One of many standout indie video games we performed at Summer time Recreation Fest Play Days was Little Kitty, Huge Metropolis, an exploration-driven recreation that was highlighted in a latest Nintendo Direct some time again (try our new hands-on impressions right here). It might be the primary launch from Double Dagger Studio, but it surely’s removed from being the primary challenge for recreation director Matt Wooden, who’s contributed to quite a few influential video games launched over the previous twenty-five years. Throughout our hands-on demo, we had the possibility to speak with Matt about his expertise growing Little Kitty, Huge Metropolis, what made him wish to make a recreation a few cat within the first place, and rather more.
Earlier than this challenge, you labored at Valve for a very long time on franchises like Half-Life, Portal and Counter-Strike. What led you determine that you just wished to go off and begin your individual studio?
I feel it was simply time. You realize, I’ve been at Valve for a very long time and the way forward for what I’d find yourself doing there, I noticed that I wished to do one thing completely different, and I wished to go in additional fascinating instructions. I wished extra problem. In order that was type of my primary motivation, you already know, work out methods to problem myself to do extra fascinating issues and make video games that I feel extra folks can play.
So, you felt prefer it was time to pursue a brand new artistic problem, principally?
Yeah. Typically you get into these positions the place it’s arduous to see the place you’re going to be in a number of years… or, for those who can see it, you’re not actual pleased with it. That’s type of how I used to be. So, I took some dangers and created the studio, however once I created it, I wasn’t fascinated about this recreation in any respect – it was identical to, I simply wish to make one thing, I don’t know what it’s. And this simply type of ended up popping out of it. I imply, I’m completely happy it did! It’s been numerous enjoyable.
This can be a tremendous completely different kind of challenge for you. Why did you determine to work on a challenge in such a drastically completely different style?
You realize, I labored on numerous video games that have been very… that had numerous battle in them, I suppose you might say. And I nonetheless like to play video games like that, and there’s numerous superior stuff in these video games. However one of many issues that I wished to problem myself with was to make a recreation that didn’t depend on all these issues. Plus, I’m a dad now. I’ve youngsters who, you already know, I play video games with them. I wished to have the ability to make a recreation that I may play with them, and that different folks may play with their youngsters… that they felt completely happy about, they felt snug with. That they felt like, whether or not they’re a cat proprietor or not, they may simply be completely happy the entire time, simply get pure leisure that didn’t derive from battle, primarily. That type of stuff is actually essential to me. For instance, on this recreation, even though Kitty falls from a very excessive window, there’s no approach to hurt the kitty in any respect. There’s no fight, clearly. It’s nearly exploring! It’s about assembly new buddies, finishing quests, fixing puzzles, and numerous navigation. And gathering hats.
And the way did you land on this idea of constructing a recreation a few cat, particularly? Was that determined early on, or did the challenge begin in a special path?
Yeah, once I began it, fairly actually the rationale this got here into being is that I used to be working with my youngsters on just a little recreation. I used to be instructing my youngsters to program, and we have been arising with little concepts for video games. They’re younger, so I used to be doing a lot of the programing, however they have been studying; we have been simply doing issues as we went. And one of many concepts was only a quite simple idea of, what for those who performed as a cat? What sort of atmosphere can be enjoyable for a cat to be in? We see all these actually nice photographs and movies of cats in cities simply doing their very own factor… like, that sounds superior, what if we simply did that? And so, I mocked the factor up, I labored on it with my youngsters, and I put up just a little video on Twitter; it was actually just a bit black cat strolling round a metropolis. And it went viral, proper? Individuals actually took to it, and I used to be like, “holy moly… okay, nicely, perhaps I ought to take into consideration this some extra.” So, I did, and doubtless a few 12 months later, I lastly type of got here again and mentioned, okay, I’m going to do that for actual. And that was it!
I keep in mind that viral tweet you have been speaking about! It was the #PitchYourGame factor… is that what you’re referring to?
Yeah, it was! Yeah, you’re proper.
There have been a few cool tasks which have come out of that. It’s simply so loopy to me how these massive tasks can manifest from a easy concept.
And it’s humorous, as a result of on the time I used to be engaged on it was, it was a 2D factor. I used to be engaged on some mechanics targeted on type of a match-type recreation, and really, very completely different than what that is. So yeah, it’s humorous how these items form of come about.
You guys managed to get Xbox’s consideration. That’s a testomony to one thing!
Yeah, they’ve been nice, they’ve been superior. Nintendo, too. I really feel actually fortunate proper now that persons are within the recreation.
That’s proper, you simply jogged my memory that your recreation was featured in a Nintendo Direct, too. How did that come collectively?
