Kickstarter, a site that has its ups and downs but overall is a great platform for up-and-coming independent video game developers. Heck, just look around the site and you will find a good number of games that need backers. Here is one such game, NetherWorld, and boy let me tell you this one is an odd game indeed. I was able to get in contact with Daniel Barreno, the founder of Hungry Pixel, to talk about NetherWorld and its dark subject matter.
Gumshoe: What got you into making video games?
Daniel: My passion for them since I was a child. Both me and my coworker Isabel have enjoyed playing all kinds of video games, but indie ones woke up emotions in me that I’d never had before. Most of them are fresh and different proposals that want to go beyond mass-produced entertainment. I’ve always wanted to leave a mark in this world… Why not do it by giving people a piece of ourselves through an indie video game? That’s what are we doing now, and we’ll continue doing in the future.
Gumshoe: Why choose Kickstarter instead of other crowdfunding sites?
Daniel: We considered different crowdfunding platforms such as IndieGoGo, but finally we chose Kickstarter for being the most popular and reach the biggest public.
Gumshoe: So NetherWorld has some dark and themes and content. What made you decide to make a game with these themes?
Daniel: From the beginning, we thought about NetherWorld as a different video game concept. We wanted to do something grotesque, a sinister world full of ghosts and creepy creatures with real-life problems. And then, take them to the extreme in an outlandish way. A condemnation to our own world and its prostitution problems, drugs, mistreatment and corruption among others. We thought the best way to confront them was through black humor and eccentric situations. But never forgetting its condemnation background. In the end, NetherWorld is a game about life, and how people face its darkest side to get through difficult situations.
Gumshoe: When it comes to the art of NetherWorld, what are some of your interpretations and why choose pixel art for the style?
Daniel: I’m a huge fan of retro video games. My first console was the NES, and I love how pixel art looks in the games. An example: Metroid Fusion for Game Boy Advance. I think its artistic design is awesome, in pixel art and with the limitations they had. Pixel art has other benefits: creating beautiful scenarios, its low-weight files, and the final game size. This is the key to certain platforms. In Nintendo Switch, for example, would be insane to upload a 30GB HD game in the E-shop when console’s internal storage has 32GB.
Gumshoe: So you are from Spain, what would you say are some challenges or differences working in Spain then say somewhere like the US?
Daniel: In Spain, the world of game development seems to be challenging. Nowadays it’s more difficult to create a business in Spain than in the US. We have a lot to learn and improve. However, lots of little projects and indie studies are starting to make a space for themselves in the industry.
Gumshoe: Lastly, would you have any advice to give to other indie devs?
Daniel: Hard work, lots of hours and effort, and good luck. It’s a tough path, but it will be worthy for sure.
Overall this game has so much potential and NEEDS to be funded. If you want to check out this game a link to their Kickstarter and well as their Twitter and website are below. I highly recommend backing this game if you can, it’s unlike any other I have seen before.
NetherWorld KICKSTARTER!: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1522665641/netherworld-drugs-sex-and-pixels-adventure-game?ref=user_menu
NetherWorld Twitter: https://twitter.com/NetherWorldGame
NetherWorld Website: http://www.netherworldgame.com
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