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Interview with Cherylynn Lima from Glowlime, group behind The Experiment

Cat with a floating head, spooky environment, and very simple graphics can produce a very nice horror game. That is exactly what we have here with The Experiment, and I had the liberty to speak with Cherylynn Lima about this very game.

Dan: So please explain to me the best way you can what The Experiment is. Cherylynn Lima: The Experiment is a concept I've had in mind for a very long time and is only now being brought to fruition. It follows the trials of a young androgynous child named Tegan, locked in a cage and left to rot. Tegan must use all their wits to escape the cage and find out why they've been imprisoned, with the help of their guide, the headless feline Tolstoy. The Experiment also follows the controversial experiments of the lab Genesis, and their effects on the animals and humans they take into captivity. Their purpose, shrouded in mystery, is one Tegan must uncover before he can escape. Dan: Sounds like a pretty straight forward concept to grasp. What made you decide on an androgynous main character? Cherylynn Lima: I'd like anyone who plays this game to be able to empathize and feel for the main character, and I think that genderfluid characters are largely underrepresented in games!

Dan: That makes sense, reminds me of how in Undertale the main character is also neutral. Something that I can say I have not seen prior to Undertale, but I have a feeling it will be more prevalent in future games. Would you say some of your biggest influences are when it comes to making The Experiment? Cherylynn Lima: My biggest influences are definitely Windwaker and the entire LoZ franchise, which I've loved ever since I was little. I'm also inspired by the horror genre in general, especially indie games like 'Imscared', and I love creepy oddities like bones and dried moths' wings and whatnot. I love any media that takes childish graphics with adult themes! Dan: Yes I strongly believe when it comes to making a horror game that graphics are probably the number one most important factor. The simpler looking, the scarier. So how many people are working on this and what are their roles? Cherylynn Lima: I work with a group of college teammates in a group called Glowlime, and they are: Cherylynn Lima (me) - Art Director, Lead designer Adam Mullarky - Programmer, designer Adam Roy - Programmer, Designer Joel Esquilin - Programmer, Producer Sean Billson- Assistant Producer (and affiliate to Glowlime) Olivia Vasquez - Audio Thyne Boonmark - Programmer mentee and researcher Dan: Would this be Glowlime's first project? Cherylynn Lima: Glowlime is a brand-new organization run by Isaiah Mann of Hampshire college. There are 4 other teams working in Glowlime right now, but this is Glowlime's first year in production. So we are one of its first titles, if not the only! Dan: Well it looks like you guys are gonna have a good first flagship of a game. My final question for you is what is the best way people can directly support Glowlime and The Experiment? Cherylynn Lima: I'd say that following our development blog for The Experiment (See Link Below) and by keeping up with Glowlime's website would be the best way. Other than that, keeping up a passion for the indie horror field and supporting small dev teams is helpful to us and so many others c:

#horror #indie #glowlime #the experiment #interview

Interview with Oskari Liukku, coder at Improx Games; the people behind Trimmer Tycoon

Beards. I love them, people love them. Some people hate them, and I hate those people. Those people aren’t important though, what is important is this game Trimmer Tycoon where all you do is cater to beards.

Dan: So Oskari, in your own words what exactly is Trimmer Tycoon? Oskari Liukku: Trimmer Tycoon is a management game where you take control of a beard trimming salon. Customers are flowing in, and your job is to satisfy their beardy dreams and earn as much money as you can. The closer to their dream beards you manage to get in terms of shape and color, the more money they'll give you. You can then use the money to decorate your shop (which increases the rate at which customers spawn) or hire employees. The rent is ever-increasing, and the real challenge in Trimmer Tycoon is the battle with the timer -- you have to balance speed and accuracy to keep up. Dan: Now that sounds like an extremely fun and simple game. Now I just hope someone like myself who hasn't been fully clean shaven since 2010 will still enjoy something like this, haha. Where does the inspiration to make a game like this come from? Oskari Liukku: Heheh, not all customers dream of a clean shave, many have a neat trim or an exotic design in mind!

