Games

Blackwind - Devlogs

A few days ago, we announced that Blackwind is coming to PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC via Steam and GOG, as well as the Mac App Store on Thursday, Jan. 20, 2022.

Physical versions lock-on to retail shelves courtesy of Perp Games on Friday Jan. 21, 2022 in European regions with North American copies arriving at a later date.

Blackwind is a sci-fi action-platformer with hack-and-slash combat, from publisher Blowfish Studios and Drakkar Dev.

Now that there’s a date, we’re excited to share with you a compilation of devlogs that the devs have been putting together throughout the development of the game!

If you prefer to watch them on Youtube, you can check the entire playlist here.

Alien Spider

Alien Soldier

Colonial Soldier

Meet the Voice Actors!

Decals Pipeline

Hologram FX

The Battle Frame

Meet the Developers!

Wishlist it!

You can currently wishlist the game on PlayStation and Steam!

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Base One - Interview with the Dev

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Are you ready to start your own space journey? 🚀

Base One just launched on Steam for PC & Mac, GOG, and the Mac App Store!

We hosted an interview with Mark from the PixFroze team, so he could answer all of your questions about the game and its development!

What provided the inspiration for Base One?

In fact, our project is a rethinking of the famous Planetbase. We took it as a basis and added many new elements. The plot was inspired by stories from the Star Trek universe. This is pure fantasy, a flight of thought without any serious scientific implications.

To go where no man has gone before: Base One is inspired by the Planetbase game and the Star Trek universe.

To go where no man has gone before: Base One is inspired by the Planetbase game and the Star Trek universe.

What’s your favorite map to play?

My favorites are “El dorado” (Episode 2 Mission 3) and “DLC: Consequences” bonus mission. They are really interesting in terms of the balance of difficulty / interesting gaming experience.

What was the biggest challenge in bringing Base One to life?

The biggest challenge for us was programming the characters' artificial intelligence. This was our first experience in such tasks. Despite the apparent simplicity of the cycle of behavior of the inhabitants of the station, we faced a lot of difficulties.

Programming the characters' AI is more complicated than it might look.

Programming the characters' AI is more complicated than it might look.

What has it been like trying to release a game during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic?

For our small team, everything was quite simple - we all work remotely, periodically hold online working meetings. As far as I know, development teams working in the offices have faced some problems. The sudden transition to remote work inevitably creates difficulties for already established work processes.

What’s been your favorite memory from your time spent working on Base One?

The most interesting process was creating a working prototype of the game. It wasn't easy. We rewrote the design document several times because a lot of the things that were written on paper just didn't work. In the end, what we got was very different from the original idea.

What do you think fans will love the most about Base One?

We ended up with a kind of hybrid genre, an interesting mix of small mechanics from different games. All this does not overcomplicate the gameplay, and at the same time makes it somewhat unusual, non-standard. Combined with a set of interesting story missions, this creates an interesting gaming experience. The apparent simplicity and even primitivism at the very beginning is compensated for by a serious challenge to the player in the later stages.

The game is a combination of small mechanics of different games and interesting story mission.

The game is a combination of small mechanics of different games and interesting story missions.

What are some of your favourite games to play?

My personal preferences are very diverse and they are not related only to strategies and simulations. I really like the classics: Mass Effect, Bioshock, the entire Fallout series, I really love Sim City, the very old Transport Tycoon Deluxe and its modern counterparts. Of the recent projects, I would like to mention Satisfactory and Dyson Sphere Program - very interesting projects.

Any ideas for future additions to the game?

In principle, this game can be developed in several directions: station functionality, economics, strategy. We have a number of ideas that can seriously expand the scope of the gameplay and increase the complexity of the game. Imagine a station that can build its own warships, exchange resources with other stations, etc. 

The devs have a lot of ideas to expand Base One, including warships, exchanging resources with other stations, etc.

The devs have a lot of ideas to expand Base One, including warships, exchanging resources with other stations, etc.

Do you have any advice for any aspiring developers?

Never stop. The path of an indie developer is difficult, but at the same time very exciting. Start small, keep moving forward, and always follow through on what you started. 

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Nine Witches: Family Disruption - Interview with the Devs

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Are you ready to stop the Third Reich’s Okkulte-55 Division from raising hell?

Nine Witches: Family Disruption just launched on Steam for PC, GOG, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch!

We hosted an interview with Diego from the team at Indiesruption, so he could answer all of your questions about the game and its development!

What led to the decision to create a game during World War II and have it set in Norway?

