Win Conditions
Forest Willard on Creating Among Us and Staying Indie...
Nov 28, 2024
Forest Willard, co-founder of Innersloth and co-creator of the viral hit Among Us, shares his incredible journey from retro gaming to building a successful indie studio. He discusses how the game's design focuses on simplicity and social interaction, making it a cultural phenomenon. The conversation covers transformative partnerships, handling popularity during the pandemic, and tips for aspiring game developers. Forest emphasizes the need to maintain an indie culture even as the team grows, ensuring creativity and fun remain at the forefront.
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Quick takeaways
- Forest Willard's journey from early programming experiences to co-founding Innersloth highlights the transformative power of persistence and learning from failures in game development.
- The success of Among Us during the pandemic underscores the importance of community engagement and adapting gameplay to meet player demands in a social gaming landscape.
Deep dives
The Journey from Early Gaming to Founding
Forrest Willard's passion for game design began in his childhood in a small town in Oregon, where he was exposed to computer technology through his parents, who owned a computer store. His journey into programming started early, as he learned Quick Basic and transitioned through various programming languages, creating small games inspired by his early experiences with video games. As he pursued a degree in mechanical engineering, he realized his true calling was in computer science, which led him to connect with Marcus Brominder, eventually co-founding Innersloth. Together, they began their venture into game development, learning from their initial failures, including cancelled projects and lessons about managing scope in game design.
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