Interview with Nik of Rinikulous Games by Peter Ward
Overview
A SOLITARY SUN WAITS IN THE COLD DARKNESS OF SPACE FOR ITS SOLAR SYSTEM
Imagine in the cold, lonely depths of space there’s a sun waiting for the mysterious forces of the cosmos to bring it a
solar system. In the new mobile game, Lonely Sun, you have that celestial power of planetary genesis. In fact, you are
the guiding hand of gravity. All that stands between you and the fulfillment of a distant sun’s destiny are five unique
levels – one for each of the five planets. Every world (Nuriona, Ametho, Neryssa, Isoley and Siroccee) has its own strange
landscapes, distinct dangers, and gravitational forces to surmount on your way to building a complete star system.
HOW TO PLAY
As a fledgling planet, your main goal is to guide it carefully through the dark recesses of space, collect planet cores from
all level stages to gradually grow large enough to orbit the lonely sun at the center of the solar system. However, the odds
of new worlds coalescing in the cold danger of space are slim and take time. Be sure to avoid anything that appears
dangerous or threatening.
METHAPHOR FOR LIFE
Lonely Sun was initially imagined as a metaphor for life, a simplified version of life’s complicated nature, tribulations and
hurdles. Overcoming dangers, navigating through strange worlds, remembering what you’ve gone through, learning as you go…
all these are meant to make you resilient. The inevitable nature of failure gives you two choices: pick yourself up and try aga
in or let the memory of your existence fade away.
Accomplishing goals takes time. The cosmic powers of planetary genesis that create the vastness and mystery of space follow
the same rules: patience. Patience is the key to creating something beautiful, something worth living for.
One thing we keep hearing from players: “No checkpoints?” Our response: “Does life have checkpoints?”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUpoKvXiFUI
What is your first gaming experience?
I was first introduced to the Attari 2600
JR console and games like
Pitfall!, River Raid,
DOOM, Raptor: Call of the Shadows.
What got you into programming games?
Programming is probably too strong of a word for what I do. Making
games, creating of game worlds, experiences, user interactions and
mechanics…all of these were motivated by
What development tools or coding did you use?
We’ve used mostly Unity 3D and Xcode.
What hurdles did you have making your current game?
I’ve never made games before, so I started reading books about game
design. It was nice to be aware of some of the underlying principles and
rules, however, things have changed so dramatically that I knew I
wanted to do a game that I wanted to play and not necessarily stick to
rule books and what others have said to be the guiding principles of
game design.
Like every beginning, it was hard. Experimenting with multiple control
mechanics, getting the visual design (shaders, poly counts, interface…)
right, figuring out level lengths (it’s a mobile game after all)… stuff like
that. But it was a great learning experience for me – seeing what
worked, what didn’t, and trying to put myself in the consumer’s/player’s
shoes and think “Is this fun? Does it feel right? Would I play this?”.
After the completion of the game what game will you make?
We launched Lonely Sun on the App Store on Sept 22 but we were
already working on our second iOS title, Hyper Beam – a twin stick
endless survival game.
What other games have you made you made?
Lonely Sun is our first attempt at designing game experiences. And like
I said, Hyper Beam is our second title, which is currently in
development.
My favourite computer was my Amiga and console the Megadrive do you have
a favourite?
My first computer was an 8-bit Pravetz 8C
(http://www.pravetz.info/pravetz-8c.html); first console – the Atari 2600
JR.
What is your favourite retro game?
DOOM, no doubt.
Do you still game on the current consoles if so whats your favourite game?
I’m generally a PC gamer but I do game on my PS3 sometimes – I love
the “God of War” series, DarkSiders…
Whats the worst game you have ever played?
I don’t think there’s a bad game – every game has a certain beauty to it
– you just have to let go of preconceptions and appreciate it for what it
is.
Finally what game or feature would you like to see on Retrogamesmaster in
the future?
More retro games. We need to be constantly reminded of where it all
started, how and why those games were made, what went through the
creator’s mind… This is all because no matter how amazing modern
graphics and gameplays become, they all share certain elements from
retro games.