[Interview] Demos & Development Highlights with Figment 2 (#3)

Minutes to play it, months to make it…

Welcome back to another Miketendo64 interview that sees us chatting with Bedtime Digital Games’ Hans Haave, regarding the upcoming Figment 2: Creed Valley. In the second part of our mini-series comprised of Figment 2 interviews, we discussed game inspirations, puzzle creation and music.

Now we’re back with our third Figment 2 focused interview and this time we’re discussing demos and development highlights, but first, let’s welcome back Hans:

Hello Hans:

Miketendo64: Before we dive right into the probing questions, we always like to start things off nice and light. Therefore, would you be so kind as to introduce yourself to our readers and tell us a bit about yourself and your background?

Hans Haave: Hello! I am Hans, I’m a Franco-American with a degree in applied foreign linguistics. I’ve been working in the video games industry for almost 3 years now. Having played games my whole life it’s quite the trip to be doing this for a living.

Miketendo64: And now to follow-up, what is your role at Bedtime Digital Games and what is the extent of your involvement with Figment 2: Creed Valley?

Hans Haave: I’m currently the Communications Manager at Bedtime Digital Games. I also take care of the PR and marketing side of things. If you’re ever hanging out on Twitter, Insta, or Discord you’ve probably chatted with me before.

Demos & Development Highlights:

Miketendo64: Video game development is a lot like the development of a child. It is very involved, the hours are long and each child and development process, is completely different from the next. How does Figment 2: Creed Valley compare to the other games you’ve worked on? Did you learn anything new about yourself and the development process?

Hans Haave: We’re a much more experienced team now. It feels good to be confident in our skillset and have realistic expectations as to what we can achieve.

Miketendo64: At Miketendo64, we’re huge fans of demos. They’re a great way to get introduced to a new game you’re unsure about and we simply can’t get enough of them. Having played the demo of Figment 2: Creed Valley and falling in love with it, we wanted to know a bit more about the development process behind the demo. How much time goes into the demo development process and how does it affect game development of the full title?

Hans Haave: Having a demo on Switch is a much more involved process as it is to have a demo on Steam. We wanted to include a segment of the game where players are immediately presented the Figment world and steadily learn the mechanics. Hence why the first level of the game makes sense to be a demo level.

The demo took around 2-3 months to do, from making it able to run on the Switch’s hardware, getting through QA, to passing certification. So, it takes quite some time away from production. In all, it was incredibly worth it due to our feature in the December Indie World Showcase.

Miketendo64: If you had to pick one singular moment that is your most favourite moment during the entire development of Figment 2: Creed Valley, what is it and why?

Hans Haave: A personal victory was the recent Indie World showcase by Nintendo. Growing up with a Game Boy, it was like a dream come true to see the game I’m working on being featured by them.

About Figment 2: Creed Valley:

Figment 2: Creed Valley is an action-adventure game set in the human mind. Nightmares are spreading chaos and enemies have overrun once-peaceful lands. Join Dusty, the Mind’s courage, as you make your way through puzzles, musical boss fights and unique environments. Face your fears head-on.

Nightmares have shattered the Moral Compass, making The Mind unable to function properly. Dusty and his ever-optimistic sidekick, Piper, must travel to Creed Valley, where The Mind’s ideals are formed to restore peace. A journey filled with musical showdowns and mind-bending puzzles awaits.

Musical Showdowns – Nightmares have their own theme songs, shining light on why they have appeared. Dodge and weave as they taunt you.

A Living, Rhythmic World – Chat with The Mind’s ever-changing opinions and tune in to the world’s rhythm.

One Mind, Two Perspectives – Explore The Mind’s two fundamental states: Open-minded and Closed-minded. Switch between states and adapt to the shifting environment to move forward.

Rack Your Brain, Hone Your Sword – Prove your mental and physical strength through mind-bending puzzles and fights timed to the soundtrack.

Companion Mode – We should never have to face our fears alone. Piper is now a controllable character for local co-op.

Figment 2: Creed Valley releases on Nintendo Switch on August 19, 2022. For more tantalizing interview extracts, we hope you check out the next instalment.