To be honest with you, I've had a few inspirations; one of the many processes that I develop a game is by first creating some of the characters (protagonists, side characters, antagonists, etc.). I began designing Imp, then Angel. I immediately fell in love with their designs. They're loosely based off of the Chao in Sonic Adventure 2 (a favorite game of mine). Then I made the final boss villain, and worked backward from there. I have done similar to my other games on here: Live 2 Shred wouldn't have existed without the character Hovr (the grey robot on a hoverboard). Hovr was originally made for Robot/Kaiju Beatdown, but I loved the design far too much for it not to have it's own game.
After all of the characters were designed, I felt like I needed to implement newer gameplay mechanics in comparison to games I've done in the past. So I gave the player(s) the freedom to roam the main map, and go through different levels in whatever order they wish. Also, the dialog cutscenes before the boss fights are a first for me; I wanted to give the characters each their own personality, differentiating the dialogue and interactions between the main character (you) and the boss fights.
The two-player air hockey mini-game was added just to give the game a 2-Player versus feature. I didn't feel like doing anything too crazy, as I wanted to keep the .exe file under the 1GB limit on here. I will admit, I almost made that a free game included with purchase, as it was the last thing that I added to the game.
There is a secret in the game: when you beat the final boss, the game will thank you for playing, and give you a hint to an Easter Egg in the game. It's my way of saying "Thank you for playing my game and supporting."
I'm sorry if this is too long; nobody really asks me questions like this, it's exciting! Feel free to check it out, as well as my other titles.
-Sam
Owner/Founder
Sam, this is such an insightful look into your creative process! It’s really cool how your characters like Imp and Angel came to life and how you used them as the foundation for the game. The idea of designing the characters first and working backward is such a unique approach. I also love how you implemented new gameplay mechanics, like the freedom to roam and the dialog cutscenes. It must have been a lot of fun to give each character their own personality!
The two-player air hockey mini-game is a nice touch, and I love the Easter egg secret you included—it’s a thoughtful way to thank players for their support.
I’m curious, what would you say are your main goals for the game? Are you focusing on growing a player base, increasing engagement, or generating revenue? Have you faced any challenges in reaching those goals so far?
My main goals (as with every game) are in fact all of the above. I do want to add some points also: I want people to immerse themselves in the game, to give a sense of inclusion. I also want players to enjoy what they're playing -- the characters, the levels, the gameplay: you name it. Every game I've made has a sense of compatibility with gamers of all kinds. I want people (even those who don't really game) to be able to pick this (and my other titles) up and play rather seamlessly. The goal is for everyone to feel like they can play with and/or against players of any skill level. I know that it takes away most "grinding" and "practice" aspects, but the key word with that is "most". You can still be really good at the game, just don't be surprised if a noob ends up beating you or does better in certain parts of the game.
Imp & Angel is my first true attempt at a game with a story. I do want all of my games to eventually crossover, but that'll take some time. I have had some issues with generating revenue, as business had slowed down drastically between labor day weekend and black friday. However, things are on an upward trend, mainly due to the big black friday sale on here. Another challenge (not related to the game dev side; more business wise) is trying to book cons and/or shows to sell products. A lot of places tend to not focus on the little studios as much, but that's the mission at SVP Games: to change the narrative.