We first created the game back in December 2015 for Ludum Dare 34, which is a global game jam event where teams and competitors create games in 72 hours. For LD34 the themes were Growth and/or Two-button controls. We didn't want to focus on gimmicky controls so we decided that the two mouse buttons were good enough. The beard theme of Trimmer Tycoon obviously comes from the Growth element. We all love tycoon games like RollerCoaster Tycoon and Game Dev Tycoon, so we decided on a tycoon game pretty early. I just asked the other guys and apparently we first thought about making a game where you clip toenails, but luckily ended up with the much more manly beards instead! Dan: Clipping toe nails would have been interesting to say the least. However I do think trimming beards would be up more people's alley. Is the game currently finished? Oskari Liukku: No, we still have new stuff to add and old stuff to polish up. I just finished adding animations to one of the customers! He now looks at his watch when he thinks you're taking too long. Dan: Small details like that can always make a difference in quality. Who and how many are currently working on this project? Oskari Liukku: Currently we are a 5 man team: Oskari Liukku, Max Samarin, Miika Kanerva, Jussi Joki and Lauri Lappalainen. We're all old friends. Jussi and I are they main coders while Miika has done most of the art. Max has focused on the music and Lauri, who joined halfway through, has done testing and helped come up with ideas. Dan: Sounds like you have a nice team on your hands. Always good to work with mainly just friends. Throughout development of this, what would you say is the biggest obstacle? Oskari Liukku: We haven't encountered anything too difficult yet. This is our first big game and that always means problems, doesn't it. Of course we're always learning new things about the tools and methods we're using. But the hardest new thing for us has definitely been marketing. There's just so many games being shoved at people's faces all the time. How does a small Finnish game get noticed? We're doing our best. Dan: I totally can understand your frustration with the amount of indie games that flood the market nowadays. It can be extremely difficult for a small game to get noticed, but that's one thing I definitely try and help with when it comes to my interviews. I enjoy getting the word out on small games that truly deserved to be noticed. What tools and programs are you using to create Trimmer Tycoon? Oskari Liukku: We're using Unity to make the game. Sprites and animations are drawn in Gimp, and Max uses Garageband to make the music. We've also used Audacity to tweak some sound effects. Dan: Well the sprites and animations look great! My final question for you, is what can people do to directly support Improx Games and Trimmer Tycoon? Oskari Liukku: The best thing people can do to support us is to go check out our Greenlight campaign at (see link below). We're already halfway to getting through, so every vote helps! You can also follow us on Twitter @improxgames. We actively post update pics, gifs, videos and blogposts on there! You can also find us on Facebook at Improx Games, and our website is (see link below).

#beard #trimmer tycoon #indie #game development #interview

Interview with Big Seat, the team behind Chicken Hero

Chicken Hero is one of the cutest platformers I have seen recently. It’s simple design and gameplay immediately got my attention. Because of this, I decided to reach out to Justin Hartman from Big Seat Studios.

Dan: Firstly I would like you to tell me about Chicken Hero. Justin Hartman: Chicken Hero is a puzzle platformer based around the protagonist, Chicken Phil, in a quest to reclaims his stolen eggs. Players will learn the mechanics of the game through trial and error as you jump, push, and throw your way through the levels of the game. In our full version of the game, we plan on having skin sets for Chicken Phil in which the character can find through playing the game or buying for a small fee. We also plan on having multiple biomes, boss fights, and many more obstacles and enemies besides snakes and spikes. Dan: Now what made you decide to make a game as cute and simple as this? Also, aren't chickens female? Haha Justin Hartman: The art design inspiration came from other platformers we have played. We wanted a cutesy feel that contrasted with the harsh death animation of the chicken. We found ourselves laughing way too much. As for the female issue, we never specified the gender of Chicken Phil...;)

Dan: I suppose that I shouldn't assume Chicken Phil is male because he has a male name, haha. So who exactly is working on Chicken Hero, and what are their roles? Justin Hartman: The two developers of the game include myself, Justin Hartman, and Dalton Evans. We originally started out both working on the programming and graphics together, but quickly shifted into our specific roles. I mainly work on programming all the mechanics, menus, etc. in the game while Dalton has designed all of the pixel art we use. It was just easier that way and we are able to keep things more consistent with the art design and the code. Dan: Well from what I have seen so far you guys are doing a terrific job! So is this you and Dalton Evans first game? Justin Hartman: Thank you! We appreciate the support. And yes, this is our first game. We have have been learning as we go with the software we are using. Also, we have been surprised by how many resources there are online that help with making games. Dan: Oh yeah, nowadays the resources online are so readily available for people to use when it comes to making small games. It's such an improvement from even 5 years ago. What tools and programs are you using to develop this game? Justin Hartman: We are using a program called Gamemaker: Studio. It's been used to many popular indie games and similar games to ours such as Hotline Miami, Undertale, and Hyper Light Drifter. Its been a wonderful tool to use and has made it really easy to test our game. It was an easy transition, for me, for the programming language built into Gamemaker is very similar to java, which I have some experience in. Dan: Nice. You are right though, I have seen many indie games use Gamemaker: Studio very successfully. Now in the worst case scenario that your Kickstarter is not successful, do you think the game will still be made eventually? Justin Hartman: While we are off to a great start, that is always a possibility. We will most likely continue the game and release on PC and possibly Mac. We will not, however, release on iOS due to the licensing and distribution costs. Dan: Well at least it wouldn't be the end of the world. I am sure though at the rate you are going at that your Kickstarter will be successful. What would you say is the biggest obstacle you are facing with this project? Justin Hartman: Marketing. Definitely marketing. It is extremely difficult for us to reach as many people as we want, and even only a very small percentage of those who do check out the Kickstarter even consider donating. Dan: Well let's hope that this interview will help get the word out. Now my final question for you is what ways can people directly help support you guys and your game? Justin Hartman: The best/main way to support the company and our game is to donate to our Kickstarter. It will be up through the month of April and it would really help us get our game off the ground.

#chicken hero #platformer #2d #game development #interview

My Questions Answered About CanuArts’s Lithium: Inmate 39

I had the chance recently to get answers for questions I had about Lithium: Inmate 39. Horror, Puzzle, and Platformer are all words that accurately describe this very visually appealing “spook-fest” that is a game.

Q: What is Lithium: Inmate 39? A: Lithium: Inmate 39 is a platform and 3D game which mixes psychological horror with puzzles. Its name is inspired by a medicine used on some psychiatric patients. We based and developed the game story on the Inmate 39 which is the main character. Q: Just how scary is it? A: There are many elements on the game that could scare some people. However, most of them are to be interpreted by the player. They will depend on the gamer’s personality. In order to achieve this, we have used Rorschach tests to design and decorate the different scenarios. On the other hand, there are some jump scares which we hope the players will enjoy.

