Hello everyone! We’re continuing our interview series with the developers from Redboon. We’ve already talked with the sound designer, the game designer and the writer of Knock on the Coffin Lid. It’s time to talk to the Redboon studio head Andrey Medvedev himself.
How did the idea of the game come about?
Randomly, after the Slay the Spire hype. We’d been making a turn-based card game, a combination of Hearthstone and UFO. But we realized that we couldn’t handle such a project, especially as our first. Slay the Spire just came out. We liked the mechanics, but it lacked plot, and many didn’t like the visuals. So we just went for it :)
What does the path from the idea to the actual development of your own project look like?
Like a snowball. First, the core of the game is made — rules, mathematics, and parameters are invented. Then you start building up the game. And here’s when an endless stream of ideas turn into infinite Trello cards. This is the main reason why the game has been taking so long to be made :)
An indiscreet question: how much does it cost to develop your own game?
It’s hard to say exactly. We spend what we earn from other jobs and freelancing on the game. In the moment, it doesn’t seem like “a lot”. But when the development is delayed, it’s scary to look back at the costs. The expenses can scare and demoralize you. We try not to look back at it:) After all, we’re not doing this for money. We like the process itself. But we definitely want to make money to have more time for our next game.
Let’s say you need to make another full-fledged location in the game where battles will take place. How much will it cost?
The game has biomes and battle locations. If it’s a battle location, then it’s not expensive. The background is drawn in a couple of days, then it’s animated, the sounds are added. It costs 3–5 thousand rubles if you order it from freelancers. It’s difficult to talk about a biome, since at least 20 pieces of such backdrops are needed.
Why is the game not released on other platforms?
Simply because it’s not ready yet.
Blitz poll
Do you play other games in your spare time? If you do, which ones?
Yes, but I don’t have enough time at all to play something serious on PC. I have to settle for a tablet. I’m playing EVE Echoes now. When I need a reset, I go for a Vampire Survivors session if there’s new content.
What is your ideal day-off?
Peaceful and quiet :)
Top 3 best movies of all time?
8 mile;
Interstellar;
Forrest Gump;
And Arcane is a masterpiece of its own.
Traditional question: imagine that the work on KOTCL is completed and all roads open up for you. What game genre would you like to work on in the future?
I haven’t thought about that yet, because we have not yet implemented everything we wanted in KOTCL.