One Way Eleven’s Miguel Campos on his experiences building a games studio from the group in Portugal

• Portugal's games sector generated $258 million last year.
• One Way Eleven working on two new games: Hanno & The Kause.
• Portugal's eGames Lab supported early R&D.

Portugal is fast becoming a notable player in the global games industry, with the region estimated to have generated around $258 million last year and being home to more than 7,000 students in areas related to games and multimedia.

That success is expected to continue to grow in the coming years, fueled by the establishment of promising new studios like One Way Eleven, which is hard at work on two titles coming to PC and console in the near future, Hanno and The Kause. 

The studio has had quite the journey to get to where it is today. It originally consisted of two companies that specialised in software development and mobile applications, Fapptory and Wow Systems, run by Miguel Campos with support from his brother, Pedro.

In 2021, the pair decided to pursue game development, motivated by the surge in video game popularity during the pandemic and the powerful, transformative role games played in helping people navigate difficult times.

Below, we chat to Miguel, now the CEO of One Way Eleven, alongside Pedro, who took the mantle of creative director, about his experiences in Portugal’s game development scene. 

PocketGamer.biz: To begin with, could you tell the audience at PG.biz what inspired you to start One Way Eleven?

Miguel Campos: Our passion for gaming began in the early '90s when we were kids. Pedro started creating 2D side-scrollers using HyperCard on a black-and-white Macintosh Classic that our dad bought us. 

At that time, access to computers or other modern tech was very limited in our home island of Madeira, so many of our friends would often come over to try out the games. Seeing their excitement sparked in us a lifelong passion for creating immersive experiences, eventually leading Pedro to a distinguished academic career in computer engineering and interactive media design and me to founding our software company in 2008. 

For the last 17 years, we have specialised in interactive software development, managing over a hundred exciting projects for global clients in entertainment, education, tourism, health and other sectors. From mobile apps for major brands to pioneering entertainment environments for hotels, museums, malls and tradeshows, we've brought new ideas to life with an emotional connection.

With the gaming boom of 2020 and the recognition of all the untapped Portuguese talent, we began rethinking our business strategy. Our new mission was to harness video games' transformative power to create not just entertainment but experiences that inspire and connect people.

Thankfully, our background in user-centric design provided the foundation for One Way Eleven and equipped us with the innovative mindset and expertise necessary to secure the required funding.

Your first big title, Hanno, is shaping up quite nicely. What inspired you as a studio to make it?

We were brainstorming different game ideas and had set a few requirements. Those included, but were not limited to, giving the player a companion, promoting good principles and values (such as loyalty and companionship) and using Portugal's rich history to add depth to the game, especially considering a national grant partially funds us. 

We kept returning to the idea of a young boy and this historic elephant as the initial hook. We’d been inspired by The Elephant’s Journey, a novel by the late Portuguese Literature Nobel prize winner José Saramag based on the story of a real albino elephant gifted by the Portuguese king to the Pope in 1514. Eventually, we decided to go all in. 

In most of our work, our end goal has always been to create an emotional connection with the user. With Hanno, that continues to be our core focus. We want the player to see the elephant not just as a companion, but as a powerful protector and an emotionally engaging character they will genuinely care about. Players will form a bond over time and grow to rely on its magical powers in combat and light, environmental puzzle-solving.

As a relatively new studio, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced in game development so far?

Building a game from an emerging country brings its own kind of pressure. There's a strong sense of purpose behind what we're doing – not just to finish and succeed but to prove what's possible from our corner of the world. That challenge has been our biggest test but also our greatest source of motivation.

We've also faced many of the same challenges that most indie studios face: limited resources, tight timelines and the constant pressure to turn ambition into something tangible.

Coming from a background where functionality and interactivity were key, we also initially assumed the transition would be smoother, but it wasn´t. Much of our early development went into R&D – learning new tools, design thinking, and performance optimisation. 

You also began work on another title, The Kause, fairly recently. What can players expect from that?

