Right now Singapore is a hotbed for mobile game development, and thanks to some help from GSC Singapore Game Box, we were lucky enough to see some of these exciting developers and their projects at this year’s GDC Big Indie Pitch.
As such, in this series of features we’ll be taking a closer look at some of these rising stars of South East Asia.
Today, we’re talking to 4EVA Studios Director, Howard Sin.
PocketGamer.biz: How big is your studio, and how long have you been making games?
Howard Sin: We’re 5 people who have been making games for three years. Eight if you count schooling years.
PocketGamer.biz: What sort of games do you focus on?
Howard Sin: RPG, rogue-likes, card Games
PocketGamer.biz: Introduce us to your game. How did it come about and what makes it stand out?
Howard Sin: I Wanna Be A Hero is an action / rogue-like game in a nutshell.
Our inspiration came from Crypt of the Necrodancer, and it felt great that things move in real-time in contrast to the traditional turn-based rogue-like equation.
We experimented to push that concept further by removing the turn-based element all together while keeping the grid.
It opened up a whole new design space for us to explore which was super exciting, and we hope the game will inspire others too to try and innovate. Everyone wants to be a hero.
Tell us about the Big Indie Pitch. How did you find it?
The event was fantastic! It was an adrenaline rush pitching the whole concept within the time frame.
Show more, talk less was a key lesson.Howard Sin
I learnt a whole lot and my pitches definitely got better each time.
"Show more, talk less" being a key lesson, and it was a joy to see the judges play the game and have fun.
The feedback from the judges was invaluable too, and we are working hard to learn from them and make the game even better.
What games and developers inspire you?
I'm a explorer type gamer with a penchant for fantasy (D&D/WoW/FR/LotR/ES). Pretty much all rogue-likes have a special spot in my heart, the newest being Crypt of the Necrodancer.
I love the experience of finding new interactions and making the best of every situation. In many ways it’s like game development. I am inspired by other indie developers. It isn't easy to go indie.
What are the long term goals for your studio?
We aim to build a good reputation as a development studio and to earn trust, and to continue to experiment with new ideas and create new unique games for people to enjoy.
To read about other studios from Singapore that attended this year’s GDC Big Indie Pitch, head over here.
