Whenever I play indie games, its hard not to think about the emotional toll the gaming industry puts on devs to just survive. Stories of creators putting all their chips into one basket before reaching burnout or going bankrupt are dime a dozen. Its an exhausting, saddening harsh reality that's just so depressing to live with. The first creation is never going to be someone's best, but all these creative minds never get a chance to evolve their work beyond their first ideas.
Its one of many reasons I'm also really excited by the work of Chilla's Art. A team of two Japanese brothers, putting out 2 to 3 short horror games a year. They've been at it since 2018, with pretty negative reviews to start with. Yet over time, you can see this style emerging as they become more familiar with what they want to do. As of 2020, they've crafted a deliberate PS1 aesthetic to create a quiet, disquieting vibe as you navigate these uncomfortable dynamics.
That's not to say it doesn't have problems. The dialogue for Missing Children (and research suggests this is a common Chilla's Art problem) has some pretty rough translations. It can often be pretty unclear where to go or how to progress. There's a real heart and powerful story hiding beneath these problems, but these obstacles make it hard to see it.
Still, its just nice to find a group that's still working and improving and honing their craft. You don't see it often enough. And its games like this that are motivating my current interest in learning another language. There's a whole universe of storytelling waiting out there that I want to explore.
Its one of many reasons I'm also really excited by the work of Chilla's Art. A team of two Japanese brothers, putting out 2 to 3 short horror games a year. They've been at it since 2018, with pretty negative reviews to start with. Yet over time, you can see this style emerging as they become more familiar with what they want to do. As of 2020, they've crafted a deliberate PS1 aesthetic to create a quiet, disquieting vibe as you navigate these uncomfortable dynamics.
That's not to say it doesn't have problems. The dialogue for Missing Children (and research suggests this is a common Chilla's Art problem) has some pretty rough translations. It can often be pretty unclear where to go or how to progress. There's a real heart and powerful story hiding beneath these problems, but these obstacles make it hard to see it.
Still, its just nice to find a group that's still working and improving and honing their craft. You don't see it often enough. And its games like this that are motivating my current interest in learning another language. There's a whole universe of storytelling waiting out there that I want to explore.