The Kause is more of a scientific experiment on the thresholds and ceilings of interactive storytelling, focusing on realistic characters. Players are thrown into a psychedelic, oppressive world where they must lead a revolution against a dictator. 

It will be a highly replayable experience that relies upon a custom-built narrative system we designed within Unreal Engine 5 based on two AI models. One helps the developers create a massive tree of dialogue options, while the other aligns these with character animations and lip-sync to allow for a wildly different narrative every time the game is played.

What has your experience been like working on two noticeably different types of games simultaneously?

We're working on two very different games simultaneously, which isn't easy for a small team, although having multiple projects has certain advantages. We're dedicating most of our resources to Hanno because it's a more ambitious project halfway through production. On the other hand, The Kause is still in its prototype phase, aimed at a more niche audience with a narrower scope, giving us more room to experiment without risk. 

So, say we have an idea that could improve our workflow. We can put that to the test in The Kause first, see how it goes, then make any necessary changes before using it on Hanno as a much larger project. 

How would you describe your studio's creative process?

Being a relatively small team, our process is very collaborative. We have dedicated internal channels to share inspirations, questions and feedback. We ensure everyone feels comfortable suggesting improvements and experimenting without fear of making mistakes. Everyone on the team enjoys different game genres, and each person brings personal and professional experience to the table.

We also consider the feedback we receive from players. However, given our games' story-driven focus, we must be careful not to spoil the overall experience by revealing too much too early. This has been a challenging balance, as we also need to build traction and grow our community as a relatively unknown studio.

How has the support from eGamesLab and other initiatives impacted your journey?

One Way Eleven emerged from eGamesLab at just the right moment, allowing us to carry out essential research and development and to bring in untapped talent from various areas we lacked to kick-start the mission we had set for ourselves.

The support from the eGames Lab project allowed us to attend key industry events and showcase the emerging potential of local talent on a global stage. For the first time in 2024, Portugal had its first institutional booth at GDC, which allowed us to connect with relevant and experienced professionals in the industry and stay up to date with technological advances and trends, helping us remain competitive in a fast-evolving landscape.

What are the biggest opportunities for the Portuguese game industry in the global market?

For starters, talent costs here can be up to 50% lower than in major tech hubs, while the country produces many graduates in relevant fields. Portugal also ranks 17th in the 2024 Kearney Foreign Direct Investment Confidence Index and 36th in the 2024 IMD World Competitiveness Ranking (ahead of Spain and Poland), highlighting its strong reputation as an attractive destination for international business and investment. 

In addition, Portugal benefits from strategic access to Portuguese-speaking markets like Brazil and Angola, providing connections to over 260 million potential consumers. Beyond the numbers, Portugal's rich cultural heritage and deep historical roots provide unique creative inspiration. A wealth of stories, traditions and aesthetics distinguishes the country as a fertile ground for creativity.

Given the global competition for game development talent, what strategies do you employ to attract and retain skilled professionals in Madeira?

Madeira is one of the most cost-effective places in Europe to work, but also a safe and vibrant place known for its beautiful landscapes. It is well-connected with flights to 65 destinations in Europe and the U.S. and high-speed networks that make remote and hybrid collaboration easy. 

As a creative hub, it has hosted projects like Disney's Star Wars: The Acolyte and been recognised by the World Travel Awards as Europe's Leading Island Destination for ten consecutive years. Madeira is one of those rare places where the quality of life often outweighs the constant pressure of chasing higher salaries, something that many creatives and developers increasingly value.

It’s no secret that the games industry is going through quite a challenging period globally. Where do you see things heading in the future?

The industry is going through a rough patch, but that doesn't mean it is stagnating. The number of players and buyers continues to grow, and the audience is larger, more diverse, and more engaged than ever. 

That being said, teams should be as frugal as possible during this period, focusing on what truly matters to the consumer and fully utilising the latest technologies. They must also learn quickly, put ideas into practice immediately, and show resilience when seeking funding or resources. That's what One Way Eleven has been striving to do.