Interview with the Developer of The Wide of Sky is Running Out of Catfish
The concept for ZIPIT! Games casual creator collector game The Wide Open Sky is Running out of Catfish, is basically my dream concept. Hang out with a giant flying catfish taking pictures of cool creatures? What’s not to like?
It’s so exciting to have The Wide Open Sky is Running Out of Catfish in the showcase so that other people can start flailing about how awesome it is. Thanks so much to ZIPIT! Games for answering my questions.
Can you tell me a little bit about the team behind The Wide Open Sky is Running Out of Catfish?
Absolutely! So, Benjamin and I are a couple based out of New York City. After a few years together, we took the obvious next step in our relationship… by starting a video game studio together haha. It’s just us, but we’ve had the phenomenal support of the NYU Game Center Incubator as well which has made collaboration on the project with some really wonderful creatives possible.
We absolutely love the look of the game, what inspired you to use a pixel art style?
Thanks! I think we were drawn to the way that low-poly games make a person feel. A great deal of time went into thinking about how we can bring the player’s guard down through stylization and aesthetics. We wanted to evoke a sense of comfort and familiarity in the environment so it hits harder when we disrupt the security it provides with our narrative, and we think that the pixelated, nostalgic art style serves that purpose. Also… It makes it much, much easier to model everything haha.
What kinds of creatures can players expect to find in the game?
Great question! So many! I think we have around 60 or 70 creatures in the game between fish, sea mammals, and pinnipeds? We’ve lost count. However, without getting too deep into spoilers, let’s just say there are many unique creatures that will aid you on your journey - some much bigger than others.
In the game, you live on the back of a giant flying catfish. Is there any particular reason why the team decided on a catfish as the flying creature? If you could fly on the back of a giant animal, which animal would you choose?
Benjamin thinks catfish are underrepresented, but have a certain kind of charm to them. I always thought it was because it feels like a grandfatherly fish. I would like to fly on the back of Xing Xing, the one armed monkey from Ninghai, China. Benjamin says he would like to fly on an acklay, “the green thing in the colosseum from Star Wars ep. II”
When you’re not taking photographs of animals in the game, you can talk to your friends on the computer. What other things will players be able to use their computer for?
The computer is full of secrets! Like a real computer, we have implemented quite a few rabbit holes to go down. Players will scour the web to solve mysteries, read blog posts from your disappeared mom, learn about all the creatures you have captured, discover new apps… The list goes on.
Will the full version of The Wide Open Sky is Running Out of Catfish be a short experience or can players expect to spend lots of time up in the clouds?
Not too short, not too long. We’re looking at around eight hours of gameplay right now over three different regions.
What does “indie” mean to you?
Well… it certainly doesn’t mean “independent” anymore haha. Not to say that I think it’s bad that “indie games” have gone mainstream or anything, but just that it makes it more difficult to define... I guess more than anything, indie is a feeling or a kind of “vibe-check.” You know it when you see it.
The Wide Open Sky is Running Out of Catfish is available to wishlist on Steam right now.