we often got behind-the-scenes looks at filmmaking, especially with directors like Steven Spielberg in the 80s. They’d show you how a movie could become a theme park ride, and I’d love to see that same kind of insight for games.”

It really opened people’s eyes to the possibilities in prop design. I even know someone who became a prop maker after working on the Alien movies and being inspired by what they saw. That’s something that’s especially important in the game industry, because there are so many different jobs people aren’t even aware of.

Players in games often aren’t aware of what other players are doing, so I think it would be helpful if we communicated more with each other.

So, I just heard about this really cool indie game Béart is starring in! It’s called Fading Echo and it’s got this awesome desert punk style. The art reminds me a lot of Jamie Hewlett’s work – you know, the guy who does Tank Girl and Gorillaz? Seriously, check out the trailer below, it’ll give you the vibe immediately.

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Béart explains that the game puts you on a planet where resources are scarce. Then, you discover you can travel to alternate versions of that same planet – different realities where even you appear differently.

You can transform into a tiny water droplet, which is incredibly adorable! Plus, you interact with everything around you in the game. For example, touching lava turns you into steam, and contact with waste gives you a super jump. Bouncing around and landing on different surfaces constantly changes your form, and it’s a lot of fun!

Béart describes her character, One, in Fading Echo as innocent and naive, like a baby who only knows her mother. Despite the difficult experiences ahead, Béart believes One is remarkably mature, loving, and forgiving.

It’s more about avoiding spoilers than being bound by a non-disclosure agreement. I don’t want to give away any surprises, but as the game progresses, she’ll encounter more people connected to her mother and her family, and she’ll start challenging those in positions of authority with honesty.

Béart says they’re hoping the show is successful so they can explore Echo further. She then addresses viewers directly, enthusiastically asking them to watch so they can create more content. “Please play it – we really want to do more!” she urges.

Want to know more about Fading Echo, the game coming out in 2026? Check out the official website for all the details!

And while you wait for it to launch, check out the rest of this interview on our YouTube channel!

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See more Arcade Hang interviews on YouTube:

  • Neil Newbon talks Dungeons & Dragons & Dramas
  • House of the Dragon star Abubakar Salim talks Dead Take
  • Glenn Moore, Sarah Keyworth and Pierre Novellie talk Button Boys podcast

Authors

Rob LeaneGaming Editor

Rob Leane leads gaming coverage at TopMob, managing content for PlayStation, Xbox, Switch, PC, mobile, and VR games. He creates content for TopMob’s website, social media, and video platforms, and also writes the weekly gaming newsletter. Before TopMob, Rob worked at Den of Geek, Stealth Optional, and Dennis Publishing.

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2025-12-27 11:35