A game lighting controller detects implicit triggers in the video games, each based on analysing audio and/or video content output during gameplay and/or an effect on one or more players invoked by the content. Each implicit trigger corresponds to a respective one of a set of predefined event types. Based on detecting one of these triggers in a video game, the controller identifies an event occurring within that video game as being of a certain one of the predefined event types. The controller also reads metadata specifying a classification of the video game from amongst a set of predefined classifications. Based on identifying the event as being of the particular predetermined type, and in dependence on the classification of the video game specified in the metadata, the controller controls illumination emitted by one or more luminaires to produce a lighting effect to accompany the first event during gameplay.