I work with an organization known as Popagenda who has been dealing with numerous this for me, so I’m actually fortunate that they’ve been engaged on it. However actually, lots of people have been reaching out! I’ve simply been shocked at how many individuals… I don’t know, it’s a cute cat, so I suppose it’s not stunning, proper? From my standpoint, I’m actually completely happy if persons are taken with it. I simply wish to make it possible for, you already know, the sport the sport is sweet too, proper?
Effectively, I’m having a superb time! As a cat proprietor myself, one of many first issues I seen when trying out this recreation was simply how unimaginable all of the animation appeared.
Oh, thanks! That was one of many issues that’s been actually essential to us; we wish to make it possible for the individuals who personal cats, who’re acquainted with cats, acknowledge that it feels acquainted to them. I’m actually an enormous fan of getting a pleasant mixture of approachable, stylistic visuals with real looking actions and actions.
So, you have to be a cat man your self?
Yeah, I’ve acquired two cats and I’ve had cats most of my life. Yeah, I suppose you might say I’m a reasonably large fan of cats. I imply, ever since I began working from dwelling, I acquired to spend all day with my cats. It’s arduous to ever wish to go to an workplace once more when you are able to do that, you already know?
Inform me extra concerning the metropolis that the kitty will probably be exploring. Is it primarily based on an actual metropolis, or is it extra loosely impressed by sure locations?
I feel the closest that it involves… individuals who have been to Tokyo will acknowledge it as one thing that is likely to be in Tokyo. However – and it’s arduous to do that – however one of many issues that I wish to do is type of make it really feel acquainted for individuals who’ve been to Tokyo, but in addition individuals who have perhaps been to Seoul and even Taipei. They’ve numerous similarities, so hopefully I captured that feeling.
Exploring the town feels fairly freeform up to now. Is the town one massive open atmosphere, or is it structured into smaller ranges or sections?
So, it’s one massive atmosphere, however the best way it’s designed is that you’ve entry to at least one part, and then you definately’ll get entry to a different part. After which when you get entry to that different part, you additionally get a brand new skill, which lets you climb that ivy you see in every single place. It’s a type of instances the place it’s a part of the atmosphere till you get the flexibility to climb it, and then you definately go, “Oh, I can return and get to all these new locations.”
I like the faceless people which might be roaming all over the world. What’s the rationale driving that kind of artistic selection?
I wasn’t certain the way it was going to land with different folks, however the concept was that I wished to point out every thing from the cat’s standpoint. You’ll discover there’s no actual phrases on the planet or something like that. However people… the cats see us, I feel for probably the most half, as objects, proper? I imply, after all our cats see us as folks, we’re actual folks. However once we’re feeding them or once they want one thing, we’re simply issues to them numerous the time. So, I wished to make the people not be too recognizable as people, in order that it felt like from the cat’s standpoint, you’re simply coping with “the factor” that acts a sure means or does a sure factor. I feel additionally, the extra options you placed on a human face, the extra folks will probably be taken with that human as a personality. As a result of the people are simply objects within the recreation, we wished to signify them appropriately.
So, what was the largest problem that you just confronted making this recreation?
Effectively, actually, inside the recreation itself, the largest problem for me was the navigation and the motion of the character. As a result of, you already know, the stuff that I’ve labored on prior to now has all been characters which might be humanoid. And, you already know, when you consider a personality’s motion and the way it interacts with the world, it’s a vertical factor, proper? And as quickly as you are taking a personality and also you stretch it out in order that it’s now having to work together with all these completely different elements of the world the place it strikes this manner or that means or no matter, and also you’re making an attempt to navigate round, I actually spent far more time on it than I ever anticipated I’d spend on it. And there are nonetheless points that I would like to repair. I’m unsure I’m going to be 100% pleased with it once I launch the sport – hopefully I’ll, however we’ll see. However that’s been that’s been an enormous problem.
It’s cool to me how completely different video games try to nail the texture enjoying as an animal in several methods. Stray was going for what I really feel was a very real looking method to motion and physics; there’s numerous realism in your recreation too, however I admire how completely different the fashion and really feel of all of it is.
Yeah. For me I wished to strike that stability between, you already know, firing these mind neurons of like, this can be a cat, and I’ve familiarized myself with the truth that I’m enjoying the cat, however on the identical time having that stylization of feeling like I may make the cat pause within the air and do a Scooby Doo kick proper? And it nonetheless feels pure in that world, proper? So, you attempt to strike that good stability between the 2 and have, you already know, crows that speak! And also you’ll meet another characters which might be just a little bit quirky… and have that each one simply type of work. I feel when you will have a world that’s just a little bit too real looking, it’s arduous to strike that stability the place it’ll really feel proper.
