Making Animal Well as a Solo Game Developer with Billy Basso
Jul 15, 2024
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Billy Basso, solo game developer of 'Animal Well,' discusses the game's inception, challenges, and critical success with Trent Kusters. They explore puzzle design, working as a solo developer, business needs, and the journey to a successful launch. Topics include childhood gaming influences, transitioning from film to game development, and the evolution of the gaming industry. The conversation touches on sprite art, animation, code efficiency, audio creation, and exploring real-world inspirations. 'Animal Well' is praised for its immersive gameplay and creativity.
Creating a game with no internet connection or DLC ensures a complete, standalone experience similar to physical game cartridges.
Technical constraints like low resolution pixel art and small map size led to iterative improvements in the game development process.
Avoiding early access and post-launch updates helped in packing depth, mystery, and replay value into the game from the start.
The concept of Animal Well evolved through multiple iterations, enhancing complexity while maintaining the core principles of completeness and longevity.
Animal Well challenges players in a subterranean garden environment, drawing inspiration from survival horror classics with intricate and meaningful game environments.
Innovative game mechanics and item functionalities aim to surprise and engage players, ensuring new layers of depth and immersive gameplay.
Deep dives
Foundational Game Principles
The core principles for the game involved no internet connection, no DLC, and a complete, standalone experience akin to physical game cartridges, ensuring a sense of completeness and longevity for players.
Technical Constraints Fueling Creativity
The technical constraints, including low resolution pixel art and a small map size, not only focused the scope of the game but also led to iterative improvements and the gradual evolution of the game into Animal Well.
Emphasis on Complete Game Experience
The decision to avoid early access and post-launch updates necessitated packing depth, mystery, and replay value into the game from the start, ensuring a comprehensive and engaging experience without the need for additional content.
Evolution of Game Design
The initial plan for a small, self-contained game gradually transformed into the concept of Animal Well through multiple iterations, each enhancing the game's complexity and richness while maintaining the foundational pillars of completeness and longevity.
Creation of a Unique Game Concept
Animal Well presents a fresh and unique concept where players assume the role of a character exploring a subterranean garden environment without any explicit guidance. The game challenges players to unravel mysteries in a lush setting filled with hidden passages and mysterious creatures, fostering a sense of discovery and curiosity.
Inspired by Immersive and Detailed Environments
The game draws inspiration from intricate and detailed game environments like those seen in survival horror classics on PS1 such as Resident Evil and Silent Hill, where each room feels meaningful and every locked door hints at potential mysteries to uncover. The aim is to create an intimate, surprising world that evokes a feeling of exploration and rediscovery.
Innovative Mechanics and Layered Gameplay
Animal Well introduces innovative mechanics that continually surprise and delight players, such as items that layer on top of each other, offering fresh gameplay experiences and unexpected interactions. The game's ability to consistently subvert player expectations and introduce new layers of depth adds to its immersive and engaging gameplay.
Organic Development of Game Items and Functionality
The process of creating items within the game and their functionality evolved organically, with the number growing over time based on comparisons to other games like NES Zelda. Each item was designed to be essential, with multiple uses to keep players engaged. The approach aimed to maintain important items with both apparent and hidden uses, contributing to the game's philosophy of engaging players through discovery.
Minimal Control Scheme and Playability
The game focused on a minimal control scheme to ensure accessibility and encourage intuitive gameplay. By limiting button usage, players could encounter mechanics through trial and error or accidental discovery. The level design aimed to increase the chances of players stumbling upon abilities, leading to moments of surprise and satisfaction without explicitly guiding them, fostering a sense of accomplishment and engagement with the game.
Developing Animal Well and Working with a Publisher
The podcast episode discusses the journey of developing the game 'Animal Well' and the interactions with potential publishers. The game developers shared their experience of showcasing the game at events like Gamescom and Tokyo Game Show, gaining audience interest and feedback. They delve into the unexpected connection with a game publisher after a high-profile individual's positive reception of the game. The conversation highlights the collaborative process and the decision to work with a publisher.
Achieving Critical and Commercial Success with 'Animal Well'
The episode details the post-launch success of 'Animal Well,' touching on critical reception, sales numbers, and community engagement. The developers share their experiences post-release, including handling bug fixes, community puzzles, and the impact of reviews. The discussion reflects on the game's uniqueness and the challenges and joys of indie game development post-launch, emphasizing the importance of passion and authenticity in creative endeavors.
Trent Kusters chats with Billy Basso about his solo-developed debut title, Animal Well. Together they discuss how the ideas and development of Animal Well first began; how he was able to work as a solo developer and the tools he created to help him along the way; how he went about designs the game's countless puzzles and animals; when he recognized he needed help with the business and marketing of releasing a commercial product; and the surreal experience of launching a title with an incredible critical and fan response.
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