Indie Dev Interview with Lauri Paakinaho

Indie games have a special place in my heart. I started my gaming journey on the Game Boy Colour and cheap titles on my laptop at the time. Being an indie developer is no easy task, most struggle to make a profit and releases can be very hit and miss. Yet if you take the time to turn away from the eye candy of the triple A titles the games industry has to offer, you can be entertained by countless little gems. 

Today we have an interview with Lauri Paakinaho, the one man army that is Woblyware. Due to my love of Devious Dungeon I felt the need to interview him on his experiences and inspirations. 

Many in the VP community seek to work their way into some avenue of the games industry so I hope this interview is as helpful and inspiring as I found it.  


Q: Having created a range of indie titles what would you say has beenyour favourite project that you have worked on so far and why?
A: I'd have to say Omega Strike is my personal favorite. It's the
biggest game I ever made and put the most effort into. To me it feels
like the most complete game I've made.

Omega Strike

Q: I loved the character and level design across all of your games. Whatinspires you to create such vibrantly cute worlds?
A: It's just a style I like a lot. From all the inspiration I've took
from other artist, this kind of style always looked great in my opinion
and eventually my own art style developed in the same direction.

Q: In your time as both a gamer and a creator is there any other Indietitles that have inspired you?
A: Yes, several games have inspired me along the way such as Spelunky,
Mercenary Kings and many many smaller games like old flash games.

Spelunky by Derek Yu

Mercenary Kings by Tribute Games

Q: What were the biggest obstacles you faced being an indie developer and how did you overcome them?
A: I work mostly alone, so the biggest problem is making games that are
good enough to stand among all the other games that are coming out. It's
really hard to make a living as an indie dev and you never know if your
project will be profitable. But somehow after 10 years I'm still doing
this for a living so maybe I'm just extra lucky hehe.

Q: Do you have any advice for budding games designers out there?

A: Start small and try to finish projects. It's fairly easy to get your
game released on the App Store or Steam these days and even though the
game may not make much money, it will look good on your resume if you're
looking for a job in the games industry.

Q: And finally do we have a new game on the horizon to look forward to?

A: I've been working on a game called Royal Frontier which is a turn
based roguelite. It should be coming out later this year or maybe next
year.

Red Dead Redemption 2 x Zero Zero Zero Zero

To go along with my platinum trophy from Zero Zero Zero Zero, I decided to start making some virtual photography shots for the games that would never even come close to requiring virtual photography. 

I started with this as the picture does all of the work. Its a western, with sci-fi elements. My goal was to try and capture the feeling in the artwork and game without using Photoshop or other heavy editing software. Red Dead Redemption 2 was the game that I approached. While they do not radiate Sci-fi I like to think I captured the games tension and also exhaustive qualities. 

I wanted our protagonist to look tired and worn but ready for the next barrage of insanity.  If you have used a game to pay homage to another game get in touch via my about section and I will feature you here on the blog.

Plat Runner 04: Zero Zero Zero Zero

A few days ago I managed to get my 50th Platinum. It was Dynasty Warriors 9, a series close to my heart. Straight after getting it I decided to hit a few indie titles as a cheeky reward. All three of course are published by Ratalaika Games S.L. but the one I am going to give advice on today is Zero Zero Zero Zero.

This monochrome platformer felt like the later levels of Super Meat Boy. It is simple, fast and brutal. Some levels feel near impossible while some are more straightforward. The twist is there is no level select. Levels are thrown at you, if you die you are put at the start of one of the levels you have yet to finish. This twist means that you do not have time to learn from your errors or even what the level entails sometimes. 

I adored it. It made me sweat and got me thinking. About halfway to the final trophy I announced I was done and then continued to play on. Not many of Ratalaika Games S.L. products come with this deep level of frustration meeting satisfaction. 

Unlike a lot of hard games these days you are not learning through death. There is no trickery here or subterfuge. The game handles smoothly and you can see the entire level and what it entails before you. All errors are your own. The game demands patience, precision and skill. Luck does not come into it.

In hardcore you have one life to get as many levels done as you can. Thankfully the only hardcore trophy Requires you to only pass the initial level, where you walk to the coin and back to the door. Every level requires you to carry out this task but none will ever be this easy again.

As far as the trophy list goes it is very straightforward: 1 Platinum and 11 Golds. Finish 1 level on hardcore and 34 on Normal.

Tips and Tricks

• You will die and you will die a lot. Do not be put off, the payoff is very rewarding for each level completed.

• There are a lot more than 34 levels.  If one looks to hard or you hate it die and try for something that is more to your skill set.

• Take it slow, you are unlikely to get anywhere charging in blind. Some levels require speed in order to avoid death but in most cases you can pace it until you get the lay of the level. 

• Know that you only have to succeed once. When a level is done it will not return. 

• It should only take between 30 minutes and an hour. It took me 36 minutes and 27 seconds. 

That sweet Pop moment

I have seen this game get a lot of hate online and I don't think it's justified. It is cheap, satisfying and well considered. If you don't like the idea of a punishing platformer or just are in it for a quick plat, go elsewhere. But if for a change you want to play something that pays a homage to the dawn of gaming, gives you a decent challenge and a more proud indie plat, then Zero Zero Zero Zero is for you.