The Mermaid Mask Creative Director on Making a Sequel and Two Decades of Game Development
Interview with Adam Vian, Creative Director at SFB Games, about making a direct sequel with The Mermaid Mask and Crow Country's success.
Read MoreThe Office Type Creative Director on the Journey from Kickstarter to Steam
The Office Type is a new visual novel dating-sim about a summer sales intern who finds a magical cupcake in the break room and soon begins to see anthropomorphic office supplies. Developed by indie studio Heavy Thought Studios, the game was crowdfunded…
Read MoreJakub Szamalek on New Tech-Thriller and the Difference Between Writing Games and Novels
During the Xbox Games Showcase last month, we saw a new trailer for The Blood of Dawnwalker, the debut title from Rebel Wolves, a team consisting of some former CD Projekt RED developers. The Narrative Director for Dawnwalker is Jakub Szamalek. While he…
Read MoreStarsand Island Technical Director on NPC Affection System and Heart Stories
We recently got the chance to interview Golton Gao, Technical Director at Seed Lab, about Starsand Island and its NPC Affection System.
Read MoreDate Everything Lead Designer on their Ambitious Dating Sim, Large Voice Cast, and Embracing Weirdness
In the upcoming sandbox dating sim, Date Everything, players will put on the “Dateviator” glasses and watch as everyday objects turn into romantic possibilities. Chat up the objects to reach one of three relationship statuses: Love, Friend,…
Read MoreZefyr Developer on 11 Year Development and Childhood Inspirations
Zefyr: A Thief’s Melody is an upcoming 3D platformer where you play as a young thief studying at the Guild on a colorful archipelago. You can explore the open world and complete various quests from investigating kidnappings to curing sick animals.…
Read MoreMy Time Series Director on Designing a Sandbox, Scrapped DLC, and Evershine Kickstarter
In 2019, Pathea Games released My Time at Portia, a farm life sim published by Team17. With Studio Ghibli-inspired visuals, the game invited players to start a new life in the titular town full of friendly faces. I had heard about that game but my first…
Read MoreCrow Country Creative Director on Learning from Snipperclips and Balancing Retro Mechanics
Horror fans have been singing their praises of the recently released Crow Country, a retro-inspired survival horror game set in an abandoned theme park developed by the fine folks at SFB Games. Players are tasked with overcoming puzzles and riddles as…
Read MoreBotany Manor Creative Director on Tomb Raider Influence and the Challenge of Puzzle Design
Having released in April to positive reviews (currently at a 94% positive ratings on Steam), Botany Manor is the debut game from Balloon Studios. The botanical puzzle game tells the story of Arabella Greene as she compiles research for her herbarium…
Read MoreCinnabunny Developer Interview
In this episode of the Respawn Station podcast, Sri Kandula and Nick Sivak talk to Patrick Gauthier of Reky Studios about solo game development, his upcoming game Cinnabunny, and kiteboarding. Check out the Cinnabunny Kickstarter here:…
Read MoreGods of the Twilight Developers on the Unique Strengths and Challenges of Visual Novels
Last week, Gods of the Twilight went into Early Access. Featuring a blend of cyberpunk and Norse mythology, the game tells the story of Farkas and Althea as they discover they might be more than human. After playing through the first five available…
Read MoreBlood West Producer on Balancing a Difficult Game and the Impact of Early Access
Blood West is an atmospheric first-person shooter where you play as an undead gunslinger brought back from the grave for a mysterious purpose by powers greater than your own. The game will be leaving Early Access at the end of the year and I got the…
Read MoreWhitethorn Games CEO on 7-Year Anniversary, Challenges of Indie Publishing, and How to Get a Game Published
Whitethorn Games, publisher of indie darlings such as Calico, Lake, and Wytchwood, is celebrating its 7-year anniversary with sales on everything from collectible pins to games across all platforms. (Links at the bottom.) I recently got the chance to ask…
Read MoreMythwrecked: Ambrosia Island Game Director on Game Delay, Accessibility, and Following Up a BAFTA-Nominated Game
Mythwrecked: Ambrosia Island is an exploration-based adventure game where you play as Alex, a rookie backpacker who is shipwrecked on a beautiful long-forgotten island of myth and sunshine. We got the chance to interview Alex Kanaris-Sotiriou, Director…
Read MoreThymesia Lead Game Designer on Influences, Console Release and Searching for a Publisher During the Pandemic
We talked to the Lead Game Designer of Thymesia about the game's influences, console release, and the impact of the pandemic on the team.
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