Pivoting and Adjusting Game Scope

Primal Light is a linear action platformer designed by a two-man team, Fat Gem Games. One of the developers joined me to share the story behind their game.

Primal Light

Inhabit Krog, a mysterious blue creature in a red loincloth, as he traverses a labyrinth of ladders, levers, traps, and monsters. Explore the nooks and crannies of a bizarre and evocative world as you hack and slash your way to victory, leaving a graveyard of grotesque bosses in your wake.

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As a result of learning Python for machine learning, Shane (lead programmer on the team) decided to start working on Primal Light in Pygame. He soon ran into engine limitations and switched over to Godot, which is what the engine is now built in.

They also revealed how over the course of developing their game, they made drastic changes over time. One of these was the pivot from creating a metroidvania, a genre known to be particularly complex to develop, to a more linear style of game. It was a very insightful interview that anyone working on their game part-time is going to learn a lot from!