Your name:
Benjamin Wendt
Twitter Handle/ Other Social Media:
One interesting and random fact about you that people would not necessarily guess:
I love world history and geography. I used to be able to draw the globe and all the countries on it on a blank piece of paper.
What country you live/work in:
Chicago, USA
The video game company producing the project:
I call it Porble Games, but its just me in my living room.
The name of the project:
Wark and Wimble
Estimated release date:
March 2020
link to website/blog/steam page/Youtube/other:
Steam page -coming soon
Youtube channel – https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtmx72AKtShCE_qx54jRYBw
Soundcloud – https://soundcloud.com/user-394410536
How did you get into making video games?
I wanted to work in video games after college but couldn’t land a job. I ended up doing general software development. I had some hobby projects many years ago which were all really bad. When my second child was on the way, I decided it was now or never and have spent most of my free time working on Wark and Wimble.
What is your background in?
I do software and UI development for a financial firm.
Blurb about game:
Wark and Wimble is a block pushing puzzle game, very reminiscent of The Adventure’s of Lolo and Chip’s Challenge. In most levels, you must move a stranded egg back to its nest, then feed the baby that hatches by puking food into its mouth. Its cute and a bit gross!
What inspired this game?
They say to make the kind of game you want to play. I don’t have much time for console or PC gaming these days, instead I game on my phone. But I am very frustrated with the state of mobile gaming. They have pointless economies and daily log in bonuses and pay-to-win mechanics. They want me to watch ads to respawn. They have long, mandatory tutorials.
Mobile games have a lot of great talent for assets but the final product is often just a miserable time waster.
So I wanted to make a game that you played simply because it was fun, not one that you keep opening because you feel obligated to claim some bonus.
What makes it unique?
For being such a simple puzzle game, I think it brings a lot of character. I’ve spent a lot of time making art and animations to bring these cute critters to life. I want the failures and successes of your character to evoke empathy and humor.
What will make it a success?
If the game makes it to Android and iOS without being a disaster, I consider that a success. I don’t expect to make any money on this project. If I can get it on Switch, I will be ecstatic!
Who do you think it will appeal to?
Probably retro gamers first. The game draws considerably from The Adventures of Lolo and Chip’s Challenge, and I wanted to make a game that resembles those classics but with some modern design principles. The art brings in a wide variety of casual players, including children who may find its puzzles too difficult
Number of people working on the project and skillsets:
Its just me! I am coding and doing the art. I am learning to compose and mix music just for this project. I did some of my own sound foley as well.
How are you handling art?
I have kept a sketch diary for many years specifically for this project. I sketch a particular thing dozens of times. Once the sketch is solid, I do it in Adobe Illustrator.
What tech/stack do you use?
I’m using the Monogame framework. I wanted to make as much of the game myself as I reasonably could, so I made most of the tools myself rather than using middleware. I have created my own level editor, my own animation and particle engines and my own resource packaging tools.
I’m using FMod for my sound engine. They have a very generous indie game license!
Embarrassingly, I’m not using git or any other code management tools. I just do back ups on google drive and a spare hard disk.
Are you full-time? If so how did you make the switch to working full-time in game development?
No I am a hobbyist only.
Is this your first game? If not how many and what other sorts of projects have you worked on?
I consider it my first REAL game. My previous efforts were more than 10 years ago and were embarrassing even at the time.
What’s been the hardest thing about making this game?
The music! It took a long time to compose anything that I felt was worthwhile. The difficulty in mixing and balancing music took me completely by surprise. Its very challenging and I have a lot of new respect for sound and music artists.
Anything else you would like people to know about you or the game?
Making games is hard. Making games when you have a 2 and 4 year old is even harder! But its very rewarding. Thanks for reading and please follow along athttps://twitter.com/PorbleG
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