Interview with the Developer of Benny Bash

The Six One Indie crew are huge fans of horror and we’ve had our eyes on Benny Bash from Developer Eduardo Scarpato for quite a while. It’s been super great to see how the game has progressed since we first saw it and it’s exciting to have the game in the showcase. 

Eduardo took the time to answer some of my nagging questions. Check it out below!

• Can you tell me about yourself and how you got started working on Benny Bash?

Sure! My name is Eduardo Scarpato, I’m 25 years old and I live in Brazil. Like many
game developers, I’ve been fascinated by games since childhood—and I still am today!

The first game I ever made was on my grandma’s computer using PowerPoint when I was about 7 or 8. It was the classic “Wolf, Sheep, and Cabbage” puzzle. Unfortunately, I don’t have the file anymore, but I still remember how much I loved creating it.

I didn’t grow up wealthy, especially living in a country where our buying power is very weak, but I always saved money to buy games and tech-related stuff.

As a teenager, I started making games as a hobby—learning to code, experimenting with pixel art, and diving into game dev tools. But it was never anything serious at the time, and I didn’t believe I could actually make a living from it. It felt like something “out of my world.” So I ended up setting that dream aside and began pursuing a more “normal” career. That’s when I went to university to study Psychology. But even then, I never really stopped learning about game development as a hobbyist.

When I was 20, I got the opportunity to work at a game studio here in São Paulo, and that experience completely changed my perspective. I realized that game development could actually be a viable career—and more than that, it was something I truly loved. From that moment on, I knew I would always give it my all.

Since then, I’ve worked at other studios, taken on many freelance projects in the field, and continued participating in Game Jams whenever I had free time.

About two years ago, I decided to focus on creating games on my own. That’s when I discovered my passion for horror games. I’d always been a fan of the genre, but combining it with game development made that passion even stronger.

I’ve released a few horror games on Itch.io, and seeing people play them and make videos about their experiences was incredibly rewarding. That led me to develop my first game on Steam, Void Whispers. After that, I began working on Benny Bash, which I’m still developing today.

• Can you tell me more about the story in Benny Bash? 

In Benny Bash, you play as someone who finds themselves alone in a remote cabin in the woods. Inside, you stumble upon a strange video game console from the 1980s—alongside a mysterious cartridge you've never seen before. Out of curiosity, you insert the cartridge, only to discover an unfinished game that no one seems to know about.

As you start playing, it becomes clear that this is no ordinary game. You're now trapped inside a cursed video game, and the entity behind it is watching you—testing your skills to see if you have what it takes to survive.

• What inspired the dark/pixelated art style of the game?

The art style of the game is heavily inspired by Inscryption. I absolutely love that game—it's one of the best horror games I've ever played. The art direction is incredible, and I felt it would be a great fit for my own project.

I’ve worked for a few years in the industry as a pixel artist, so I enjoy bringing that aesthetic into my games, even when they’re in 3D or rooted in horror. It’s a style that really speaks to me and adds a unique flavor to everything I create.

• What are some ways that your choices in the game can shape the world?

The core mechanic of Benny Bash is built around the connection between a 2D game on a TV screen and the surrounding 3D world. Your actions in the 2D game directly affect the 3D environment—and vice versa. It’s up to you to experiment and figure out how to solve the puzzles by navigating both worlds.

Maybe you’ll need an item found in the 3D world to use in the 2D game, or perhaps deactivating something on the 2D screen will unlock a path or secret in the 3D space. The gameplay constantly challenges you to think outside the box and explore the cause-and-effect relationship between these two dimensions.

On top of that, the full game features multiple endings that are shaped by the choices you make throughout the experience, giving you real influence over how the story unfolds.

• How many endings can players expect in the full version of the game?

The full version will feature four different endings: a “standard” ending, a secret ending, a good ending, and a bad ending.

• If you had to be stuck in one of your favorite video games, which game would you choose?

Hmm, that’s a good question.

If I had the choice, I’d prefer not to be stuck in any game world, haha—especially not a horror one! But if I had to choose, I’d probably go with one of the Pokémon games, because I’ve always loved them and they’ve fascinated me since I was a kid.

At first, I thought about the Pokémon TCG game for Game Boy, but honestly, there’s not much in that world that I can’t experience here—nothing’s stopping me from being a Pokémon TCG player in real life.

So I’d say my final choice would be Pokémon FireRed, because it’s my favorite Pokémon game of all time.

• What does “indie” mean to you?

Well, “indie” in the game industry, for me, means being someone who creates games with a strong desire to bring personal ideas to life.

I know a lot of indie devs (myself included) who often work for free—not because indie games can’t make money, but because we’re used to working for months without any guarantee of financial return. It’s a risky path that can take years before you see success, so if you’re not in it for the love of creating, it’s hard to keep going.

What I love most about being indie is the ability to not just make a game, but to pour your soul and identity into it. Each project becomes an extension of yourself. Since indie games are usually made by very small teams—or even solo devs—the result is something far more personal than what you typically see from big studios.

When someone talks about my game, they’re not just talking about a product—they’re talking about me. Every flaw and every strength reflects my decisions, my effort, and my vision.

Being indie, to me, means expressing your individuality through the art of making games.

You can wishlist and grab the demo for Benny Bash on Steam now.