Interview with Developer of Grandma, No!
We all know that Grandma’s have the most fun. I think that can especially be said for the Grandma from WALLRIDE’s hilarious physics game, Grandma, No! Even though she’s gotta get her chores done, at least you know she’s having fun doing it.
We can’t wait to dive into Grandma, No! ourselves. Huge thank you to the team at WALLRIDE and Super Rare Games for being part of the showcase and for answering my questions.
Can you tell me more about the team behind Grandma, No! ?
We have such an amazing team behind Grandma, No! - our core team has been together since early 2020, and some of us have worked together even longer. Our team has extensive experience working in VR, and that intuitive design mentality translated really well into Grandma, No! Every person on the team contributes their own unique set of skills, and sense of humor.
What was the inspiration behind using a sweet Grandma for your funny, chaotic game?
Our original “Grandma” design was not so sweet and funny… more slightly terrifying - but when we landed on our final design we knew that was it. The goal was to create a cute and endearing silent protagonist, but also keep the player on their toes wondering what’s actually going on inside her head.
In the Dev Diary on the game’s Steam page you’ve introduced Dust Bunny and The Li-bird-rarian. Can players expect to meet a few more of Grandma’s lodgers in the game?
I can neither confirm nor deny the presence of other incredibly absurd, weird, and awkward characters with full voice acting that may or may not be hiding in the cracks and crevices of Grandma’s house…
What kinds of shenanigans can players get up to in the game? What are just a couple ways that Grandma can get off track while trying to finish one of her chores?
Grandma’s house is full of fragile objects - the most fun going off-track is probably testing the durability of Grandma’s antique vases. There are plenty of interactive toys spread everywhere through Grandma’s house, ranging from cute and fun - to dangerous and permanent, like old army Grenades and spray paint cans. Do what you want with them, it’s your house!
I always assume when making psychics games like Grandma, No! that you probably end up with a lot of funny bugs during development. What’s the funniest bug/glitch that has happened while you’ve been working on the game?
There was once an amazing bug that sent Grandma into the air when she farted, but without a cooldown built in, you could forever fly Grandma through the air doing “fart-flips” until she came crashing down through shelves.
What is one chore you always dread having to add to your to-do list?
Taking out the trash. Nobody wants to do this one, it’s gross. But hey, maybe you’ll meet some trash-loving friends along the way…
What does “indie” mean to you?
“Indie” to me means the agency to make your own decisions, no matter how wild they are, when you feel they are right. We’ve always had the mentality of “just send it” at Wallride, which comes down to just taking the chance on a weird idea - do something different, and make your own path.
Interview by Ty Burks, Creative Direct & Co-Founder @ WALLRIDE
Grandma, No! will be available for PC on May 22nd on Steam.