#lithium: inmate 39 #game development #horror #platformer #puzzle

Interview with Noah Holmes, man behind Time For Birds

For the past few days there has been a lot of bird talk going on between Noah Holmes and I about his upcoming game Time For Birds, which is an adventure game where the player and everyone else is a bird.

Dan: What exactly in your own words is Time For Birds? Noah Holmes: Time For Birds is an adventure that's designed to be enjoyable. It has lots of neat places to explore, tons of people to talk to, and it's very nonlinear. It's also got some really neat battle mechanics in a simple, yet thoughtful turn-based system. I've completely rethought the way things work in order to scrap out the boring and tedious parts, and focus on the fun parts. For example, I've reduced the need to grind enemies for experience points, and I fully intend on making every major fight completely unique, utilizing 3D space in a different way for each fight, rather than having the same old grind of using the same moves against the same kinds of enemies in the same exact situations. Each turn in battle should feel different, and you'll be able to do bonus damage if you successfully perform the timed attacks. And the level of difficulty isn't strictly easy or hard. It's based on how much you're willing to go out and explore to find new things to help you out in battle, so it complements out-of-battle exploration as well! Time For Birds is exactly the kind of game I would want to play. Lots of memorable moments, lots of atmosphere, lots of replayability, and lots of things to enjoy! Dan: That's an interesting way you made the combat system. The fact that you are striving to make this game as little boring as possible is always great news when it comes to developing a game. Other than being a bird and talking/fighting birds, what would you say is unique about this game?

Noah Holmes: One of the most unique things about the game is the way you can choose your own path. In many other games, the player can make choices, but they'll usually end up with the same result, and the player won't see much new content. In Time For Birds, you can find secret places that branch out into completely new areas and that can sometimes change the course of the story. It'll make the game highly replayable, and it'll encourage exploration. I suppose most game developers are afraid of working hard on something that isn't always seen by the player, but that's what makes the world so much more interesting to explore! Dan: Now that's something I can respect. Putting time and effort into parts of a game that the player may very well not even experience. Are you working on this project alone?. Noah Holmes: Mostly! I'm doing the coding, modeling, and actual creation of game content completely on my own. I had intended to plan and design everything by myself, but sometimes followers on social media like to suggest things, and I have a few friends that like to help me out with ideas as well, so I can't take all the credit for that. Also, Stijn Van Wakeren (@BreinStijn on twitter) is working with me on the soundtrack. His music sounds a lot better than my own, so he's doing most of the work there. Time For Birds uses dynamic music, and I think he's happy to be able to work with that. Dan: Well Congratulations so far for doing this much on your own for the most part. What has been your biggest inspiration so far to make Time For Birds? Noah Holmes: I have a few big inspirations, actually! I like RPGs, but most of them don't keep my interest for long, so I wanted to make a game that avoids all of the boring aspects of typical RPGs, but keeps the most important and fun parts of the gameplay. Most of the combat and mechanics were inspired from the Paper Mario RPGs, since those games are some of the most enjoyable I've played. I also really like birds, so that's where all the bird things come from! I was inspired to do the 3D style by looking at N64 games, but I changed the style around and decided to avoid blurry or blocky textures, instead preferring to model out the details by hand for a cleaner look. The low-poly style also lets me to make all the game maps more quickly by hand instead of spending too long on highly-detailed maps. I was working on the first dungeon yesterday, and I got a few rooms done in a short amount of time. The atmosphere is exactly what I had in mind, too! I'm glad I ended up with the style I have, because it's working out well! Dan: I too very much enjoy the simplistic style of Time For Birds from what I have seen so far. Do you have an idea on when the game might be finished? Noah Holmes: Hopefully, it'll be done sometime next year! But game development always takes longer than you'd hope, so it could be in development for a lot longer than that. Luckily, I plan on having a demo in a few months, so there's that to look forward to! Dan: Do you know which distribution services you plan to release it on and for how much? Noah Holmes: I'm hoping to releasing it on both Steam and itch.io! I'm planning on setting the price at $10! Dan: My final question for you is what can people do to directly support you and Time For Birds? Noah Holmes: The best way to do that is to stay in touch with me on social media! I'm still updating the game a lot, and I haven't revealed a whole ton about the game yet, but that'll be coming soon, and it'll hopefully get more people interested! I'm here on Tumblr, and also on Twitter! (@timeforbirds for both!)I'll be launching a Kickstarter in the upcoming months, so you can also support me there when it's ready!

#Time for birds #rpg #indie #game development #interview

Interview with Cottontrek, the person behind “Slow Motion Game”

For the past few days I have been speaking with Cottentrek. For those who don’t know, Cottontrek has made many short little “games.” Most of them being unfinished. One in particular caught my attention. Currently it is untitled, but has also been going by the name “Slow Motion Game.” Dan: Can you best describe to me what exactly "Slow Motion Game" is at it's current state? Cottontrek: Well, it's mostly just a gameplay engine. It's taking a while to find a solid story or even a consistent art style for the game, so the game is mostly just gameplay at this point. So far there are the basic game mechanics, weapons, abilities, and enemy types, and there are a whole lot of levels for me to test gameplay interactions, balancing, and art. I do have a lot of ideas for possible stories and characters, but first I hope to make sure that the game mechanics are solid and varied before I get to anything else. Dan: Completely understandable. Do you have an idea on what you might intend for the finished product to be Cottontrek: Gosh, I have a lot of ideas, but I don't want to make any promises I can't keep, so I'll try to keep it as realistic as I can!