Basically, we wanted to create a story that had a strong historical background. When thinking about the look and feel of the game (apart from the pixel art) we opted for Norway mainly because it perfectly matched the story we had in mind. 

The devs wanted to create a game with a strong historical background (World War II) and set it somewhere it would fit the story.

The devs wanted to create a game with a strong historical background (World War II) and set it somewhere it would fit the story.

What were some of your influences that helped you come up with the idea for Nine Witches?

Adventure games are by far our favorite genre. We love to create stories. We’d played most of the 80’ 90’ adventure games... the golden era... Commodore’64... diskettes... hint books...  We grew up playing those games, they are part of our DNA. I’m almost 50... Did you notice?

What was the best part about creating the game?

The funniest part was by far the creation of the story and all the bizarre universe of characters that are part of the game. We invested a lot of time writing the script, designing the puzzles and the dialogs. It was pure enjoyment.

The best part of developing the game was to create the story and its universe, as well as creating the characters.

The best part of developing the game was to create the story and its universe, as well as creating the characters.

Why did you decide to make the art style pixelated?

For some people, pixel art is old, it looks horrible or it is used by indies just because it is faster/cheaper. Like it or not, pixel art is a form of art. You will find lovers and detractors, peace and war, Windows and Macintosh, PlayStation and Xbox...

Should I continue? 

Yes, right. Of course.

Sweet and salty, republicans and democrats, crabs and underwear, vegans and carnivores... That's life.

Personally, I love pixel art and we have a barn with 9 tons of pixels waiting to be used in our upcoming projects.

What was it like translating the game from Spanish to English?

First we wrote the full script in Spanish. Then we worked very closely with our Blowfish producer to create a very polished English translation which will be used later to translate the game into the rest of the targeted languages.

It’s a very delicate task, because you must be sure that all jokes and gags match all languages and cultures. The game is translated into nine languages which result in a mix of cultures. So, we always tried to create “USB jokes” (Universal, Silly, Bizarre)

The devs tried to make sure that all jokes they made were universal and silly, and would translate well to other languages.

The devs tried to make sure that all jokes they made were universal and silly, and would translate well to other languages.

What were some challenges you faced in the creation of the game?

The most difficult challenge was to tighty link the different parts of the story to form a whole with no loose ends (BTW, did you find any?). The game is crazy, in most cases you cannot predict what is going to happen, when you think you’ve seen everything, the game will spit you another crazy unexpected thing on you.

What was it like having your demo in all the online festivals?

Sending the game to online festivals is always motivating. You get juicy feedback for your game. It is very healthy for the development process.

What’s your favorite type of game to play? 

I really like to play FPS shooters mostly related to WW2 or horror; I like games with story mode. I’m not a big fan of multiplayer games.

Do you have any advice for aspiring game developers?

The most common and true advice is: start working on small games before creating huge ones. 

As an indie I always design for my own pleasure. Focus on your heart, not your pockets.

The devs suggest to always start working on smaller games before jumping on bigger projects.

The devs suggest to always start working on smaller games before jumping on bigger projects.

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YesterMorrow - Interview with the Devs

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Are you ready to travel in time to save your family and your home?

YesterMorrow just launched on Steam for PC, GOG, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch!

We hosted an interview with the team at Bitmap Galaxy, so they could answer all of your questions about the game and its development!

What provided the inspiration for YesterMorrow?

The original inspiration were mostly older Nintendo titles. Our aim was to combine enjoyable platforming mechanics (inspired by Super Mario) with a sense of exploration and character progression (inspired by the Legend of Zelda titles). Newer titles such as Hollow Knight and Celeste provided a lot of inspiration as well.

It has elements very similar to the Legend of Zelda games, was that an influence?

Definitely. Older Zelda titles are one of our most favorite and cherished games. Everyone on the team also played Breath of the Wild and loved it. Legend of Zelda influence is very notable throughout the game. You explore temples, collect heart pieces, use abilities like the ‘energy bomb’ etc.

Were there other influences?

 Many games we love served as a source of inspiration. To name just some of them:

  • platforming was inspired by Super Mario and Celeste,

  • some level designs were influenced by Donkey Kong Country (most notably Tropical Freeze),

  • bosses were inspired by Towerfall and The Messenger

  • Other inspirations include Steamworld Dig, Hollow Knight, Timespinner etc.

Some games that inspired YesterMorrow are Super Mario, Celeste, Towerfall and Hollow Knight.

Some games that inspired YesterMorrow are Super Mario, Celeste, Towerfall and Hollow Knight.

What’s the inspiration behind the main character, Yui?

