![]() ![]() “In SteamWorld Dig 2 we decided that whenever you get up to the surface, your health, water, and light is automatically replenished,” Sigurgeirsson says. This was one element simplified in the follow-up. In SteamWorld Dig, health was a commodity to be bought using the resources found through the digging mechanic. “We also decided that in the game you would be able to get more types of equipment, and to also get rid of the things that made the game repetitious.” “We also had time to experiment with a movie poster for the game, one that would become the real key art seen for the game.” Simplicity and complexityĪnother method in which the sequel was fleshed out was by reducing the friction found in some aspects of its gameplay, and by adding more complexity to other areas. ![]() “Not only were the in-game graphics better, but we decided to a spend a lot of time so that we could show the game looking richer,” Sigurgeirsson says. (The results of which can be seen at the top of this page.) The result is a busier, more vibrant, aesthetic that is consistent with the first game, but with added depth, and character.Īnother benefit of the studio’s additional art resource can be found in the quality, and quantity of the key art used to market the game. “Our art director wanted to explore something new, and also we had more graphic artists, and they were just getting better and better.” “We were getting better at what we did,” explains Sigurgeirsson. The studio moved the animation system from Flash to Blender, and evolved the sequel’s art direction by adding in more detail and smoother animation transitions. The most immediately obvious change between the two games can be found the art and animation. The challenge was to make a sequel that built upon the first game’s established digging mechanics and was more generous with its content, but also one that avoided becoming a grind. ![]() You imagine people who steal a half million dollars, they run off to the Bahamas and hide for the rest of their life.” It was surreal to owe someone over half a million dollars. “We had more stuff planned, but we just couldn’t fit into the game. “We actually cut content from SteamWorld Dig,” he admits. SteamWorld Dig was smaller than planned due to time and financial constraints, and this was one of a number of elements Sigurgeirsson wanted to address in its sequel. ![]() Before SteamWorld Dig we had no self-esteem at all.”ĭespite the positive response overall, some complaints were directed at the game’s relatively short length. “It was unbelievable,” Sigurgeirsson says. On release, the game was championed by Nintendo of Europe, and became a 3DS hit, earning a Metacritic score of 82 and a number of 10/10 reviews along the way. Sigurgeirsson explains that he didn’t think the first SteamWorld Dig would sell in huge numbers, although he hoped it would perform well enough to pay off the studio’s $560,000 debt. Feed them, keep them happy, pay their salary.” “Most notably we now have full-time animators, and two level designers,” says Sigurgeirsson. The commercial success of the previous two SteamWorld titles saw the studio grow from a permanent staff of 10 (plus a dog) in 2013, to 22 in the run up to SteamWorld Dig 2’s launch last September. One of the biggest changes for Image & Form during the development of SteamWorld Dig 2 was the growth of the studio itself. In his GDC talk, ’Better than the Original: Making a Sequel to SteamWorld Dig,’ Brjann Sigurgeirsson, CEO of Image & Form, spoke about the opportunities and difficulties of creating SteamWorld Dig 2. And last September, the studio released a full SteamWorld Dig sequel to wide acclaim. It was followed in 2015 by turn-based tactical game, SteamWorld Heist. The game’s modest performance led to development of SteamWorld Dig in 2013, which was a sizeable hit on Nintendo 3DS before coming to Steam and home console. The SteamWorld franchise has rather humble origins, beginning with the release of SteamWorld Tower Defence on the Nintendo DSi in 2010. The studio has also established a valuable IP with the SteamWorld universe, a vibrant mashup of post-apocalyptic steampunk and the rootin’ tootin’ Wild West. So hats off to Swedish studio Image & Form, who, having worked exclusively on mobile for many years, have now released a series of successful titles on PC and console. In today’s climate, developing a single hit game is no small achievement. Image & Form’s Brjann Sigurgeirsson speaks at the Game Developers Conference about the making of SteamWorld Dig 2. ![]()
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