The basic idea for the finished product would be a mainly gameplay focused experience. Gameplay wise, I'm trying to create this balance between frantic run n gun combat and thought-out, almost meditative slow motion combat. The main game mechanic is the use of slow motion, and it's heavily inspired by The Matrix, used primarily to plan accurate shots and to dodge out of the way of fire. Considering basic game progression and structure, the story will probably be relatively linear but I'd like to offer players some freedom in choosing the levels. It would be nice to allow players to take a break from a particularly difficult level and branch off onto another level, perhaps then acquiring a more advantageous weapon or ability. I don't think something like an open world approach would be realistic for this project, but I would like to offer players some freedom in progression. Dan: That sounds pretty realistic to me. Would you consider maybe multiplayer even if it was local as a possible feature? Maybe just like fighting the other player(s) in a fixed small stage. Cottontrek: Hm, that's an interesting idea, considering that it is gameplay focused. I'm not sure if it would be possible though, since the game deals with time manipulation - it might be hard to implement multiplayer at this current state... but, with a few tweaks it could be really exciting! Might have to think about that further, that could be really fun. Dan: What tools and programs are you using to develop this game? Cottontrek: Right now I mainly use Game Maker Studio, for both the basic sprite work and engine. Occasionally I use GraphicsGale for complicated animations or really large sprites/backgrounds. For audio, I occasionally tweak things with various free software but I may just have to get help with sounds and/or music, if possible. Dan: With this game and your others that you have made, what would you say the most challenging thing is when it comes to developing? Cottontrek: Probably the design of the game mechanics themselves. I generally try to start projects that are within my skill set, so programming isn't usually an issue since I usually only have very simple game interactions. However, it is difficult to be able to step back and observe whether a game mechanic really works or not. At a certain point I can test a game so many times, but never really understand whether its systems interact in an enjoyable way. It would definitely help to get others to play these prototypes and to hear other people's feedback about the game mechanics. Unfortunately, though, since I usually tackle a project's game design first, they're not often in a state that would be convenient for others to try out, often being jumbles of game engine and tests rather than a cohesive experience. Dan: That definitely does sound challenging. How many different games/prototypes have you made? I have noticed you have many different looking things on your blog. Cottontrek: Yeah, there's a lot of projects I've started and a whole lot more I've never finished. Looking at my past blog posts right now, there are maybe three or four really basic game "prototypes", most of them programming tests. There are about two or three prototypes which, while I was making them, I hoped to bring to full release but never could. Right now I'm trying to balance two projects, the slow motion game and the Mad Max (ish) game, hopefully both of those can be finished up. Turns out I've released about five projects in total, but it's interesting to see that only one of them was actually released outside of a game competition... Maybe I should set myself more realistic deadlines! Dan: I'm sure if you did, you probably would full release more stuff. It looks like you got a lot of potential with the skill and talent you seem to have. I have one more question for you. What can people do to directly support you and your work? Cottontrek: It's always helpful if people can spread the message if one of my projects catches their eye, but the one thing I appreciate most is simply someone playing something I've made. Feedback you get from anyone is essential and super helpful, especially if you're still trying to get a grasp of things, like me. But beyond that, just knowing that someone's tried out something you've made, nodded, and maybe said "hm, not bad", that's a really nice feeling.

Interview with Jack Universe, man behind ST:YX

Today I had the chance to speak with Jack Universe, the one behind the scenes working on Strange Tides: Year X (ST:YX). It is a steampunk game where you travel to multiple worlds, all with their very own themes and stories.

Dan: Can you describe to me in your own words what is ST:YX? Jack Universe: ST:YX is a 3D action - adventure game inspired by the combat systems of the Souls and Monster Hunter series. The game is set in what I'd best describe as a combination of world's and cultures. A clash of ancient Greek/Rome, pre - colonial South America thrown into a steampunk - inspired world of the slave trade and golden age of piracy. The demo being developed aims to both set up the scene of this combined fantasy world, and serve as a proof of concept for the game. Dan: Now that sounds interesting. I have seen plenty of steampunk games but never one that has such a unique setting such as yours. What kind of features will be in this game that in your mind will make it stand out? Jack Universe: One of the features that is planned for the post intro/demo content is the characters enchanted-&-robotic arm being able to be commanded or act independently/autonomous instead of a ranged weapon/magic system. Almost like the combination of the companion system that's been popular in lots of releases recently and Rayman's fists that I played as a kid.

