Thierry Boulanger, Sabotage Studio President and Creative Director, discusses his journey into game development, founding Sabotage Studio, key lessons from creating The Messenger implemented in Sea of Stars, and playing retro games while creating modern experiences.
Balancing retro aesthetics with modern game design by using limited on-screen enemies, self-contained level design, and eliminating tedious sections.
The challenges faced during the development of Sea of Stars, including adapting to remote work during the COVID-19 lockdown and navigating the financial realities of game development.
The importance of prototyping and focusing on core gameplay aspects (3Cs - camera, character, and controls), before adding visual polish and creating intricate systems.
Deep dives
Overview of the Podcast Episode
In this podcast episode, Terry and the host discuss the development process and design principles behind the game 'The Messenger'. The game is a side-scrolling action platformer with a retro aesthetic and gameplay. Terry explains that the team aimed to create a game that captures the essence of classic retro games while modernizing the design and mechanics. They wanted to evoke feelings of nostalgia and tap into the magic and joy that players experienced as children. They discuss the decision-making process for balancing retro aesthetics with modern game design, including the use of limited on-screen enemies, self-contained level design, and the elimination of tedious sections. The conversation also touches on the importance of maintaining authenticity and capturing the essence of retro games while incorporating modern elements.
Challenges of the Lockdown and Kickstarter
One of the main challenges faced during the development of Sea of Stars was the COVID-19 lockdown. The team had planned to announce the game at the Spring Equinox during GDC, but with the cancellation of the event and the uncertainty of the situation, they decided to proceed with their Kickstarter campaign as a way to provide entertainment and distraction to players. The campaign turned out to be successful, but the team had to adapt to remote work and navigate the financial realities of game development.
Collaborating with Devolver Digital
After the successful Kickstarter campaign, the team explored partnership options with various publishers. Eventually, they connected with Devolver Digital and found their fit. Devolver's trust in the team allowed them to maintain their creative vision and self-publish the game. The collaboration with Devolver has been highly supportive, with a hands-off approach that lets the team do their thing.
Overcoming Release Date Challenges
The team faced the challenge of setting and sticking to a release date for Sea of Stars, especially amidst the uncertainties of the COVID-19 pandemic. The announcement of the release date was accompanied by a showcase in a Nintendo Direct, which added more pressure to deliver on time. Despite the difficulties, the team managed to meet their release date and the game has been well-received.
Game Development Process and Prototyping
The podcast explores the game development process and the importance of prototyping. The speaker mentions that the game's ideation and discussions happened over several years before they even started working on it. They wanted to create a game with intricate systems that would be engaging and stand out. They started with a small team and focused on the core aspects of gameplay, specifically the camera, character, and controls (3Cs). They spent almost a year perfecting the 3Cs and developing the tools needed for production. Art was initially focused on creating placeholder assets while they prioritized making the game fun before adding visual polish.
Designing Engaging Combat Mechanics
The podcast highlights the design process of the combat mechanics in the game. The speaker aimed for a combat system with low numbers to maintain player engagement and decision-making throughout the game. They wanted every character to have their moment to shine, and to achieve this, they limited each character to three special moves but included 26 combos that players could discover. The combat system utilized rock-paper-scissors mechanics and had different attack patterns for enemies, encouraging players to vary their strategies. They also implemented an active aspect to combat, where players had to time their actions properly. The speaker emphasized the importance of creating a combat system that feels satisfying and where every action has weight.
Trent Kusters chats with Sabotage Studio President and Creative Director, Thierry Boulanger. Together they discuss his journey into games including the early influences that led him towards development; founding Sabotage Studio and the design pillars they follow; key lessons they learned creating The Messenger that they implemented in Sea of Stars; and playing within the limits of retro games while creating modern experiences.
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