Originally the main character was supposed to be a boy named Haro. He even had a fully animated character. However the main issue was the color of his clothes - when they were blue he looked like Megaman; when they were green he looked like Link.

We later decided that instead of eliminating animals players will be cleansing them. This peaceful and caring approach fit more with a female protagonist, thus we came up with a girl named Yui and former protagonist Haro became her brother. Yui’s long white hair also distinguished her from the rest of the characters (plus we liked the hair movement).

The bigger challenge was how to clearly differentiate young Yui from her older self. In the end we decided to give older Yui a bright red face mask, a sort of an improvised protection against the fumes of her destroyed homeland. Back then none of us had a clue that circa 18 months later we’d all be wearing face masks.

The devs wanted to make sure that there were identifiable differences between younger Yui and older Yui.

The devs wanted to make sure that there were identifiable differences between younger Yui and older Yui.

What was it like working on the game during COVID-19?

The first pandemic measures in our country (Slovakia) were taken in March and they effectively scrambled our working routines. We had to work from home (which was incomparably harder for those of us with kids) so we had to come up with a new system for daily meetings, discussions, reporting etc. Eventually we settled on a system of regular daily calls suitable for each member of our team and we’ve been using it since.

One of the hardest things while working from home was keeping a disciplined regime and learning to separate work, family time and free time. With deadlines pressing in, one has a tendency to work late into the night which is even more dangerous when you’re working from home.

Pandemic measures were milder in the summer, so we returned back to our office, which was a nice and welcome change. However with the rise of COVID numbers in October we’re back on home-office.

What was it like getting to have your demo featured in various online festivals?

It was a great experience! We haven’t attended an online festival before so we learned a lot of new things. The highlight for us was probably the Steam Summer Games Festival. We showed and played the game on a live stream and we were expecting some 50 - 80 people to join in. That estimate was quickly thrown out of the window as more than 900 people watched us play the game! We were very excited.

What are your favourite types of games to play?

I guess platformers are somehow popular in our team. Almost all of us played Celeste and Steamworld Dig 2, most also played Hollow Knight. Platformers aside, our taste in games differs wildly - some prefer online multiplayer games, others are into turn-based strategies, RPGs or couch co-op multiplayers. Speaking of couch co-op, we played Overcooked on our small Christmas party last year and we had a ton of fun!

Regarding my personal game preference, I really liked to play point and click adventures on my 8bit computer when I was young. Nowadays I have very little time to play games, but when I do I choose something that I can play in the company of my two little daughters. They love to watch and comment on the game.

The dev team has a diverse taste in games, but they all enjoy platformers a lot.

The dev team has a diverse taste in games, but they all enjoy platformers a lot.

What was your favourite moment during the making of the game?

First exciting moment was when we received financial support from the Slovak Art Council. This was a strong moment which pushed us to become an official game studio with our own office.

The most exciting period of development was probably when we received our first publishing offers. The fact that someone else sees potential in your game and wishes to publish it is very motivating and empowering.

Did you face any challenges in creating YesterMorrow? What were they?

Of course, there were countless minor challenges popping up throughout the development. Just to name a few:

  • the gameworld we designed was oversized from the very beginning (the game was supposed to be more metroidvania-ish, we had to simplify the levels for the sake of the story, pacing and our capabilities)

  • some important gameplay decisions were made very late into the development

  • we designed and animated more enemies, than we had use for

  • we lacked some higher quality tools (for cutscenes and dialogues) which slowed us down

  • we redesigned the ‘tutorial’ prologue area multiple times as the game progressed

  • and many more

But aside from these small complications we didn’t encounter any major issue. There were no quarrels inside our team, we were responsible with our finances and every team member was efficient and reliable.

Some of the challenges of developing the game were cutscenes, trying to simplify levels and redesigning the tutorial/demo.

Some of the challenges of developing the game were cutscenes, trying to simplify levels and redesigning the tutorial/demo.

What’s the next project for Bitmap Galaxy?

For our next project we’d like to do something similar to Yestermorrow, but with much less story and much more replayability. We’re planning to dip our toes into a “balancing hell” that is the rogue-lite genre (smile).

Do you have any advice for aspiring game developers?

Just a few from me and the team:

  • Entering the industry unprepared and full of ideals is a good recipe for a quick burnout

  • Try pursuing a small project in your free time to hone your skills

  • If you can’t code, find a simple game-making tool to create and experiment

  • Don’t keep it to yourself, give it to others and observe them play (a.k.a. playtest a lot!)