Another feature I'm really wanting to push in this game is optional lore. I want the player to not feel pressured to do anything other than explore and fight things on each of the islands/maps that the airship drops them off at in any particular order. But, if the player wishes, explore the stories behind each location, such as one of the islands mostly being Roman-Settled with gladiators etc and a smaller settlement of other cultures. I would like the player to be able to just arrive on the gladiator "world" ala a Mario game, fight all they want to, and then move onto the next world, but also have the option to talk and discover the secrets of each world and why some are favored to a culture and others are more populated seemingly randomly. Lastly, I'm planning a "gate" or "Pokèmon gym" system of encounters. I want the player to have multiple routes to boss encounters, and there being no train track order of encounters. With a planned of 13 bosses, but only requiring 7 to unlock the end of the story/endgame fights, I want to open up replay and speed run features of the game with certain encounters closing and opening "gates" of paths/routes to future encounters. This feature is designed to be shallow and easy to follow on the surface, but have a complicated depth for exploring optimal routes. Dan: Well it certainly sounds like you have quite the planned foundation for this game. Definitely sounds like a nice combination of inspiration from the other games you named. Are you working on this project alone? Jack Universe: I'm currently working on the intro/demo full-time alone, however I have my audio guy who I bounce ideas off of, who does the voice acting and instrument/midi writing for the demo. In the summer he'll move onto a permanent member of the team, and I'm planning to pick up a better programmer at that time too. Dan: Well you have done an impressive amount of work on your own so far. Glad to hear that you plan on getting someone else on board as well. What would you say the biggest obstacle is when making this project? Jack Universe: The biggest mental obstacle has been to cut down on demo features due to time restrictions. For example originally I had an entire neighborhood of a town built around the port and harbor of that island. Originally I wanted that whole section to be the demo area with the robot arm mechanics also functioning in the demo. Both of this features have had to be pushed back to a full game feature due to not being feasible for a demo. But the task of building the AI combat system is incredibly daunting and I suspect as I get more into getting that to work to my standards that the combat - for me the most vital part - will be the biggest obstacle. Dan: That's unfortunate that those two features will not be in the demo, but I'm sure your demo once complete will serve it's purpose to the best of it's abilities. I can easily imagine how the AI can be a big obstacle, it normally is for a small team project. What tools and programs are you using to develop this game? Jack Universe: The game is being built in Unreal 4, while assets are being built in 3DS Max, and using Quixel and Photoshop for the textures. Characters are sculpted in Mudbox, where they were also textured, but those textures will be redone in Quixel. Worth mentioning I'm using some community projects and community store projects too: I'm relying on using the community ocean water shader currently being maintained by DotCam and TK-Master on the Unreal Engine forums for realistic water in game, with quite a few contributors. I'm also using one of Kubold's animation sets for mo cap animations from the Unreal Marketplace, and had been using Aaron Dabelow's debris maker when I was building the town - I most likely will be using that again after the demo during level building. Sadly I discovered Script Spot 3DS Max scripts at the end of the level design phase and was regrettably unable to implement some of those scripts earlier in the project, but after the demo I'll be using a selection of scripts to speed up a lot of the world building process. Dan: Sounds like you have quite the selection of resources at your disposal. How long have you been developing this game? Jack Universe: The concept, story and original town began development in June last year, but there were a volatile few months with the feel and direction of the game and town changing - or rather evolving - rapidly over the course of the first few months. By September I was satisfied with the goal and direction of the game. The ships began as just an "Object for the background" asset in late November, but after quickly building them, I ended up fleshing them out and designating the ship as the demo area mid December. So from June to December I'd say was just concept work, basic ideas, etc, while from December on wards the development work has properly kicked off. Dan: Do you have an idea on when the game may be complete? Jack Universe: The intro/demo will be completed and released by June this year, the goal is then to complete the first world by Late December/Early January with a targeted gameplay length of 5 hours minimum, after which there will be an evaluation of the project's finances to determine whether to continue as a full time development or as a side project. Dan: Is the plan to release this game world by world or all at once as one full final product? Jack Universe: That's something which is currently being worked out, but currently the plan is to release world by world as long as each world has its own conclusion. So additional worlds feel like an expansion of the same story, but don't feel like they're stuck on a cliffhanger waiting for the next world to be completed. I want the demo to be "This is cool! I want to see where this world is going!" But I want each world to feel like "That was an awesome adventure" without the player feeling like a major plot element hadn't be resolved, demanding the next world to be completed to tie up the story. Dan: If priced appropriately I think releasing it world by world may be a smart decision. My final question for you though is what can people do to support you and your game? Jack Universe: Right now just following the project on Tumblr is support enough.

#ST:YX #steampunk #indie #game development #interview

Interview with Samer Khatib, man behind Potato Thriller

Recently I had the fun experience speaking with Samer Khatib, the mastermind behind Potato Thriller (P.T.). The game looks like it has had a lot of work put into it, with a silly premise that thankfully doesn’t take itself too seriously.

Dan: In your own words, what is Potato Thriller? Samer Khatib: Potato Thriller is a very silly horror game that does not really take itself too seriously. It focuses on a cast of colorful unique characters and tells a very strange somewhat random-ish stroyline about Potato man, a serial killer who deep frys his victims. The gameplay mechanics in the game usually change up throughout the game for a more unique experience.

Dan: It's nice to sometimes see when work has been put into a game but doesn't take itself too serious for comedic purposes haha. What has inspired you to make such a game like this? Samer Khatib: Haha yeah I know. The thing is, it starts out with me being like "I'm going to create this awesome incredible deep game" and then about half way through I just realize that, I can't take this seriously. I need to make a joke out of whats going on here. Like if I can't get an animation to work the way I like it, I end up leaving it in the way it is because it looks so silly.

