Indie Game Award 2023 Winner's Interview : Best Visual Art - Flamebait Games
Flamebait Games, an indie game developer from Sweden, won the Best Visual Art award at the Indie Game Award 2023 for their debut game " Passpartout 2: The Lost Artist." The team was formed in 2017 by a group of students, consisting of game designers, artists, animators, programmers, and music designers. With a marketing manager joining the team a few years after its establishment, the lineup is completed. According to the marketing manager, Tomoko Miya, the team has already released four games, and "Passpartout 2: The Lost Artist" is an extension of their debut work. The game’s unique aesthetics won the judges over, and, in the future, the team hopes to give players more creative freedom with their games.
While everyone has different expertise, Tomoko Miya said that there were no specific roles for team members. Instead, team members take on multiple responsibilities as needed, and each member decides what they will work on and when. While this approach may differ from the typical workflow of larger companies, everyone gets to be their own boss.
The team members are former classmates who work great as a team because they communicate with respect and are focused on completing projects. The team holds monthly meetings to discuss their work, ensuring that their games meet players' expectations while maintaining a continuous stream of creative energy.
"Developing indie games is a dream, but also a business. We need to consider the essential matter of revenue," emphasized Tomoko Miya. The team listens to player feedback and strives to make their games better, but never compromises their values. For example, a player requested the addition of guns in their game, which went against the team’s values and forced them to make a decision. They also learned the importance of understanding but not blindly following market trends and instead creating their own unique style.
Debut work loved by Asian players,
Indie Game Award is recognized again and advances to Taipei Game Show
When asked why they traveled to Taiwan for the Indie Game Award, Tomoko Miya shared that their first game "Passpartout: The Starving Artist" was very popular in Asia. Therefore, when they heard about the Indie Game Awards 2023, they signed up immediately and took this opportunity to advance into the Taipei Game Show and further connect and communicate with players in Asia.
She emphasized that the team dedicated a lot of time to designing how the camera interacted with the characters during the prototype and early development stage of "Passpartout 2: The Lost Artist", which won the Best Visual Art award this year. Formal development started only after that process was completed, and they ended up spending a lot of time refining the game. Therefore, the award is an incredible honor for the team and everyone feels like "we really developed a good game."
Tomoko Miya pointed out that the game is expected to launch officially for PC next month, and there will also be updates. In addition, the team has already started developing another similar game, but the focus will shift from "painting" to "music". Players who like similar games can look forward to it. For more on the latest information from Flamebait Games, please stay tuned to their official website.