  • There are many great books and talks on game dev and game design, keep on learning new stuff

  • Attend game-jams if possible

  • Attend game dev conferences if possible (even online ones in times of COVID) 

  • Think about the games you play, why you like them and what makes them fun

  • If possible try working for a bigger game company to get to know the industry better (and meet other like-minded people) before moving on to smaller projects

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Projection: First Light - Interview with the Devs

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We hope you’re ready to discover the rich history of shadow puppetry because Projection: First Light launched on Steam for PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch on September 29th!

We decided to host an interview with Michael, from Shadowplay Studios, so he could answer all of your questions about the game and its development!

What led to the decision to use shadow animation to create Projection?

The mechanics of using shadows came first. It was an interesting idea to treat shadows like physical objects based on the way light moved. Once the mechanic was established, using shadow puppets seemed like a natural progression. Yosha suggested it would be really cool to use puppets when he saw the first prototype while I was making it during a game jam.

The devs worked on the shadow mechanics first and then added the idea of using shadow puppets.

The devs worked on the shadow mechanics first and then added the idea of using shadow puppets.

What was the inspiration behind the story for Projection?

The tales were inspired by the different places we knew we wanted to take Projection. Once we consulted a shadow puppeteer who suggested we explore certain countries, we started researching the most well known stories from those countries. As for Greta's main story, we wanted the world of shadow puppetry to be explored from the viewpoint of a normal person i.e. from the 20th or 21st century. You can more easily explore the values and themes of the unique art style that is shadow puppetry if it is observed through the lens of someone who is experiencing for the first time themselves.

Greta’s story begins in the 20th-21st century and you get to experience shadow puppetry from a relatable character.

Greta’s story begins in the 20th-21st century and you get to experience shadow puppetry from a relatable character.

How was it taking the game from Apple Arcade and porting to other consoles?

For us the porting wasn't too troublesome. Luckily we have the help of Blowfish and Sweaty Chair to help out with porting. From us it was mostly design features e.g. make sure what works well with touchscreen also works for a controller.

What are some of your favourite games to play?

I grew up with an N64 so Banjo Kazooie shaped my childhood alongside Super Smash Bros, Zelda, and Mario. However, I play whatever I can ranging from MMOs, shooters, sandbox games and sometimes even (gasp) sports e.g. swimming, volleyball, basketball.

What’s been your favourite part of working on Projection?

Working on an idea that people genuinely believe is unique and then getting to watch them play. The best part is always once the players get to try it out. So conventions like PAX are always a highlight for me.

The best part of working on Projection was working on a unique idea and then seeing people play it.

The best part of working on Projection was working on a unique idea and then seeing people play it.

What was the biggest challenge in bringing Projection to life?

For me, it was organising it around everything else. I was studying and then working full time while the game was being made. Probably to the chagrin of my colleagues I was not as present as I could have been which is why I'm still thankful for all the help and effort they put in.

What was it like working on this project during COVID-19?

The actual game was done, but the additional content that I was working on was no different to working from before COVID-19. Prior to COVID-19 we all worked from our home computers and communicated through discord. That stayed the same throughout. Having another job meant the company I was running wasn't severely affected.

What was it like having the demo in all the online festivals?

For myself it's always nice telling people there's a demo of my game they can try out. It also meant I got to see a lot of criticism from players as well which is fair. But I do much prefer whenever people have nice things to say ha.

How did you decide which countries to visit in the game?

We consulted a shadow puppeteer Richard Bradshaw who gave us a history lesson of how shadow puppetry moved throughout the world. Mainly starting in Indonesia and China, then spreading to Turkey/Greece, and finally the rest of Europe.

The devs wanted to explore the countries with rich shadow puppetry history. Pictured: China.

The devs wanted to explore the countries with rich shadow puppetry history. Pictured: China.

Do you have any advice for aspiring game developers?

It's not enough to have an idea. It needs to be playable for people to believe in it. Also, for most people starting out, a majority of the game ideas you come up with are going to be poopy ideas. It's only once you get through all of those that you eventually get to the good ones.

Get Projection: First Light now!

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Infinite - Beyond the Mind - Interview with the Dev

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We hope you’re ready to stop the evil Queen from conquering the world because Infinite - Beyond the Mind launched on Steam for PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch on May 7th!

We decided to host an interview with the sole developer of the project, Emilie COYO, so she could answer all of your questions about the game and its development!

What were some of your influences that helped you come up with the idea for Infinite — Beyond the Mind?

There are a lot of things that influenced me, Shinobi Strider and Metal Slug games are the primary influences. These games really defined my childhood and showed me what "Intensity" can be in a video game. I discovered in recent years some animes that left a little bit of influence in the game: Genocyber, Evangelion & Kill la Kill. Now you know where the design of the Queen came from... 

