Interview With The Game Bakers!

Audrey made an interesting observation during The Game Bakers’ recent interview with recgaming: that the Squid civilization had built its world essentially from human knickknacks dropped into the sea. Players will probably get that sense from all the items the squid heroes can equip, too. Considering how the oil-colored “ooze” also rains down on their world from above, do you see Squids’ story as a subtle cautionary tale about our effect on ocean life?

We had this discussion when we started the game. The fact that the corruption looks like oil is because it makes sense and is consistent with the Squids’ world. They use human objects to build their world. Oil valves were open by someone for a reason, and corrupted their world. But the game is not a moral pamphlet about ecology. That’s a point that’s important for me. It’s a fantasy story about survival. It’s the epic story of a few heroes who must work together in order to fight back a threat to save their lives, and their world. It’s somehow similar to a zombie movie – but Squids style!

What more can you tell us about the various kingdoms that feature in the Squids universe? Have all of them been introduced at release, or will we see the game world continually expand with updates?

There are two kingdoms in the first release of the game: the Tropical Kingdom of Aukai with warm and colorful underwater environments, and the mythology-inspired Kingdom of Thalas with an old fortress and the throne room inside a boat. There are seven kingdoms in total, which will introduce new characters who’ll join your team eventually. As you can guess, Clint comes from a Western-ish kingdom, and Sammo from a kingdom inspired by Asia.

And finally, should we expect new modes – like Multiplayer – in updates after the release phase? If so, will it be online multiplayer, and how many players will be able to fit into a multiplayer Squids match?

We are currently working on a multiplayer mode. The first multiplayer mode will be a race between Squids. You’ll play with two to four players on a level, and the first to reach the goal will win. It will be an asynchronous game, like Words with Friends. You will play your turn, then send it to your friend who’ll get notified. It’s a great way of playing a turn-based game without feeling that you have to “wait” for the other player to play.

The adversarial multiplayer will come soon after.

Our thanks goes to Emeric Thoa, Creative Director of The Game Bakers, for taking the time out to answer our questions hot on the heels of Squids’ App Store debut, and to Emily Morganti for facilitating this interview. Check out iFanzine’s Squids review if you haven’t played it already, and keep an eye on The Game Bakers’ site, Facebook page, and Twitter feed for the latest news! Now, let’s roll that beautiful squid footage again: