I have a conversation with the creator of Super Amazing Wagon Adventure, Sparsevector, about the recent popularity of his game, the state of independent games development, and what is next for him.
By Tony Walter | Feb 15, 2013
If you read the list of my favorite games from 2012 you might remember me mentioning the indie release Super Amazing Wagon Adventure. This is a game inspired by the old Oregon Trail classic, with a modern twist, some great writing, and a tormenting difficulty. It is available through the Xbox Live Indies platform, or through the developer's website for a PC copy of the game. Earlier this week I interviewed the creator of Super Amazing Wagon Adventure, Sparsevector.
Ambivalist:
Super Amazing Wagon Adventure has kind of exploded recently, but that's not to say it was a recent release. It was originally released in middle of 2012, right? I assume the recent popularity was sort of a surprise, what was it like when sales started picking up so long after release?
Sparsevector:
Yes, the game was originally released in July of 2012 on Xbox Indie Games, and it was then released for PC in late August as part of an Indie Royale bundle. It's very weird to see the game get all of this interest more than six months after the game's initial release. My understanding of how it happened is that word of mouth and the post-holiday lack of new releases led a few popular sites/YouTubers to do videos of the game. And basically one popular video leads to another. Because it came out of nowhere, the new exposure is kind of overwhelming, but I'm very grateful for all the new players.
Ambivalist:
The recent video coverage is actually exactly how I discovered SAWA (Super Amazing Wagon Adventure). The exposure has also had a big impact for your game on Steam Greenlight. The Greenlight program is an interesting idea, but has been the target of a lot of criticism lately. What has your experience been with Greenlight?
Sparsevector:
My feelings on Greenlight are somewhat complicated. On one hand, I think it's great that Valve is trying to give Steam users control over what games get on Steam. I think it's definitely a step in the right direction, and it shows a lot of foresight on Valve's part. On the other hand, for a developer, getting a game Greenlit is currently a difficult and uncertain process. The recent exposure my game has gotten has been enough to push the game into the top 100 on Greenlight (out of about 1000 games), but Valve usually only Greenlights about 10 games every couple of months, so it's still a long ways away. Perhaps this is just an unavoidable consequence of there being a lot of indie games. Recently Gabe Newell talked about doing away with Greenlight entirely and making Steam a more open platform - essentially letting anyone sell games through Steam. I think it will be interesting to see where Steam goes from here.
Ambivalist:
Indie games do seem to be gaining more and more attention over the past year or so. Microsoft's implementation of their Indie Games platform was a bit before its time, but it has had somewhat of a rocky history. There is a negative stigma associated with the games released on the platform, and Microsoft has been relatively quiet about it since the beginning. The service is rather mysterious to users. How was the process of releasing your game there? And is there anything you wish you knew before you had released it?
Sparsevector:
There are a number of issues with the Xbox Live Indie Games platform (problems with the peer review process, the way games are ranked, pricing, etc), but my experience was relatively positive. I think it's a good platform for new developers because it puts everyone on even footing - since the platform gets little press coverage your game's success is mostly determined by the box art, price, title, screenshots, and demo, which are all things you have direct control over. I didn't run into any real surprises with respect to the platform, but I would advise other developers to be careful what sort of games you try to release on XBLIG. For various reasons, the market is only receptive to cheap games that are simple enough to play within the 8 minute trial time limit (luckily for me my game is in this category).
Ambivalist:
SAWA is a very fast paced game, but that is a big part of its identity. The game obviously draws inspiration from classics like Oregon Trail, but is otherwise a relatively unique experience. How did the idea for this game come to fruition?
Sparsevector:
The idea for SAWA came from a group project I did many years ago as an undergraduate. The project was to make a multiplayer Java remake of Oregon Trail, and one of my jobs in the group was to do the hunting and rafting mini games. I went way overboard with the mini games adding powerups and making them super violent, and people really liked the mix of the historical setting and crazy action. The idea for SAWA was then to make a game which took the random story telling from Oregon Trail but made the gameplay all fast paced violent, crazy mini games.
Ambivalist:
Yes, the frantic nature of the mini games are a nice juxtaposition to the Oregon Trail influences. Some of my personal favorite parts of SAWA are in the writing. I had a good laugh when I was literally consumed by my personal demons. Sort of makes me not hate it so much when I die. And I die a lot in this game. In fact, despite how much I've been enjoying playing it, I've still yet to complete the adventure. Do you have any tips for me?
Sparsevector:
I think my biggest hint for the game is to not worry too much if you can't beat it. There is an ending to the game, but most of the enjoyment is in finding new random events and dying in bizarre ways. I think the game is more fun if you don't care too much about completing the game and just play until you get bored. I will give an actual hint though, which is in regards to the buffalo section of the game. From watching numerous YouTube videos I think this is the first section people get stuck on. The easiest way to beat the buffalo section is to stick to the bottom third of the screen and try to clear a path. It's possible to clear a path through the center of the screen, but clearing a path near the bottom turns out to be much easier because of the way the enemies spawn and because the gun is placed near the top of the wagon.
Ambivalist:
Thank you! I'll definitely keep that in mind next time I encounter the buffalo horde. According to your website, you've begun work on your next game. Is there anything you can say about that?
Sparsevector:
My new game is still a long ways from being finished, but with that caveat in mind I can give you the pitch. The game is tentatively titled Go Plague Monkey! Go! and it's a top down 2D action game where you control a diseased monkey let loose in a city. The gameplay is sort of a mix of Pac-Man and the old 2D Grand Theft Auto games - you try to infect as many people as you can while avoiding various authority figures. I'm trying to keep the manic style and randomization of SAWA but make the gameplay more open ended.
Ambivalist:
You're really tugging at my heartstrings with these games. First Oregon Trail, now Pac-Man and the old Grand Theft Auto games. I'm definitely looking forward to playing Go Plague Monkey! Go! as soon as it's ready.
One last question I want to ask you. The indie market can be rather overwhelming - it almost seems like every week there is a new game that's getting a lot of buzz. It's impossible for all of the independent releases to get the coverage they want when the market is so competitive. Other than SAWA, which everybody should check out if they haven't already, are there any indie games or developers that you would like to recommend to me or the readers?
Sparsevector:
This question is hard for me because I have the same problem as you - there's too many games to keep up with! Besides that, I stay pretty busy working on games, so I have a backlog. One game that just came out and I'm anxious to play is the Zelda-like game Anodyne. It has gorgeous pixel art and an amazing soundtrack. An under looked game from last year I think more people should play is Qrth-Phyl. It's sort of 'Aphex Twin remakes Snake'.
Ambivalist:
I've actually just started playing Anodyne. I'll need to check out Qrth-Phyl next. I want to thank you for your time. It's been great talking to you and getting some insight on the other side of this industry. I'd like to close out by giving you the podium. Is there anything that you'd like to say that we haven't discussed?
Sparsevector:
Nope, I can't think of anything to add. Thanks for the interview and playing my game!
Ambivalist:
Absolutely! It has been my pleasure. Be sure to let me know when you're releasing Go Plague Monkey! Go! I'm very much looking forward to it.
Super Amazing Wagon Adventure is currently on Steam's Greenlight program. Voting for this project can potentially help get it released on Steam. Vote here! Sparsevector, and I, appreciate your vote.
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