The Underworld The Underworld

What lies in the Underworld of Video Games?

By Hero Calkins

ideo games. According to google, they’re games played by electronically manipulating images produced by a computer program on a television screen or other display screen. Behind this definition you can find with a quick search are millions of stories unraveled by an abundance of people. However, some of the makers of these stories don’t have the resources that major companies have. Here, the question on why indie games are so beloved is brought to light. When indie companies aren’t held back by the bureaucracy and supervisors a large company has, they go all out and create something breathtaking. They can take risks, try new things out, and they can bring creativity. People go crazy for these unique ideas brought to the table by Indie developers. That’s why they love The Underworld of video games. Making an indie game is hard work, especially as a company with a team of fourteen. Astrid

Refstrup, CEO, Game-Director, and Co-Writer for Triple Topping games originally didn’t have her sights set on making a gaming company. But when she started, she was encouraged by others to go with the flow at her studio in Copenhagen, Denmark. “In the beginning we wanted to do free-to-play because everybody said that was the way to make a good business.” Astrid

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explained. “But I soon realized that we hated it. We hated the kind of games you could do with free-to-play, and at some point we just started to make things we love.” That’s the beauty of creation (especially when you’re in charge). She mentions later on that game are transparency, structure, and building trust; especially with her team. Other things that are crucial are asking questions, LOTS of questions, and having passion. When one is brought down by the weight and size of their project, or the expectations from others, it takes a lot to keep going. For example, Triple Topping’s most recent project was the game Dead Pets Unleashed. After being asked about her inspirations Astrid mentions, “A lot of things that go on in Dead Pets. What I added into the stories, I made from my own anger. Anger in spite of our size in general, I think.” Inspiration is a spectrum across the board. The anger, the crying, the laughter, the everything-that-comes-with-life is different for everyone. Inspiration can be found in a flower, the splinter from yesterday, or even the corner of a closet. From childhood, where Astrid herself played games on her Amiga, to Triple Topping slowly building up with every new project; the payoff of it all is worth more than enough.

A Different Dimension

Aside from programming and writing, there’s another pivotal role in the production of a game: The art. Art has its own way of telling the story. Looking back on games that have made a huge cultural impact, it’s always the characters and visual world building immersed in people’s minds. The artistry of these stems from other artists, CG art, and other building blocks found in games. When asked about what motivates him, 3D modeler and senior character artist Christian Gallego stated, “Definitely other artists work and definitely work from the top studios. I find that stuff to be very inspirational. I find websites where artists share their work to be very inspirational. It’s really just another artist’s work. I see other people doing amazing stuff and I’m like “Oh my god, I want to learn that.” or “I want to see how they do it.” or if I would approach it in the same manner. There’s so many questions that you could ask from it.” He finds a lot of importance in analyzing the works of others to improve. Especially studying artists who have classes on their techniques and process. Gallego also feels as if he is competing with younger artists more than his peers: “The competition is higher, so you have to be incredibly awesome and above all of the people who have nothing better to do other than sit and draw. All day long, 12 hours a day, non stop. Because, they’re staying with their parents, because they don’t have kids, because they don’t play games, they don’t have boyfriends or girlfriends, because they have all the time in the world. I have to com with stuff like that. more than anything, it makes games cool as hell.

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Indie games were previously celebrated within smaller groups, and now they’re getting more attention than ever before.

Imem that everyday. I have to com - pete with people like you all the time.” An artist could improve dramatically if they paid attention to advice from mentors or senior artists rather than improve on their own, he explains. “The mind and the eyes, it’s a computer. The more you input into them, the bigger your reference files get. The bigger they get, the more things you can pull from.” Art is one of the main supports for a game. It brings the game to life. When an artist brings a creative vision to a story that enhances it, it changes the concept of a game completely. And