This game is inspired off of a lot of things actually and at the same time not really inspired off of anything. It wasn't even going to be a really big game at first. It was going to be like a small one level game that I would make in about 2 weeks. Originally, the game was inspired off of the Silent Hills P.T. demo. If you play the beginning of the game you could tell that the level is heavily influenced off of the hallway from the P.T. demo. I called it "Potato Thriller" because I wanted the game to have the same initials. Oh P.T. is Potato Thriller. After I made what I originally had planned, I ended up creating all these extra characters and 3D models and just kind of expanded it into this huge game with a story line I made up along the way and characters and a bunch of levels. So it went from being this small project that wasn't really going to be anything to this big project that I kind of just started to randomly make up as I develop it. Dan: I always find it to be a fascinating experience when you just "go with it." Like, to not have a full structure planned and to just think of the path you want to create as you are developing. Other than being about a potato serial killer, in your opinion what makes this game unique? Samer Khatib: Oh yeah definitely. When there is a set of rules and planning to follow, the creation process of the game just doesn't really seem fun. It feels like you have to limit the game to only be what is planned. But when you just make it as you go, you just start throwing in ideas. I think that the game is unique mostly because it has a lot of unexpected surprises in it that kind of really just throw the player off guard. I wouldn't say that its a predictable game. You never really know what will happen next. This brings back the other point as well because I made the game up as I developed it, so because of this, each level might be completely different from the last. I think I answered that one in a really weird way and that might not really make sense though. Dan: Nonsense, I totally understand what you mean and where you are coming from. It is an always exciting time when a game plays out very unexpectedly. Something that sadly is not seen enough with most games and movies being released today. Are you working on this project alone? Samer Khatib: Yes. I work on all my games alone. I always liked to be responsible for everything in my games. I create all the 3D artwork, characters, models, level design, gameplay mechanics, etc. I will admit that I no longer create things like sound effects or music anymore. In my very early games I would create the music and sounds, but in my newer games I just find some really cool royalty free music and sound FXs and use those. Of course I give credit when I use other peoples music and such. But other than the sounds and music, I create everything myself. And, I'm not like a master artist or anything like that. But I always really enjoy working on all aspects of a game and it just feels good when you finish a project and look back at it. Even though it might not be perfect and it has its flaws, it feels good knowing that you created everything yourself. Dan: Now that's something a lot of people who make 3D games can't say. I'm sure like you said it must be a great feeling looking back and seeing everything and knowing it was all of your doing. At the end of the day whether people enjoy it or not is of no importance. All that matters is that you are proud of your work. What programs and tools are you using to create this game? Samer Khatib: Oh yeah exactly. My games are never AAA quality or really that great. But I am always really proud of what I create by the end of the day. And I just love doing it. For game creation I use the Unity game engine, Blender3D for 3D art work/modeling/animations/etc and Gimp for 2D graphics work/ UI stuff and so on. Dan: What would you say has been the biggest obstacle for you when it comes to making P.T.? Samer Khatib: Well at one point, I really struggled with the A.I for some of the enemies in the game. I eventually figured it out and create some simple AI for the enemy I was working on. It was satisfying enough for me when I finished it. But I did figure it out and work around it. The real obstacle I would say is staying focused on the project. There are some days where I just don't feel like working on it, there are some days where I just don't even want to finish it. I lose motivation from time to time. But I think that happens to all of us sometimes. I'm really happy because I'm so close to finishing it now. Dan: Yeah I'm sure trying to focus on it all the time can be straining. I can't imagine the amount of hours something like this would take from start to finish. My final question for you though is what can people do to support you and your game? Samer Khatib: Well I never do stuff like Kickstarters or anything like that. No fundraising. I don't like asking people to give me money to make my silly games. I don't like that at all to be honest. I would never ask for funding. I never really believed that most indie games even need to go onto Kickstarter and ask for like $100k so their game could be made. Especially since a lot of games do get funded but then down the road you see the developer come out and apologize saying "we have to cancel the project" or something like that. But honestly, what is holding you back from developing your game? the tools are out there and free to use. Games could be made for free. You don't need thousands of dollars to make your game. I don't want to sound like a jerk and say people should not go try getting funded for their games or anything like that. I understand why you would need fundraising for some projects. It really depends I guess. And if you do get funded to make your dream project, then that’s awesome good for you. Sorry for getting off topic. That wasn't answering your question. lol. People can support my games simply by checking them out, giving them a try, leaving feedback positive or negative, etc. I always loved feedback no matter what kind it is. Something I really do enjoy is when people play my games on their Youtube channels. I personally really enjoy watching people react to my stuff. And that also exposes my games to other people who watch that persons channel. I do have potato thriller posted up on Steam right now. Its not finished but its in the process of the Greenlight. If people simply just go over to steam and vote yes for my game that would also be a help.

#Potato Thriller #horror #game development #interview #indie

Q&A with Leendert Oomen, lead designer behind Antraxx

Today I had the opportunity to speak with Leendert Oomen, who is the lead designer behind Antraxx. Which is a new game that is currently under development. It takes the classic look of isometric graphics and mixes it with a multiplayer mech shooter experience.

Q: In your own words, what is Antraxx?

