Sam Barlow, Game Director at Half Mermaid, talks about his career in the gaming industry, working on the Silent Hill franchise, and his decision to go indie. They discuss the challenges and experiences that led to his first indie project, creating games that require a full film crew, and the design of his newest title Immortality.
Sam Barlow's early experiences in game development involved salvaging a challenging project by focusing on creating a dumb, fun, and violent game that appealed to teenage boys.
Working on Silent Hill games at Climax Studios allowed Sam Barlow to showcase his interaction design skills and deliver a classic Silent Hill experience.
Immortality is a culmination of Sam Barlow's previous works, incorporating exploration gameplay, deconstructing the medium of film, and exploring themes of control, trust, and intimacy.
Balancing gameplay progression and discoverability in immortality posed a challenge, leading to the incorporation of algorithms to guide players while allowing them the freedom to discover and peel back narrative layers at their own pace.
Deep dives
Working on Crusty Demons
Early in Sam's career at Climax Studios, he was involved in the creation of the game Crusty Demons, which was based on the motocross group. The project faced numerous challenges, including a negative response from testers, but Sam and the team managed to salvage it by focusing on creating a dumb, fun, and violent bike game that appealed to teenage boys. The game received mixed reviews but provided Sam with valuable experience in writing, working with actors, and being part of a game development team.
Taking on Silent Hill
Sam worked on two Silent Hill games at Climax Studios: Silent Hill: Origins and Silent Hill: Shattered Memories. For Silent Hill: Origins, Sam and the team were brought in after the initial LA team faced numerous issues and the game was not meeting expectations. Sam and the team had to start almost from scratch, rewriting the script, redesigning monsters, and reworking level designs within a limited time and budget. Despite the constraints, Sam and the team managed to salvage the project and delivered a Silent Hill experience more in line with the classic games.
Hints of Sam Barlow's Interaction Design
In Silent Hill: Shattered Memories, Sam and his team had more influence over the game's design. They worked within tighter constraints to deliver a classic Silent Hill experience. Sam's interaction design skills began to emerge, noticeable in elements like the tests with the psychologist and the way players interacted with specific objects. These elements hinted at Sam's future work in creating immersive and interactive experiences.
The Making of Immortality
Immortality is described as a culmination of Sam Barlow's previous works, incorporating elements of exploration gameplay applied directly to the story. The goal is to make players as obsessive about movies as he is by deconstructing the medium and including behind-the-scenes segments. The process began with six months of planning and script balancing. Sam Barlow also played through the prototypes himself to ensure player engagement. Immortality takes an ambitious approach, aiming to be generous in its gameplay experience and explore themes of control, trust, and intimacy. The production involved working with experienced indie film crew members and balancing the film shoot along with the coding process. The pandemic influenced the development process, sparking reflections on career paths and the struggles of losing time. Immortality's structure involves three interconnected movies, a documentary, and a game layer implemented through iterative development and extensive research into the history of cinema.
The Structure and Process of Making Immortality
The process of making Immortality involved extensive planning and script balancing to ensure the gameplay would work effectively. Prototypes were created to understand the gameplay mechanics, balance the script, and create a fun experience for players. The game incorporated a match cut mechanic rather than relying on scripts or storyboards, allowing for immersive experiences with a focus on performance and production design. The process involved a close collaboration with a film crew that had experience in indie filmmaking. The development began in January 2020, just before the pandemic hit, and continued with the goal of making the project as ambitious as possible within the available resources. Generosity in gameplay and extensive layers were prioritized to engage players and provide a deep experience. Customized spreadsheets and checklists were used to organize themes, plot points, and interesting details. Each scene was carefully crafted to include elements such as themes of control, trust, and intimacy. The goal was to create a game that immersed players in the world of cinema and deconstructed the medium.
Balancing Gameplay Progression and Discoverability
In the podcast, the game designer discusses the challenge of balancing gameplay progression and discoverability in immortality. They mention that the early part of the game is relatively easy, allowing players to explore and make meaningful choices at their own pace. However, they also wanted to ensure that players felt a sense of progress and knew they were on the right path. To achieve this, the game incorporated algorithms to guide the player towards new content, such as supernatural elements and key scenes, while also considering themes and aesthetics. The designer admits that finding the right balance was challenging, but focus testing and numerical analysis helped refine and tweak the game's progression.
The Unfolding Layers of the Game's Story
The podcast delves into the complex narrative structure of immortality, consisting of multiple layers. The designer explains that the game begins by introducing the story of three movies and their themes. Moving beyond the surface, there is a behind-the-scenes story that adds depth to the narrative. Additionally, the game incorporates supernatural elements that gradually reveal themselves. The final layer involves the player's relationship to the game's story, which contributes to the overall experience. The designer emphasizes that while the narrative structure is intricate, they wanted to allow players the freedom to discover and peel back the layers at their own pace.
Designing Surprises and Magical Moments
The podcast discusses the importance of surprises and magical moments in immortality's gameplay. The designer shares that they always aim to include innovative mechanics or structures that feel unique and magical within the game. They emphasize the intention to create moments that players will remember, where unexpected cutscenes or jarring transitions provide a sense of excitement and wonder. By incorporating algorithms that determine what players click on and where they are taken, the game aims to create these surprising and memorable experiences. The designer acknowledges the challenges of balancing these surprises with player progress and ensuring a coherent narrative, but highlights the value of these magical moments in capturing players' attention and engagement.
Trent Kusters chats with Game Director at Half Mermaid, Sam Barlow. Together they discuss how his career began; his early studio work and getting to work on the Silent Hill franchise; his decision to go indie; his experiences that led to his first indie project; the intricacies of creating games that require a full film crew; and looking at his newest title Immortality through the lenses of both Her Story and Telling Lies.
Listen to the episode here or watch the full episode on our YouTube.
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