The world of game development is a world filled with unique tales and personal stories. And we’re not just talking about the wide range of endlessly creative projects that see the light of day on a daily basis, but also the brilliant minds that will these titles into existence. Our series of game developer interviews began with a simple goal in mind: to introduce you to some of the most wonderfully creative people of the industry, and to learn a bit about their personal experiences and perspectives while working in this field.
It’s shaping up to be an exciting journey, and we’d love to have you along for the ride — so, without further ado, let’s dive right in.
Our latest interview spotlights a creator whose upcoming project is an affectionate satire of various tropes and clichés you may be familiar with if you’ve been playing games for a while–a tale of heroes and chosen ones that doesn’t quite play out the way you might expect. Today, we’re chatting with Ian Lynch from Jaggy Snake Games, the indie studio currently working on Questing, a satirical RPG inspired by 16-bit era classics.
A screenshot from bullet hell action RPG Questing
First things first: could you please introduce yourself for our readers?
I’m Ian Lynch, a writer and narrative designer, with 8 years of experience in the games industry, having worked for companies like CD Projekt Red, Scopely, and Donkey Crew. And more recently, I’m the Founder and Creative Director at Jaggy Snake Games!
You describe Questing as “equal parts love letter and satire”, and mention titles like Chrono Trigger, Secret of Mana, and A Link to the Past as some of your inspirations. Are there any specific elements of these classic titles that you really wanted to poke fun at while making Questing, or is the game more of a general satire of the 16-bit era of RPGs?
It is quite general for the most part, as we poke fun at stuff like the “Chosen One” hero cliché, as well as all of the classic tropes that those 90’s games popularized! But there are a few specific games we reference along the way, which will hopefully give the players a good laugh!
When playing the demo, I was pleasantly surprised by how challenging it was to juggle projectiles while controlling two characters at the same time. Do you have any difficulty settings or accessibility options planned for gamers who may not be used to this, and want to primarily enjoy the story?
Good question, and it’s something we’re certainly thinking about! For some of the more tricky battles, we might give the players a choice to skip the combat if they fail a certain number of times. But beware, the game will call you out for it!
Without saying exactly what happens, let’s just say the demo for Questing ended in a somewhat unexpected manner. Can you tell us anything about this (without spoilers, of course)? Are there any more surprises like this planned for the final release?
Regarding the ending of the demo, I’ll just say this: one person’s kingdom is another person’s nightmare.
And yes, there will be plenty of similar surprises in the full game! There’s some twists and turns along the way, and it will explore the subject of how we, as players, interact with these virtual worlds.
What inspired you to get into game development?
I fell in love with games at a very early age, but in 2017, I played Breath of the Wild, Undertale, and Persona 5 back to back to back. After playing those three masterpieces over the course of a few months, I knew it was what I wanted to do for a living!
What would you say has been the biggest challenge you’ve had to face while working on your game?
Honestly, the biggest challenge was remaining patient. Game development is a long and complex process, especially when you’re a tiny indie studio with limited resources and no guarantee of success. You find yourself asking on a monthly basis if you’re ever going to reach the finish line, and if it’s worth it. But we made it, thankfully!
What is the one thing that you believe every game developer should be aware of?
Games are such a subjective medium, which means luck will always play a part in the success of your career or project. Optimists and pessimists tend to react to that in different ways, but I think it’s a good thing, because it means anyone can be successful if they stick with it and are genuinely passionate about what they’re pursuing.
In your opinion, what is needed for a game to be recognized by the gaming public? What will make people pay attention to the project?
It’s so difficult to know if a game will resonate with the public, since tastes and trends are always changing. However, people always crave great storytelling, it never goes out of style. You just have to find a story that needs to be told but hasn’t been written yet. It sounds easier said than done, but you can find inspiration for new stories every day if you just keep your eyes and ears open!
Do you have any words for aspiring game developers?
It’s okay to start small. While everyone wants to make the next Baldur’s Gate or Clair Obscur, those games were made by teams with decades of collective experience. If you’re starting out, being too ambitious will only burn you out and leave you feeling discouraged. Keep your targets realistic in the beginning. Make something small, simple, and creative, and you’ll learn so much more without exhausting yourself.
If you could go back in time, what would you tell your past self? Is there anything you’d do differently?
Maybe I’d go back to 2010, and tell myself to make Undertale before Toby Fox does? But as a more serious answer, I would just start pursuing my passion sooner. You can never start doing what you love too early!
Finally, could you tell our readers where they can follow you and your work if they’d like to stay up to date with any future developments?
The Jaggy Snake Games page on Blue Sky is probably the best way to stay updated, but we’re also on Instagram and TikTok, if that’s more your vibe! We’re also trying to build a little community in our Discord, for anyone who wants to join.
Thanks for reading us! Make sure to check out our previous indie dev interviews as well:
