Indie Game Award 2023 Winner's Interview : Best Audio - Acme Gamestudio
The Taiwanese indie game developer, Acme Gamestudio, won the Best Audio award at the Indie Game Award (IGA) held by Taipei Game Show this year with their game "Asterigos: Curse of The Stars". After winning the award, the studio released a new DLC titled "Call of the Paragons" in late February, which received tons of positive reviews from the gaming community. Acme Gamestudio’s director, Lin Cheng-Hsien, emphasized in the interview that the team pour their hearts out into each and every game. A game with rich details could speak for itself.
Lin Cheng-Hsien, who has extensive experience in the gaming industry, previously worked at Blizzard Entertainment in the States, participating in the development of "World of Warcraft". During his time at different gaming companies, he met other developers who shared his dream of creating their own games.
Lin Cheng-Hsien said that the team currently has more than 20 members with various game development expertise but lacks marketing and operation personnel. After considering various options, they decided to cooperate with publishers for marketing and public relations. Lin also acknowledged that conflicts are inevitable even in the most compatible teams, and the key to getting along is maintaining patience and open communication even when feeling lazy or tired.
Dynamic music design delivers an immersive experience & creates a fantasy world
As for ideas, Lin drew inspiration from the game "Dark Souls" for how they designed their levels and world-building. Therefore, he aimed to create a similarly immersive experience for players with his game's setting, City of Aphes, and its storyline, which draws from ancient Roman mythology. He hopes to design a fantasy world that takes players deep into stories and unlocks the truth of spells.
In addition to developing good games, Lin emphasized the importance of exposure for independent game developers, and he has been actively submitting his games to various awards and events. The IGA is the largest independent game award in Taiwan, making it even more attractive. Lin shared that his team and composer Weifan Chang put out their best work and were integral to their success - winning the Best Audio award – at the IGA.
One innovative aspect of "Asterigos: Curse of The Stars " is its dynamic music design, which seamlessly transitions between background music to correspond with what’s happening in the game. For example, in a misty scene, if enemies appear, the music will incorporate low whispers and rhythmic sounds, creating a more immersive and fluid experience compared to traditional games that simply change the music when cutting into different scenes.
Lin also shared his experience turning failures into success at the Asia Pacific Game Summit, which was streamed on the Taipei Game Show's official YouTube channel. For more information about their games, stay up to date with the Acme Gamestudio official website.