The game art was inspired on animes that the developer likes.

The game art was inspired on animes that the developer likes.

Is there any influence from France within the game?

Not much really.

Why did you decide to have the relationship between Olga and Tanya be ambiguous?

I could not decide during the development if Tanya & Olga were sisters or a couple. I finally decided to leave the interpretation of their relation for the player even if I know it today...

The developer deliberately decided to leave Tanya and Olga’s relationship up to interpretation.

The developer deliberately decided to leave Tanya and Olga’s relationship up to interpretation.

Are 2D side-scrollers your favorite type of game to play?

There are a lot of types of games I like to play, but for the intensity; 2D side-scrollers are my favorite!

What was the best part about creating the game?

The best part for me was when I just started programming something like an enemy or an object. It's just like making something live from scratch :D

2D side-scrollers are the developer’s favourite genre, and that is partly what inspired Infinite.

2D side-scrollers are the developer’s favourite genre, and that is partly what inspired Infinite.

Is there any interest in making a physical option of the game?

Of course! I would really love to hold a physical copy of the game in my hands :)

What does Infinite - Beyond the Mind mean to you?

Infinite - Beyond the Mind represents how difficult it can be to change the world and the dream to make it possible at the individual scale.

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What were some challenges you faced in the creation of the game?

Learning how to code was certainly an interesting challenge since I dropped out of high school for health reasons. I didn't attend a programming school, but I had the time and money to teach myself programming. It's quite amazing how much you can find online to learn!

Do you have any advice for aspiring game developers?

Do not overwork to the point where it becomes the only thing you have in life. Another piece of advice I can give is to make your prototype as simple as possible, otherwise if you start with too many complex and ambitious ideas the chances of quitting your project will get higher.

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Obey Me - Interview with the Devs

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Are you ready to raise hell? Well, now you can do that in Obey Me! Obey Me launched on Steam for PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on April 21st!

We decided to host an interview with one of the Obey Me devs, Marcos from the Error 404 Game Studios team so he could answer all of your questions about the game and its development!

Obey Me has a lot of little nods to other popular video game franchises. What were some of the inspirations for the game?

In E404, we play a lot of games in our free time, so we took inspiration from many titles. But the main ones are those of the “Spectacular Fighter” genre, such as Devil May Cry and Bayonetta.

What was the inspiration behind Vanessa and Monty’s characters?

Vanessa was partially inspired by Jessica Jones from the Netflix series and the Alias comic-book. Vanessa doesn’t go to the self-destructive extremes Jessica reaches, but the sarcasm and dry wit can be traced to her. Vanessa has a slightly pessimistic outlook in life, as she finds her job unsatisfying most of the time and her lack of memories from her past also enhances that feeling, as she doesn’t feel any connection to her current situation. This detachment also works in her favor, as she can remain flexible and adapt to situations more easily. 

Monty is way more simple, he is an animal who masquerades as a sentient being or maybe the other way around. He’s like a twisted version of a Disney animal sidekick. He is the comedic sidekick for Vanessa, as she plays the “Straight Man” in most of their interactions. He is savage and instinct-driven, but he has moments of optimism cutting through Vanessa’s usual demeanor. He also serves as a “mentor” type of character, guiding Vanessa and explaining concepts that she doesn’t know yet. Monty has much more emotional responses than Vanessa, contrasting her usually cold demeanor.

Vanessa was inspired on Marvel’s Jessica Jones with her dry wit and sarcastic sense of humour, while Monty is a darker version of the stereotypical Disney sidekick.

Vanessa was inspired on Marvel’s Jessica Jones with her dry wit and sarcastic sense of humour, while Monty is a darker version of the stereotypical Disney sidekick.

What was your favorite memory from the making of Obey Me?

The first time I saw people testing the game. I knew the first iteration was clunky, slow and ugly but the players didn't care at all and played it. It is such a unique feeling - a combination of nerves, happiness and achievement.

What do fans of Obey Me have to look forward to in the release of the game?

Beside killing demons? Well, I like to see Obey Me as a whole, it’s an experience. I hope they enjoy Vanessa and Monty’s story and interaction in this grim world. We put a lot of love and effort into this duo and we are proud of them.

Killing demons might be your main motivation to play Obey Me, but the devs hope that you also enjoy Vanessa and Monty’s story!

Killing demons might be your main motivation to play Obey Me, but the devs hope that you also enjoy Vanessa and Monty’s story!

What was the process like for creating Obey Me?