A: Antraxx for me is a dream about to come true. As a young kid I have been drawing and dreaming of one day creating a game like this. In the summer of 2011 together with Sam Hellawell I have founded the project. Today we are on a tight schedule and about to release. That’s what Antraxx is and means to me.

To another Antraxx is a multiplayer isometric, arcade-style, mech battle shooter with pixel art graphics. Q: A new Isometric mech game is not something I see too often. What was your biggest inspiration for this? A: We have been inspired by many games. Sam and I both used to play a game called "Habbo". I think that’s where we fell in love with the isometric perspective. As for our art we have been hugely inspired by amazing pixel art games. Metal Slug is one of them. Q: How many people are working on this project? A: We have Sam the lead developer and me as the lead designer. Through the years we have received help from various pixel artists. They don't really belong to the team. If they want to they are more then welcome though. We're all friends which makes things easier. To name and credit a few pixel artists: Dawnbringer(Richard): - Has created a pixel art colour palette for all of our mech models and maps. His palettes are well known in the pixel art community. I still owe him big time for this! Fabian (vierbit): - Has improved the detail and quality of our first mech sprite design. It is perfect now! - Created one of our map packs - Designed a new mech and all animations. Thomas (Cyangmau) - Known from his recent indie game project Tower57: - Helped expand our first map pack - Created a huge badass mech portrait picture. Kevin Greenlee: - Currently working on sound effects and a theme song! Q: What are some key elements about this game that you feel make it stand out? A: Our main focus is creating a fun and adjustable game that makes possibilities endless, limitless and fun. A sandbox concept. Users can completely adjust their mech model and create maps from so called construction blocks. These blocks create maps and maps can then be filled up with additional standalone objects. When creating maps as a user you are in control of what users need to do to reach a certain point in the map. For instance a elevator that can only be used when your teammate walks onto a button. But we also have shield walls that can be (de)activated, pickup boosters that give you full health, energy or even a temporary shield! Q: How long has this game been under development? A: This summer it has been 5 years with on and off development due to work, relationships, moving houses and other reasons. We've always had the intention to finish the game and we are at a stage where we can promise to achieve a deadline release in fall this year on the 1st of September. Q: What has been the biggest obstacle in the creation of this game? A: Technology and time. Both just as deadly obstacles. Q: What tools and programs are you using to develop this game? A: Paint and Photoshop for art. And Photoshop only because its easy for layering and painting within the iso tile lines and such. As for code we use JavaScript and WebGL. Its amazing how much Sam is capable to create with these two programming languages. Q: Is there a set price for when the game is released? A: To be exact a total of $0 The game is entirely free to play. We are planning microtransactions to pay for the upkeep of our server though. All well balanced and fair to players not paying to play. Q: Where will this game be available to play/download? A: You can play it without downloading it on our website http://antraxx.com and we will release it on Steam as well. We have more plans to release for tablet devices and the AppStore later on our development though. Q: What can people do to directly support you and this game? A: Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr or IndieDB. We are going to announce super nice merchandise giveaways and pre-sales soon! Next to that telling your friends about us would be super appreciated.

I really appreciate Leendert Oomen for taking the time to fully answer my questions with incredible detail. Antraxx looks like a fun game that definitely deserves all the attention it can get. It is always a nice thing to see people bringing their dreams to reality successfully. I guess I could say this looks like it will be one hell of an “isomechtric” game. Antraxx link’s: Tumblr: http://antraxxgame.tumblr.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/antraxxgame/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/AntraxxGame Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/antraxxgame/ Indie DB: http://www.indiedb.com/games/antraxx

#Antraxx #isometric #game development #mech #indie

Q&A with Guillaume Breton, graphic artist behind Double Kick Heroes

Recently I had the ability to directly ask Guillaume Breton a series of questions about the upcoming game he and the rest of the team Headbang Club are working on called Double Kick Heroes. DKH is a game where you must fight off large amounts of enemies while rocking out in a ‘59 Cadillac with rhythm style gameplay.

Q: In your words, describe what exactly Double Kick Heroes is. A: Before being a game, Double Kick Heroes is a crazy bet to do a regularbuy2play game in a time where the word Indiepocalypse is still a buzzword. We’ve been in this business for almost 10 years (and a lot more for our friend elMobo)., At some point, I was sick of doing games I didn’t want to play. With Double Kick Heroes, we wanted to do a fun game. From the visuals to the music, we wanted the player to feel the Badassery. The unlikely mash-up between a rhythm game and a shoot’em up come from our habit to blend different type of games through our careers. Q: Fighting enemies with the power of Metal sounds like Brütal Legend which was a great game. Was that any inspiration for this game? A: Hell, Jack Black is a living reference for us, so yes, Brutal Legend is one of the inspirations behind DKH., But there are others : movies like Deathproof, Planet terror, Tenacious D and the Pick of Destiny or games like Rockband, Raiden, Metal Slug… and many others. Q: I love the art style and the '59 Cadillac. Any specific reason as to why you guys went with this art style and car? A: 2 years ago, at Motion Twin, we worked on a game that was never released. It was called at that time Hordes Zero. During the craze of conception of the Ludum Dare version of DKH, I unconsciously remembered some of the art we made, I had a clear vision of the mood I wanted to have in the game, and the “Gundillac” is really representative of it. Q: How many people are working on this project? A: We are currently a team of 4 working on the project : one dev, one gfx artist, one composer & one CM, the smallest team to do a game in our opinion... And you know, Four is a powerful number... Q: Do you have an estimate on when it will be completely finished? A: We are working full time on the project at the moment, we have a clear vision of what we want to do, we know that the game will not be entirely finished when winter comes, but we hope for an early access release during this period. Q: Do you have an idea on what the final price may be once it's fully released? A: The price isn’t fixed for the moment. We have seen what others product are priced, we know how hard it is to survive in the industry. But we know that we have to be at more than 10 bucks to have a chance to continue doing games after this one. Q: What is the biggest obstacle you are facing with this project? A: Time is our biggest obstacle, we have the expertise, we have the passion, we have the guts. Now we have to work hard and keep working during the year! Q: What can people do to directly support Headband Club and this game? A: Keep talking about the game, share the word, send us love & cheers, and don’t forget us when we’ll be back!

