This is the general process we go through internally, but we have been involved in trying to enable other local developers to participate in this process too. We haven’t jammed as much recently, having multiple separate projects in development simultaneously, but it’s still a process that I think has shown to be effective. We only commit resources to those that show evidence of promise: scoring well in a competitive jam, having numerous downloads or community engagement, or getting picked up by streamers and press. As long as the time investment is low it makes sense to try them out. Many of our game jams would not be considered candidates for commercial projects, but they might spark other ideas. Sometimes we use them to play with a particular tool or learn a new skill. Sometimes we use game jams to test the wings of something we’re already passionate about. Game jams allow for these short, focused bursts of creativity to try out new ideas, or new implementations and iterations on past attempts. Q: Is this how every project at Free Lives got its start, being a separate kind of idea pulled into a larger team? I notice there's an option for other South African devs to "pitch your game" on Free Lives' website.Ī: Every one of Free Lives’ games began at a jam. I think that approaching game jams and prototyping with playfulness and lower pressure is important for a healthy mindset, as well as a higher chance of creative success. I think the hope is always that something you make shows enough promise to warrant becoming a full commercial title, but starting a jam or prototype with that intent can put enormous pressure on yourself and hamstring you creatively. If the game hadn’t scored well in the competition, I think Sam would simply have made more jam games until one of them did. At the time he had been hired to work on a Broforce update, but the positive feedback Terra Nil had received encouraged him to continue working on it after hours. The game scored very well, being awarded 1st in Graphics and 4th in Mood and Overall. The jam’s theme was “Start with Nothing,” and the title he made that weekend was the first tier of the current game. Was the intent always to go from a prototype to a more fleshed-out idea?Ī: Sam Alfred made Terra Nil for a Ludum Dare jam. Q: I understand Terra Nil started as a separate "hobby project" before Free Lives. RELATED: Aka Interview: Developer Namra Discusses IndieLand, Core Mechanics, and More The following Interview has been edited for clarity and brevity. Game Rant spoke to Free Lives developer Jonathan Hau-Yoon, who serves as lead artist on Terra Nil, about the studio's approach to designing games and why the natural beauty on display in this "reverse city builder" strikes a chord as publisher Devolver Digital releases its latest "Satisfaction in Reclamation" trailer. Even without this distinction, the game has captured plenty of hearts ahead of its spring 2023 launch. Broforce Forever, Anger Foot, and Stick it to the Stickman are all relatively similar in their sometimes-hyper violent goals, which makes Terra Nil stand apart. When you're done, use Appreciate mode to bask in the natural beauty of the ecosystem you have restored.Looking at the catalog of South African indie studio Free Lives shows a rather eclectic mix of games: Broforce, GORN, Cricket Through the Ages, and Genital Jousting among its previous titles, with four more currently in development. Lush hand-painted environments, relaxing music, and an atmospheric ambient soundscape make Terra Nil a peaceful, meditative experience. Levels are not about infinite growth, but rather balancing and nurturing the environment before leaving it in peace. A natural ebb and flowĮach region of Terra Nil progresses through phases, with the ultimate goal being leaving pristine wilderness behind. Plan your build around randomized, challenging, and unpredictable terrain, including snaking rivers, mountains, lowlands, and oceans. Procedurally generated landscapes mean no two playthroughs of Terra Nil will ever be the same. Use advanced eco-technology to purify the soil, creating plains, wetlands, beaches, rainforests, wildflowers, and more-then efficiently recycle everything you've built, leaving the environment pristine for its new animal inhabitants. Then recycle your buildings and leave no trace that you were there. Turn dead soil into fertile grassland, clean polluted oceans, plant sprawling forests, and create the ideal habitat for animals to call home. Terra Nil is a game about transforming a barren, lifeless landscape into a thriving, vibrant ecosystem.
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