Interview with the Developer of Blue Ridge Hunting

The Six One Indie team were enamored with the idea behind Blue Ridge Hunting, a multiplayer game about hunting cryptids. And especially after seeing the game’s new trailer in the showcase, we absolutely cannot wait to play it.

A huge thank you to Jade for answering my questions about the game!

• Can you tell me more about yourself and how you began working on the project? 

I actually grew up in Maryland, and when I was a kid my family and I would go camping all the time in the Shenandoah Valley and the Smoky Mountains. I have really fond memories of exploring the mountains and woods with my brother and, of course, getting creeped out by the spooky noises at night. I think I was first exposed to the idea of cryptids by these really cheesy monster hunting/paranormal TV shows that used to air in the early 2010s. A few years ago, I played Phasmophobia, which reminded me of those shows. I was really inspired, and thought I could combine the co-op horror format with the premise of cryptid-hunting in this region I had a lot of fond memories of. I started work on the game around January 2023, tinkering away at it mostly part-time. Over the last year, I’ve expanded development, hired some friends and formed a small team, and now we’re here!

• You plan to release Blue Ridge Hunting into Early Access, what are some of the things that players can expect from the Early Access build versus the full build?

The initial early access release will contain a handful of cryptids and locations, and the first part of the game’s story mode. During the early access period, I plan on soliciting suggestions and feedback from players to see what they would like added, both in terms of mechanics and content. I’ll be working on new creatures, levels, and items, releasing them as patches over time. The final version of the game will include all of the content developed during early access, as well as all parts of the story campaign.

• What can players expect from the game’s story-rich campaign mode?

Blue Ridge Hunting’s campaign tells the story of the Appalachian Investigation Group and its founder, Levi Chambers. Whereas the game’s freeplay mode is very open-ended, the story mode is much more linear. At each mission, you will learn about your client’s history and relationship with the target cryptid. Every creature you hunt will help unravel the story of Levi and his family, as well as hint towards the true reason why the mountains of Appalachia are riddled with so many beasts.

• What are some of the cryptids that you can hunt in the game? 

Sadly I can’t share them all, as there are some surprises I think players will like. I tried to select a wide variety of different cryptids to make each one feel as unique as possible. The ones I can confirm so far are Dewayo (who was in the announcement trailer), Sheepsquatch, and of course, Mothman. I did my best to make sure all the most notable/famous ones are included - but if your favorite cryptid isn’t in when the game launches in early access, there is still a good chance it will be added, since new creatures will mostly be taken from community suggestions.

• What are some of the tools players will be able to use to collect evidence and track down the cryptids?

There are a wide range of tools, traps, and weapons you can use on missions. In general, the tools available fall into a few different categories depending on what they do. There are basic utilities like the flashlight and radio, tools for collecting evidence like the camera, and of course traps and weapons to help with hunting down whatever creature you’re up against. I did my best to give players a lot of freedom in terms of how they want to tackle mission objectives, which I think works well in a co-op setting, since players can split up and focus on different things. For example, you can have a person focused on building traps, who uses different trap items and building tools. You can have a person focused on only guns and weapons, and another focused on evidence collection with cameras and footprint casts. So there is a wide variety of tools at your disposal that you can use on each mission, depending on your playstyle and what you’re trying to achieve. There’s something for everyone.

• What inspired the retro look and feel of the game?

Around the time I started development, there was this boom of content online with the PS1/PSX aesthetic and I really fell in love with it. I think it works well with this kind of game. The first few Silent Hill games are some of my favorite titles, and they also inspired me in terms of the direction I wanted to go for with the artstyle. I love the uncanny feeling you can get with low-poly models, and I think it really enhances the horror.

• What does “indie” mean to you?

To me, indie means freedom. It’s freedom to express ourselves and create what we want without limits or restrictions. The indie scene is full of so many unique and incredibly cool games made by a wide range of people from all kinds of backgrounds. I think it’s so awesome that we live in a time where there is so much accessible educational content that anyone can take advantage of and learn how to make their own game, and then share that game with the world. I started making games many years ago when I was younger on Scratch, and I remember being so happy just connecting blocks and making silly (albeit not very good) games that I thought were fun. Years later, working on Blue Ridge Hunting, I still feel the same way. Indie means freedom of expression, freedom to create, and freedom to share with the world, and I absolutely love it.

Blue Ridge Hunting is available to wishlist on Steam now.