Double Kick Heroes looks to be a very exiting rhythm game, with a premise and a theme that isn’t seen enough. It’s always a good sight to see developers making a game that they actually want to play. I feel if all games were made with such passion, maybe we wouldn’t a have such a flooded market of cookie cutter games. DKH Greenlight: http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=650407962 Guillaume Breton’s Tumblr: http://gyhyom.tumblr.com/ HeadBang Club website: http://headbang.club/ DKH website: http://doublekickheroes.rocks/ DKH Twitter: https://twitter.com/headbang_club

#double kick heroes #HeadBang Club #Q&A #game development #indie

Interview with Jeff Mumm, man behind Guinea Pig Parkour

Today I had the opportunity to speak one on one with Jeff Mumm, creator of Guinea Something Good and Guinea Pig Parkour. Guinea Something Good is an animation series and a comic strip following the main character Joe and his friends who are all guinea pigs living in a guinea pig world. Jeff Mumm was nice enough to answer all of my questions about his upcoming game.

Dan: In your own words what is Guinea Pig Parkour? Jeff Mumm: Guinea Pig Parkour is a comedic 2D indie platformer game currently in development, featuring hand drawn animation. Dan: What do you hope for it to accomplish once it is complete? Jeff Mumm: My goal is to make a game that is funny, visually captivating, and extremely fun to play. I basically want the finished game to be my own personal dream game, and I hope others will respond to the elements of the game that I'm passionate about, as much as I do. Dan: What made you decide to fully hand draw all the animations? Jeff Mumm: I've always loved hand drawn animation, and when I was a kid, even though I thought 3D games were cool, I was disappointed that 2D games didn't really continue to develop past the 16-bit era. My favorite games of that era had an animated feel, but the technology wasn't quite there to actually have full animations. I've been happy to see 2D games make a resurgence in recent years, but because hand drawn animation is so time consuming, games featuring it are few and far between. And the ones that have it usually have it in a limited capacity. I wanted to make a game that really feels like you're playing a cartoon, without taking shortcuts. Full hand drawn animation has a physicality to it, as well, that I think will translate really well into an action game. Dan: Would you say that doing hand drawn animations for the game is the biggest obstacle you have encountered during development so far? Jeff Mumm: It definitely is the most time consuming. Most hand drawn animation is done by a team, so doing it all myself takes much, much longer. Dan: Do you have a team helping you create this game, or is this an entirely solo project? Jeff Mumm: This is entirely done by me right now, although I plan on bringing on a musician at some point. Dan: Is this your first game you have worked on? Jeff Mumm: I've actually experimented with game development for over a decade now. I've only released a couple very small web games before now, so this is my first major project. Dan: What tools and programs are you using to develop this game? Jeff Mumm: I'm animating with Adobe Flash CS5.5, creating backgrounds with Adobe Photoshop CS5.5, and creating the engine in Clickteam Fusion Developer 2.5. Dan: Do you have an approximation on when the game might be complete? Jeff Mumm: No, right now I'm just working on it as much as I possibly can. But there's no way to know how long it will take. Dan: Do you have a technique to get all of your animation in the game and in the animated series to look so smooth and fluid? Jeff Mumm: Well, I studied 2D animation, so I'm just applying all the principles of animation as best as I can. I recently started redoing all the animations at 24 frames per second, which is much smoother than the somewhat standard 12 FPS. Dan: My final question to you is what can people do to directly support you and this game? Jeff Mumm: People can follow the game on social media and spread the word, that's really important. Otherwise, they can contribute to my Patreon, which will directly sponsor more development time and help me create the game that much faster.

Guinea Pig Parkour looks like it may be a promising game with wonderful animation. At the way it looks in it’s current stage, it seems to me that it will be a very smooth and fluid feeling game. I do hope this game will be an inspiration to some to put in the extra effort Jeff Mumm has done. I must give props to Jeff Mumm for doing this all on his own, definitely the toughest route to take but in the end I’m sure it will all have been worth it.

This has been the first of many reviews here at Dan’s Digital Dial-up. Jeff Mumm’s Tumblr: http://joegp.tumblr.com/ Jeff Mumm’s Main Site: http://joegp.com/ Jeff Mumm’s Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/joegp?ty=h Jeff Mumm’s Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GuineaSomethingGood Jeff Mumm’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/jeffmumm

#Guinea Pig Parkour #Indie #Interview #game development #2D

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