Q&A With Max Indie Game

The first full week of 2021 has seen an influx of new Kickstarter projects underway; many of which have been successfully funded even at this early stage. Another project on the platform that I came across this week is another Metroidvania title to add to the explosion in popularity of the genre garnished within the last gaming generation. Ancient Tree, under development by a pixel artist from Singapore operating under the pseudonym Max Indie Game, is a traditional Metroidvania title boasting intense combat, a vast 2D open world to explore complete with mysterious ruins and lush greenery (somewhat similar to the conceptual design of Shadow of the Colossus), and a foray of hidden combat abilities to unlock making the player character stronger over time. Wanting to know more about this project, I got in touch with Max and asked a question about the game in its early stages of development. Here’s what Max Indie Game had to say about Ancient Tree.

 

Ancient Tree 1

What were the influences behind your game?

Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening, and Castlevania: Symphony of the Night.

 

What has the developmental process been like?

Seems as I work on this project solo, I do not have a solid process like a big company. I usually take notes or sketch down my idea in a sketchbook before I implement pixel art using Aseprite and Unity. Every time I’ve implemented something on Unity, I will test it to catch bugs, fix them, and continue.

 

You mentioned on your Kickstarter page that your previous experience with the software was not video game-related. What made you want to go into gaming?

Ever since I was young I’ve always loved to play video games, I have played many JRPG games up to now. I always had a dream to develop my own game someday during my school time.

 

Ancient Tree 2

How close are we to seeing the finished product?

Currently, the development for stage 1 is still in progress and is not near finish yet. There are about 7 stages in the game and there’s still a way to go before it’s finished. Apart from that I also have a day job and family.

 

What has been the most exciting aspect of development?

Having fun with writing code, drawing pixel art, learning, and trying something new.

 

What has been the most challenging aspect of development?

Creating pixel art and animation before I start creating it in Aseprite, I will sketch down my idea first. As you can see the process of creating assets requires time and patience but is worth it and I’m happy with my outcome. Solving tricky bugs takes some time to research or think about a solution but I feel accomplished when I’ve solved the issue.

 

Ancient Tree 3

You also mention on your page you have ideas for a lot of new features to be implemented. Can you share anything about that?

Here are some ideas that I have in mind (although it is not a new concept or idea when many games already have it). For example. storyline, inventory, Map, hidden skill.

 

What platforms are you looking to bring the game to?

Currently, My plan is to bring it to Steam and Nintendo Switch.

 

If you had the opportunity to develop a game with any company or any franchise, which would it be, and why?

Not considering any as of now, as currently I just work as a solo indie dev.

 

Do you have any advice for aspiring developers that may be reading this?

Never give up on your dream, one day we can make it.

 

Where on the Internet can people find you?

– Twitter: https://twitter.com/maxindiegame

– Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/user/maxindiegame

– Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maxindiegame/

– FacebooK: https://www.facebook.com/maxindiegame

 

I’d like to take the opportunity to thank Max for taking the time out to talk about Ancient Tree and to give gamers a better idea of what to expect from the final build. Ancient Tree is currently on Kickstarter, so if anyone reading thinks they may want to back Max’s project, the link is below:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/724290214/ancient-tree

Until the project is successfully back, I hope you guys are looking forward to Ancient Tree, and that I hope you enjoyed learning about the game from Max as much as I did talking to him.

Game on,

Scouse Gamer 88

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