Breda Game Week Recap

Game Week, a satellite initiative of Playgrounds had its 2nd edition this month, electrifying the city of Breda with a buzz of Industry leaders, experts, emerging talent and students all united by a passion for games. I was invited to give a talk about my experience as Animation Team Lead on the hit indie game Thank Goodness You're Here.

The scary bit

This was my fourth industry talk, but strangely I was more nervous. This time I was on stage representing not only myself, but my friends at Coal Supper too. Naturally, my talk covered a deep dive into the animation process: How I developed a style of movement to compliment James's art style, the challenges we came up against adapting our 'TV and film' workflow to a game engine, and (of course) the importance of a really good slap.

As I worked with Coal Supper in house for a large portion of the game's development, I also gave insights into the more executive decisions the duo had to make when fine-tuning the player's experience, deciding what to prioritise, and where to position a game that was so unapologetically Northern.

‍Thank Goodness You're Here is a unique game. The limited resources of an indie production came up against Coal Supper's steadfast dedication to immersion, dialogue and animation. So trade-offs had to be made at the top. The one-button game mechanics has divided audiences. It's refreshingly different, but also challenges the importance we place of game mechanics as a maker of the overall experience. Instead the game grips you by the ear with it's character comedy and penchant for chaos.

The fun bit

There was much more to see at Game Week besides me though. On stage I saw Nils Slijkerman talk about his new game SCHiM - a puzzle platformer that invites you to play with your environment with childlike curiosity. Alongside its unique and addictive mechanic, this Dutch-developed game boasts a striking colour pallette, a strong sense of place and a poignant storyline that makes it a delight to play.

Another thing that's great about Game Week is how you can really peak inside the process and chat to creators who are working on things in the moment. In the atrium I tested out Iris van der Meule's VR project Gay Simulator - a fully interactive VR experience that puts you front and centre in the life experiences of a lesbian. She poetically weaves both sides of the queer experience in a work that is both a buoyant celebration of love and community and an unflinching account of the discrimination lesbians experience in society today.

I love that Playgrounds is branching out and creating more specialised events like this. In the world of gaming, we creators typically spend years burrowed away working on our own projects. Opportunities like this where people involved at every level of the industry can share their experiences, meet like minded people and show their work are always much needed and well received. I'm very proud and grateful to have benn part of this year's edition.