Creating Obey Me took three big steps or iterations. At first, it was more a Diablo-like game, you selected your positions and targets for Vanessa and Monty and clicked over the enemies until they died. Monty was so small that he looked like a rat. The game was very slow for the frenetic action game we were saying it was, so we decided to revamp the gameplay and approach a beat-em-up style. In this iteration, you could control Vanessa and Monty almost at the same time, but the controls were clunky and Monty was almost useless. We wanted to give the player the feeling of playing with a duo and this version wasn't.

After almost three years of developing and learning, the final gameplay iteration came. We decided that Monty was going to be controlled by the IA so the player could focus on the combat and we divided all the abilities between both characters so they would be equally important.

I think that the most important thing of creating this game is that we made Vanessa and Monty back in 2016 and they’ve kept their essence and style until today. The duo survived through three huge iterations of the game.

Vanessa and Monty survived three different iterations of the game to become the Obey Me that you now know.

Vanessa and Monty survived three different iterations of the game to become the Obey Me that you now know.

Did you face any challenges in porting the game to consoles? 

When we started Obey Me our first gameplay objective was that it should be played equally well on mouse & keyboard and joystick. This made possible a swift transition to consoles because we could focus on visual bugs knowing the gameplay experience was safe. 

What advice would you give to people interested in game development?

The most important thing to avoid while developing is frustration. It’s harder to come up with a solution while in this state of mind. Relax, take your time, do other things and the solution will come in time.

Get Obey Me now!

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Element Space - Interview with the Devs

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Are you ready to save the galaxy? Well, now you can do that in Element Space! Element Space launched on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on March 24th!

We decided to host an interview with one of the devs of Element Space, Javier from the Sixth Vowel team, and we also asked the community to send us some questions for the devs, so these are included as well!

Were you influenced by any games or other media? What aspects do you like about them?

Indeed, “Element Space” was influenced a lot by “Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle” in terms of video games, and I would say it was the biggest inspiration in most things related to gameplay, because we also use the concept of making combat feel like a mix of puzzles and tactical decisions without the random element (there is no random hit chance like in XCOM games). XCOM was also a big inspiration, since it is a close game to the genre and also a staple in tactical squad combat games, but mechanically speaking, Mario had a much stronger influence.

It's also important to mention the series “Cosmos” when talking about influences, since it was while watching it that the whole idea for the story of “Element Space” came into fruition. The mere idea of humanity having to face extinction and the need to expand towards the rest of the galaxy to prevent were inspired by Neil De Grasse Tyson´s enlightening ideas on the matter. People can find a backstory for the game up to the point where the campaign starts here.

Did anything in Argentina influence the game at all?

I would say that the biggest influence derived from our country was the way we see and talk about other cultures. Since Argentina doesn´t have a tendency towards racism or xenophobia, we felt we could be fair when creating a sci-fi universe in which everyone was at their peak, in both development and cynicism, without being insulting to other cultures. We wanted to create a universe of humans that represented both the best and worst extremes of their political and ideological backgrounds, so we decided to capture historical moments for the many different factions and bring them back to a futuristic and dystopian setting.

This is also why we chose to handle all relationships in the game with an ideological system instead of the classic good versus evil dilemma. Being a follower of Humanism doesn´t always translate into being good, nor does being a focused believer of Autocracy make you necessarily tyrannical. We felt that using Humanism versus Independence and Bureaucracy versus Autocracy allowed us to explore the vices and benefits of belief and make everything feel more realistic when in terms of relationships in the Three Systems. 

Element Space was inspired on games like XCOM and Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle.

Element Space was inspired on games like XCOM and Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle.

What was your favorite memory from making Element Space?

Oh, that is a tough one, since there were many awesome moments, both in development with the team, during parties with all the staff to the awards in Dreamhack or the Official Selection in the Indie MegaBooth. But honestly, my personal favorite was the day we launched the game on PC. It was long overdue and it felt like a massive accomplishment to press the Launch button and just know that all our hard work was out there, ready to be felt and played by gamers world-wide. I remember that day because it was also the birthday of one of the people in the Animators team, and my partner and I decided to let her be the one to press the release button, since she was part of the team from day one and it felt right to let her do it.

What was the process for creating Element Space?

It took, including pre-production, between 24 to 30 months to create “Element Space”. The team that we gathered during that time worked fantastically to create a product they could believe in and everyone felt that we were constantly making some improvements, both as professionals and towards the industry in our country, by making a game that, size-wise, hadn´t been attempted before in our region. We found many challenges on the way because many of the positions required in the studio to face the challenges of production just didn't exist in Argentina, so in many cases we had to train people as best we could to produce the desired results. All-in-all, we are super happy with the end result.

