A few major video game developers have recently shaken up their release schedule by shadow-dropping projects that have been in the pipeline for some time. Tango Gameworks' Hi-Fi Rush and Nintendo's Metroid Prime Remastered released day-and-date with their announcement at livestream events, and both have received critical and fan acclaim despite the lack of prior marketing. This strategy wouldn't work for every studio, however, and if anything games like Free Lives' Terra Nil benefit greatly from putting themselves out there to build a reputation.
Described as an "eco-conscious strategy game about turning a barren, lifeless wasteland into a vibrant, thriving ecosystem," Terra Nil began as a Ludum Dare game jam project in 2019. The theme was "Start with Nothing," and developer Sam Alfred worked to make a "reverse city builder" with a chill, "satisfying" vibe that was showcased in a trailer released yesterday for the full project building off Terra Nil's game jam prototype. Game Rant spoke with now-lead artist Jonathan Hau-Yoon about marketing and brand recognition with Free Lives' projects, and how the Terra Nil team views its environmental messaging.
How Game Jams Help Free Lives Pick its Projects
Hau-Yoon feels game jams allow for short, focused bursts of creativity to try out new ideas, iterate upon older ones, or test out various tools and skills - often with a lower time investment that leads to less resources being committed without proven success. "I think the hope is always that something you make shows enough promise to warrant becoming a full commercial title," he said, but going in with that intent and pressure can hamstring a project before it starts.
"I think that approaching game jams and prototyping with playfulness and lower pressure is important for a healthy mindset, as well as a higher chance of creative success."
Every Free Lives game began as a jam project that showed promise according to Hau-Yoon, be it through scoring well in competition, fostering widespread community engagement, or getting picked up by streamers and the press. This helps explain the range of Free Lives' output over the years, including the run-and-gun Broforce that's dripping in 80s action movie references, the bloody VR gladiator simulator GORN, and the not-safe-for-work party game Genital Jousting. Even now Terra Nil is being developed alongside three additional titles: Broforce Forever, Anger Foot, and Stick it to the Stickman.
About 25 staffers work at Free Lives total, but Hau-Yoon said just three people are full-time on Terra Nil doing bug fixes and polish ahead of a spring 2023 release. They said the studio's only real limitations on picking new projects is needing some evidence of audience interest, (preferably) internal access to the skills required for development, and an appropriate sense of scope for sales estimates. Free Lives also works to fund other South African developers, giving them the space to build public prototypes and test commercial viability; a "pitch your game" tab still appears on its website.
Brand Recognition and Indie Game Development
Free Lives isn't so much aiming for a diverse portfolio as it offers freedom to test ideas "that genuinely interest us," Hau-Yoon said. The kinds of "compelling experiences" it creates will change over time as team members join, and older ones have new life experiences. One downside to this is the indie studio often doesn't directly take advantage of developed skills on sequels to successful IP, and the lack of consistent branding can be an issue when marketing new games.
Yet "I don't personally think branding in itself is something to worry about," they said. "If you’re a small indie game studio with limited resources, I’d argue that it’s more important to focus that energy into making really compelling games." In fact, many of the developers at Free lives will post prototypes under "relatively anonymous" itch.io accounts to see if they draw attention regardless of name-brand recognition. Hau-Yoon thinks about marketing from a developer's perspective: "Making games that sell themselves, designing moments that would show well in a GIF or a short video, creating experiences that someone would want to tell their friends about organically."
Still, he feels it's important to manage peoples' expectations. Terra Nil has a separate Twitter account from Free Lives so that anyone looking for news about the peaceful reverse city builder with a Ghibli-inspired aesthetic won't have to sift through violent content like GORN or Anger Foot. This is less a branding problem so much as it is being considerate of the player community, according to Hau-Yoon.
Environmentalism and the Beauty of Nature in Terra Nil
One aspect of the tranquil Terra Nil that stands out is the inspiration it takes from the "natural beauty and diversity" of South Africa; where bills feature the "Big Five" game animals (rhinoceros, elephants, lions, buffalo, and leopards) and Free Lives' developers grew up surrounded by hiking trails and reserves. While it's easy to read Terra Nil as a direct response to climate change, rebuilding desolate wastelands, Hau-Yoon said the team has been more focused on designing an experience about loving nature, showing a caring desire to protect and help it flourish.
"I think that when we’re surrounded by news of climate catastrophes, or post-apocalyptic, dystopian visions of the future, it becomes easy to fall into apathy and think of a gloomy future as being inevitable. Instead, we give players agency to pull them out of despondency."
The game's art style and "gentle, delicate music" help calm players so that they can appreciate the full wonder and beauty of nature. "If it inspires change, then all the better." That atmosphere is a like a brand in-and-of itself, and Terra Nil connects with players at a deep level. Hau-Yoon said the most touching thing is seeing posts about the game bringing people to tears as they watch life return to the world. "There was someone who mentioned on Twitter that when the rains hit, something broke through their depression, and that they’d cried for the first time in a long time," they said. "I really think that there’s something cathartic about caring for nature."
Terra Nil releases spring 2023 for Mobile and PC.