Wekufu is a 2D Hack and Slash Metroidvania game that is being developed by Stickerb Games. The developer is currently trying to raise funds via kickstarter and after checking out the project, it has certainly caught our attention.
With so many indie games popping up nowadays, it is getting harder and harder for developers to make games that stand out from the crowd. We feel like Wekufu is one of these games that could do with a little leg up so it can get the attention it deserves as it is shaping up to be quite an interesting game.
To help raise awareness of the game, we have recently spoken with the game’s developer, Esteban Campos Millapel, to talk at length about himself, his studio and, of course, Wekufu.
Stickerb Games and Awakening Wekufu: (Part 1)
Miketendo64: First of all. Tell us a little bit about yourself and Stickerb Games?Esteban: Hello there! I’m Esteban Campos Millapel, a solo developer and founder of Stickerb Games. Currently I’m working as a 2D animator, illustrator and programmer, but I also edit audio as a hobbyist. This helped me quite a bit in getting into game development. Like Agent Smiths says in The Matrix Reloaded: “Me, Me, Me.”I have always liked videogames, but more than that, even as a kid I always liked modifying games, like imagining new characters and new scenarios for games I played. My uncle was tech savvy and was the only one in the whole family that had a computer at the time (back in 1997 – 1999).At some point he got a new computer and ditched his old computer and that is when it all began, soon I was inspecting files, modifying textures and recoloring sprites. Some games had their files in super easy to modify text files and it was a blast to play around with those things, like modifying a parameter and seeing what would happen next (probably a crash).Miketendo64: Have you been developing games for a long time or is Wekufu your first game?Esteban: I have been developing games for 8 years approximately, first as an environment designer at Winterleaf Entertainment when I was still studying Programming and Animation. I then started a game studio with some friends I had online, we released a small game called Mitch: Berry Challenge and I managed to port it myself to PlayStation 4. That gave me a lot of confidence in what I was able to achieve by myself and I wasn’t really liking what I was doing at the time so that encouraged me to leave the studio and work on something I truly wanted.All this might sound self-centered, but it really was something I needed at the time and there weren’t much people near me I could reach out to in order to develop a game, especially without any form of payment. So that’s how my solo dev journey started.Miketendo64: Where did you learn to become a video game developer?Esteban: I’m from Chile, and at the time I wanted to learn Animation and Programming, there wasn’t many places to learn about it and what was available at the time was just way too expensive so had to make the jump to Argentina and study there.I studied Game Design and Programming at Image Campus in Argentina, which had some Ubisoft job programs at the time. I was really surprised about the quality of its education, learned a lot there. I also studied Animation at Nueva Escuela in Argentina as well, there I learned how to animate and produce audiovisual content.
Miketendo64: You are developing the game yourself. How have you found developing a game on your own? What are the perks and challenges you have faced?Esteban: It’s hard, that’s all I can say. I don’t think there are any perks on being a solo developer, you don’t get to socialize, you don’t get a team that supports you and it can be a little lonely, let alone the work overload. Thankfully family and friends have always been there for me, encouraging me to keep on making this game.Miketendo64: For those that don’t know what Wekufu is about, could you explain what the game is and its story?Esteban: In very simple words, Wekufu is a Metroidvania with a focus on combat, it is a game where you’ll have to learn how to fight in order to progress, learn how long your attacks take and anticipate your enemies’ attacks, while also exploring and learning the game’s lore.In this game, you’ll take the role of Sakinko, a young Mapuche warrior with an uncertain path. You’ll find yourself on a fantasy world where an ancient evil, Wekufu, has awakened, corrupting everything in its path and destroying what you love the most. You’ll have to learn about your ancestors, find who you really are and avenge your linage, you’ll have to become a Kallfümalen, an extraordinary female warrior, and imprison Wekufu once and for all.Miketendo64: How far into development is Wekufu?Esteban: Wekufu started as a small prototype back in 2018, at that time I only had a gameplay prototype and an animation trailer. Right now, Wekufu is around 50% completed, I’m currently working on the second layer of gameplay, implementing the story of the game, dialogues and adding new content.
About Wekufu:
A Dark, Hand Drawn 2D Hack and Slash Platformer coming in 2023.
A game about vengeance, outcasted for being unique, over something that can’t be changed. Something you want to embrace and protect: your identity.
Play as Sakinko, a young warrior set on a quest to avenge her father’s death and protect her people from the evil spirits that now menace her land, these evil spirits take the name of Wekufu.
Explore a hand drawn fantasy world, fight fierce enemies, obtain new skills from bosses, find skill upgrades and relics and get stronger. Face evil and become the fiercest warrior this land has ever seen, a Kallfümalen, and bring balance to Mülewe mapu.
In part two of our interview, we will be talking more about Wekufu and the kickstarter campaign. We’ll be talking about the inspiration behind the game, the possibility of it coming to Switch and what makes Wekufu stand out among the other games looking for funding on Kickstarter.
Stay Tuned for part two soon.