Size-wise, Element Space is one of the games with the largest scope ever developed in Argentina.

Size-wise, Element Space is one of the games with the largest scope ever developed in Argentina.

What led to the decision to create a tactical turn-based RPG?

Well, initially “Element Space” was supposed to be a real-time action-RPG. After many iterations with the rules we created we started realizing that the game gained more depth and quality the more we pushed back the camera and gave more control to the player over the entire squad, reducing random factors to a minimum. I remember the day we did the full switch and we realized that not only did the game feel much better, runned much smoother, looked prettier and it didn't affect immersion in a negative way in the slightest. It was a good realization to learn during production that our team was better able to create a much stronger tactical turn-based RPG than to attempt to produce a game that wouldn't quite hit the note. 

In regards to the process of the gameplay being turn based, was there ever a stage in development where it was in real time?

Indeed there was! The games started as a Real Time Action RPG, then veered towards a Real Time Tactical squad RPG and then finally landed on a turn-based tactical squad RPG. We still have those builds from the early days and, who knows, maybe one day we´ll walk that path, but “Element Space” became a much better game because of this paradigm change. You can still notice some of the Real Time elements of the game whenever a character does a Melee attack (specially those aimed specifically for that purpose, like Alice or Starkill), since most animations were planned towards that in the beginning.

Element Space started as a real-time action RPG, but ended up becoming a turn-based squad RPG, as it became a more fun and better game.

Element Space started as a real-time action RPG, but ended up becoming a turn-based squad RPG, as it became a more fun and better game.

What makes Element Space different from other turn-based games?

I think that the main ingredient that differs Element Space from other games are the mix of  a strong story, a huge amount of replayability and the challenging-but-not-unforgiving difficulty that makes every playthrough experience feel different yet consistently fresh to keep the player engaged. Usually story-driven RPGs tend to lean more towards the one-shot experience, but the size of “Element Space” makes it easier to tackle the game again to unlock new characters, missions, weapons and see the result of those decisions by ideology. The differences in all endings are so varied and the tactical approach to every companion changes enough to make it worthwhile to go at it again as many times as you want, so I think that is pretty unique.

Element Space combines challenging gameplay with a rich story with a huge amount of replayability.

Element Space combines challenging gameplay with a rich story with a huge amount of replayability.

What advice would you give to people interested in game development?

Coming just from our experience from our first game, I think my greatest advice is to be able to learn that sometimes, doing less is more: the use of the word “no”, specially to cut scope and stuff from a game is a key part of making the right decision. In production, sometimes it's very difficult to notice how small things can escalate into a huge amount of work, and cutting the rough edges or needless features can lead into a greater focus on the strength of a game.  This is particularly true for independent devs that have much less resources to put into their game, like it happened to us.

When we embarked on the idea to make “Element Space”, the game was three times as big and with around twenty times the amount of content, and to be honest, that initial game would have been impossible to do in Argentina at the time, and probably very difficult to make in any other country in LatAm. It would have taken double the team size and triple the time of production, resources that we literally couldn't afford.

Reducing the size of a product does not harm it, actually, many times it improves it. By focusing on your strengths, you diminish the amount of needless content. In our case, reducing the game to this size allowed us to not only release a first draft which we can all be proud of as a game, but also keeps a lot of material and ideas to further the story with additional games and content. It was a good lesson to learn and it allowed us to finish production in the time we wanted it to be over. 

Get Element Space now!

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Infliction: Extended Cut - Interview with the Dev

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As most of you must know, we published Infliction: Extended Cut on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on February 25th, and we’re very happy with how well it has been received. It currently has 4.5/5 stars on both platforms!

To celebrate this, we decided to host an interview with the Infliction: Extended Cut developer, Clinton McCleary from Caustic Reality.

  • What provided the inspiration for Infliction? 

I draw inspiration from all over the place but the single biggest thing that influenced Infliction was becoming a new parent. This changes you overnight. Everything you we’re afraid of before didn’t seem to matter any more. And with that came a slew of new fears and inspiration for a horror story based on real fears set in the surreal, yet familiar.

  • Did any games, films, TV shows, or books influence you in the creation of Infliction? What aspects do you like about them?

Yes, absolutely. We’re all inspired and influenced by the ones that came before us though I’d consider my influences to be less than conventional. I’ll start with games. Gone Home was the single biggest inspiration for Infliction in terms of its game play, environmental storytelling and setting. I loved the idea of uncovering story elements at your own pace while making the world feel alive. The other game that influenced me was PT. PT took the normal and safe and twisted it which really inspired me. I don’t play many horror games personally but I love horror movies.