There have been much more of those… I suppose you might name them animal-exploration video games? Did you’re feeling any inspiration or borrow any mechanics from video games like Stray as you developed Little Kitty, Huge Metropolis? It’s a really completely different recreation, I can inform.
I feel it positively motivated us in a means the place we realized, hey, that is one thing that individuals like, proper? In that means, it was a very optimistic expertise. I began engaged on this earlier than they introduced their recreation, so we didn’t find yourself in the identical place. We went down actually completely different paths as a result of once I began engaged on this, I actually didn’t know what sort of recreation I used to be going to make. It was, I wish to make a recreation that you just play as a cat, and what the heck is that? Effectively, I spent numerous time simply figuring it out. Truthfully, I haven’t performed Stray but. A few of my workforce members have, however I haven’t. I purchased it and I’ve it on my listing, however I haven’t truly had the time to play it.
It appears like there are fairly a number of tucked-away surprises across the recreation world. What can gamers anticipate as they discover?
Oh, yeah. So, now we have little occasions scattered all through the sport. Like, for instance, that soccer ball, there’s a purple soccer purpose just a little bit additional away. To start with part there was a inexperienced one with the ball proper subsequent to the purpose. So, we simply have little actions that you are able to do that you just get rewarded for, after which as you get additional into the sport, you’ll discover ones which might be just a little bit more durable to do. So, for instance, the ball is just a little bit additional away from the purpose and it’s important to work out easy methods to get it there. However it’s all non-obligatory!
Within the closing recreation there’s, there’s much more characters to satisfy and much more stuff to do. Like, it was actually arduous to pare down the stuff only for this demo. There’s an entire different two-thirds of the town past that wall over there and a few actually enjoyable quests. Proper after you get previous this space, you run right into a duck dad who misplaced his ducklings. Mainly, he’s a really well-meaning and talkative duck that he will get just a little bit misplaced in his conversations of explaining the historical past of this and that… and his youngsters get just a little bit bored. So apparently, they took off to seek out their very own actions, so that you’re tasked with going to convey them again.
The writing I’ve seen within the demo is actually charming up to now! It’s made me chuckle. Now, I seen there’s no goal markers whereas exploring. What’s the pondering behind that?
Yeah, actually? I simply… I don’t like them. I discover it extra fascinating when gamers are exploring, like I wish to give them that chance. I don’t suppose the world is sufficiently big to want them, however… there’s stuff to seek out alongside the best way of going from place to position, and I’d fairly folks make their approach to a spot and, you already know, be distracted. The entire level of the sport is that it’s all about distractions. One of many issues I considered quite a bit once I began fascinated about how the hunt system or how the targets are going to go is that once I play an RPG, and the principle goal of the RPG is, “the world is about to finish and also you’re the one one that may cease it. It’s essential to do it proper now!” And also you’re like… okay, cool… I’m going to go save this kitten within the tree, I’m going to go assist this woman, bake some bread… you already know? Like, I like sidequests; numerous the time they find yourself being far more fascinating than primary quests. That idea of getting the sport simply be facet quests is type of the purpose.
Yeah, it’s a tough stability to strike. For me personally, typically video games that lack goal markers can overwhelming once they’re sprawling and unfold out, whereas one thing like this feels simpler to parse whereas exploring.
The video games that I’ve labored on my entire life, I actually take pleasure in encouraging gamers to discover and inspiring to play the sport atmosphere as it’s, proper? I feel there are numerous video games that I’ve performed that I don’t take pleasure in, the place what they do is you find yourself “enjoying the UI”, primarily. Like, you find yourself enjoying a recreation that’s simply you’re simply coping with markers on the display screen, you’re simply coping with UI parts, you’re simply coping with all these items. And to me, I wish to be immersed in a world; I wish to take discover of particulars, I wish to sit back and I wish to have this expertise. And when you will have all these items on the display screen, it type of takes me out of it.
Some folks simply wish to do goal, goal, goal, that form of factor. And you already know, typically folks may play a recreation like this they usually may go, “nicely, you already know, I would like I wish to be instructed what to do always.” And that’s okay, proper? There’s nothing improper with that. However I feel that is going to be just a little bit extra catered in the direction of the one who does who needs to simply meander, who needs to simply discover nooks and crannies and discover little enjoyable issues to do… that’s type of the purpose.
Editor’s Observe: This interview was transcribed from an audio recording, and has been calmly edited for readability and brevity,