The Indie Game Magazine October 2015 | Issue 54 | Page 13

picion/hiding in plain sight, but we do also
have stealth. When you’re inside a building,
you’re trespassing, so it’s much more stealth
orientated. Outside, the level design is related
to street and house layout. But conformity
makes things easier for the designers; it’s
not about building certain options into the
level itself as it is about designing systems
that create these kinds of encounters organically. We create opportunities for hiding in
plain sight, but how these opportunities fit
together changes each game.
IGM: When it comes to player survival, you
mention that “every option comes with some
sort of disadvantage.” Can you talk about
why you chose that design philosophy, and
cite some in-game examples where players
will see it in practice?
Abbott: In terms of dealing with conflict,
yes every option will have some sort of
advantage/disadvantage. For example, you
can probably fight to resolve most situations,
if you’re well enough prepared. While this
might be easy if you have a good weapon,
it’s very dangerous and will potentially raise
the alarm (causing more Wellies to come
after you). Alternatively, you could take Joy
to escape a precarious situation, and the
people will nod and smile, knowing that
you’re A-Okay on your happy meds. But
eventually your Joy will wear off, and you’ll
come down, hard. We don’t want to just give
a bunch of get out of jail free cards; this is
a game about survival, you shouldn’t just
have a magical win button.
IGM: How much variety will there be to the
crafting system? What sorts of gadgets can
players put together, and where do they
find the resources to do so?

Abbott: Our crafting system changes with
every update, and we’re a long way from
the final version. But you are currently able
to craft a variety of items that can help you
with various playstyles - lockpicks to help
you break and enter, new suits to make you
look more/less like one of “them,” etc. You
pick up the resources through looting, either
through the environment or your hapless
victims. Different types of resources are
available in different areas – chances are
you won’t find a potato in the bedroom, but
you might find it in the kitchen.

immersion or understanding of the world?

IGM: Will there be any secondary objectives
or missions to undertake while players attempt to escape the town? Or is the focus
squarely on surviving long enough to get
out of Wellington Wells?

IGM: How will playable characters differ
from one another? The Kickstarter mentioned they will each have strengths and
weaknesses.

Epstein: No, I don’t see why it would. It
won’t be an impossible task to pursue the
stories from one scene to another. If I tell
you that you need to find a character at the
Train Station, you will probably look for a
rather large, tall building connected to the
train tracks that cut through town, right? So
while the Train Station will move around, it
won’t be fiendishly difficult to find. And we’ll
give you clues if you need them.

I think the procedural generation of the world
fits in well with immersion. Joy, as everyone
IGM: Uncle Jack’s News Hour seems to knows, makes your memories a bit vague.
play a pivotal role in the game. What can So if the world is not laid out exactly the
you tell us about Uncle Jack, and how his way you remember it, it’s probably because
broadcasts will impact the narrative?
you’ve forgotten exactly the way it is. Right?
Epstein: Jack Worthing (guess who he’s We’ve tried to avoid ludo-narrative dissonance
named for?) hosts many shows, including as much as possible. The current build isn’t
Nighty Night, ]\