The movies that inspired Infliction can be felt throughout the experience. If you know the movies, you’ll relate to their inspirations right away. Hellraiser, The Exorcist, The Ring, Evil Dead, and House on Haunted Hill to name a few.

Another big influence for me, particularly in the early stages of concept is music. Everyday I’d drive to work and I’d listen to a song called ‘Electric Head Pt1 (the agony)’ by White Zombie. The start of this song had me visualize the final scene from Infliction. And it’s the final scene still to this day. Music always paints pictures in my mind.

Infliction’s environmental storytelling is a homage to different horror movies and games.

Infliction’s environmental storytelling is a homage to different horror movies and games.

  • What was the process for creating Infliction? 

Solo development was extremely challenging. Add to that my first game and I’m sure my creative process is unorthodox. The story of Infliction is a linear story told out of sequence. I wrote the story early on and so I knew the beats. It wasn’t until I wrote character dialogue that I really started to understand my characters. Once I understand the characters it was full steam ahead. I could now build a world for these characters to inhabit. Once I had my world, something interesting needed to happen in it.

I think of Infliction as a set of memorable moments woven together with a narrative. I’m a very visual person so I’d often think of a cool moment or scene and work backwards from there. Once a sequence is complete, I dive into audio, one of my favorite parts of the process. You can sell so much with audio, particularly in horror. The audio is also extremely detailed and layered. I’d start with an ambient track and layer sounds over relevant to the situation to create a soundscape to complete the sequence. If the theme of the area is birth, you’ll hear babies cries layered into the audio. Inside a mirror? The audio is reversed. It’s not just audio where I pour over detail. So many things were hand made to make the environment feel lived in. Many of the brand names are anagrams revealing a deeper meaning to your situation. Infliction is loaded with Easter eggs and everything has a purpose. 

  • Do you have a favourite memory from your time creating Infliction?

I have so many awesome memories it’s hard to nail one down. Creating alone is a strange experience. You don’t have many people to bounce ideas off. My wife, daughter and a couple of friends were my saving grace in this regard and I couldn’t have done it without them.  But one of my fondest memories was winning the PAX Indie Showcase. This was the first time anyone had seen my creation besides my nearest and dearest so to have the game judged and win was amazing validation for me and really put wind in my sails.

  • What technical challenges did you face in taking the PC build and porting to consoles?

There are quite a few challenges because PC is such a forgiving platform. Hardware specific bugs through to optimization. Building the Extended Cut content in parallel with the port and creating a respawn system just for consoles. Even the way PC saves data needs to be altered for consoles. A lot of systems had to be refactored to accommodate the console hardware. I’ve been blessed to work with some amazing people at Blowfish. The port has not been without its challenges but working with the team has been an extremely enjoyable experience.

  • What can people look forward to with the Extended Cut? What has been added from the base game?

Everything from the original game of course, The “Extended Cut” also includes additional endings and a “New Game Plus” mode with bonus story content, remixed scares, new puzzles, and other surprises.

  • What additions does New Game Plus bring to Infliction?

New Game Plus brings a much harder difficulty. New puzzles, remixed versions of the old puzzles, and new unlockable bonus story content. I really wanted to give the most hardcore completionist some additional challenge and reward them for taking the time. 

The Extended cut includes additional endings and bonus story content… and a few other surprises.

The Extended cut includes additional endings and bonus story content… and a few other surprises.

  • Any tips you’d pass on to aspiring game developers?

It’s hard to impart advice that you haven’t heard before but if everyone is saying it, there must be something to it. 

Keep the scope of your project small. One amazing feature is far better than three unfinished features.

Test early and test often. No matter how perfect your code is and how bug free you think you game is, it’s not. Players aren’t going to play the game the exact way you do when you test. Give the game to as many friends and family as possible or you could do what I did. I asked a local game collage QA class to test Infliction. They’ll get their name on a game and you’ll get testing!

Finally, if you’re developing and self publishing, start thinking about the business side of dev now. Get a website, start your social media accounts, start blogging your development journey, and reach out to some game marketing firms. They’ll usually do free consults and offer advice specific to your game which can be invaluable when you’re starting out.

  • Anything else you’d like to say to Infliction fans?

Thank you. Without your continued support I wouldn’t be able to do this. Because of you Infliction continues to grow and is now accessible to a much larger audience. Extended Cut is a love letter to you. I hope you enjoy the new platforms and the new content.

Thank YOU for your constant support!

Thank YOU for your constant support!

Get Infliction: Extended Cut now!