independent solo developer of "Milkmaid of the Milky Way" and "Embracelet"
PA : Hello Mattis Folkestad. We suggest that you spend some of your time as an independent adventure video game developer to answer a few questions. This interview will allow our members and readers to discover who you are, and to learn a little more about your games. Do you agree to answer them?
MF : Yes, I'll do my best.
PA : Mattis Folkestad (or Machineboy), could you briefly introduce yourself as a developer?
MF : I've been working as a developer for many years for the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation, while also doing game and app programming on the side since 2011. In 2017 I released my adventure game Milkmaid of the Milky Way, and the response and success of that game made me start a company to work on my latest game Embracelet which just came out.
PA : The two games currently being released were entirely created by you. From graphics and their modeling / animation, to music, including programming in Unity. Have you followed a particular course / training for all of these disciplines, and for how long have you been working on these two projects?
MF : I grew up in the 8-bit and 16-bit era, and started using the Commodore 64 and Amiga computers for all sorts of creative work. I learned a little programming and used them to create games and interactive stuff. I guess I've always been a creative person, who enjoyed drawing and making music from an early age. I took my bachelor degree in Animation, and started working as a web and flash developer after college. I have no training in computer science/programming, that's all stuff that I've tried to learn myself. My last two games took 5 years to make, so I've learned a lot about game design, programming, console porting and all kinds of stuff these past years.
PA : The surprisingly sober graphic choice gives these games a very unique atmosphere. Would there be a particular influence that would have guided you in this aesthetic path?
MF : The style of both my games (pixel art and 3D low poly) are both an aesthetic choice - I adore both styles - and also a pragmatic choice. When doing everything in a game you need to be able to work fast and create scenes that look interesting. Art direction is all about balance. I know I don't have enough time to create photo realistic worlds so I have to find ways to create an aesthetic that appeals to the fantasizing part of the player's brains. You have to fill in the missing gaps in your mind. But it's hard to find that balance, it's easy to make things fall apart when you have few details.
PA : Lots of adult and realistic themes are the start of these magical adventures. Is there an autobiographical part in your games?
MF : I don't know how much of me is in these games, to be honest. They are not autobiographical in a story sense, but a lot of the emotions in my games comes from experience. It might sound corny, but I try to tap into my feelings when creating games and hopefully they create a connection with the player's feelings as well.
PA : Two games, and those who have played them are already hooked: do you have a third project in the pipeline?
MF : I have many ideas, but no firm plans right now. It's been very stressful creating this ambitious game for a one-man-studio, and now I need some time to refuel and follow up the game. I'd love to have it on more platforms, so that's my next priority. But if Embracelet is successful I'd love to continue making games!
PA : Embracelet was released on Steam, but also on Switch. Do you think of offering in future your games on other supports (Playstation PSN, Android GooglePlay, ...)?
MF : See above
PA : While so many developers, even French ones, only concieve their games in English, your two games offered many languages upon release, including French. Was the adaptation of your games in these different languages complicated? Did you go through professional translators?
MF : Embracelet was professionaly localized by RiotLoc, while I did the English and Norwegian versions myself. Translating Embracelet was quite a big task, not because of its complexity, but the amount of text. The script is 28000 words, so it has been very expensive to localize. But I felt it was important to have the game available in many languages, as many want to play story games in their mother tongue. Milkmaid was much more complicated to translate because of its rhyming. Thomas Méreur did the great French translation, but it has been too expensive and complicated to translate to other languages as of yet.
PA : As a player yourself, what are the titles that have marked and influenced you the most? Are you a client of the independent scene? Which media (pc / console, mouse / keyboard / gamepad) do you prefer for playing?
MF : Some titles that really inspired me when growing up: Sacred armour of Antiriad, Another World, Monkey Island I and II. All titles that made my mind explode with ideas and fantasies about what games could be. I like to play most kind of games (excluding most FPS's) from both indies and AAA, but when spending all day in front of the computer designing a game it's often I don't have the energy to play when the evening comes. I have a huge backlog, both on Steam and on PSN and Switch!
PA : When you released Embracelet, did you expect to be so successful? Did this second game influence the sales of your first game?
MF : Releasing a game in a super crowded market is very nerve wrecking, but getting so many wonderful reviews of the game has been a great relief. It's good to see how many critics and players have "gotten" the game and the experience and feelings I wanted to instill in the player. And it's easier to release a game when you already have one game that a few people have played. But I am aware that I am making niche games in a crowded market, and I'm hoping that all the great reviews will lead to people discovering the game.
PA : Do you have a particular anecdote about the creation of one of your two games? Something you haven't said until now? ^ _ ^
MF : I had a plan to use the time reversing machine in Milkmaid a bit more. I had sketches of Ruth turning herself into a child to get to certain parts of the ship, but it got too complicated to fit into the design of the game!
PA : Little "spoiler" moment to be reserved only for players who have finished "Milkmaid of the Milky Way":
PA : Little "spoiler" moment to be reserved only for players who have finished "Embracelet":
PA : If you've been expecting an interesting question that we never had the idea to ask here, now is the time to come up with and answer it !
MF : I think you've covered a lot here, but maybe this: This Embracelet game looks really interesting, where can I find more info about it? Easy! Go to embraceletgame.com - here you can find the trailer and links to the eShop and Steam!
PA : Thank you to you for giving your time in answering all these questions. Adventure games like yours are rare and valuable. We will all look forward to hearing from you about your future projects.
MF : Thank you!