PLEASE START US OFF BY INTRODUCING YOURSELF:
Hi, I’m Ali Abbasnia, an illustrator, animator, and game developer. I’ve always been drawn to artistic, handcrafted games like Machinarium and Neverhood, games that feel like living illustrations, where every frame tells a story. My background is in graphic design, but my passion for storytelling led me to children’s book illustration and animation. In 2021, I was honored to win the Nami Island International Illustration Award, which reinforced my love for creating visually rich, immersive worlds.
I teamed up with Sadegh, my longtime friend and creative partner, back in 2011 to start making games. Together, we co-founded Foggy Studio and worked on everything from mobile games to animation projects. Sadegh is a game developer, illustrator, and designer who’s been in the industry for over a decade. He also runs an animation studio called Overlap and has successfully launched two Kickstarter campaigns (Warrior Women Vol. I and Vol. II).
Now, we’re fully focused on our biggest and most heartfelt project yet, Broken Shell. It’s a cozy, hand-drawn adventure about love, resilience, and protecting what matters most. With this game, we want to create an emotional experience that feels timeless, blending beautiful 2D animation with engaging, story-driven gameplay.
TELL US ABOUT BROKEN SHELL
Broken Shell is a cozy, hand-drawn puzzle adventure that takes players on a heartwarming journey with Mr. and Mrs. Hermit, a crab couple whose peaceful home has been devastated by human expansion. As they navigate love, loss, and hope, players will help them solve meaningful puzzles, overcome challenges, and find a new place to rebuild their life together.
The idea came from our love for cozy, emotional adventures, games that tell deep and meaningful stories through simple yet engaging interactions. We wanted to craft an experience that captures the beauty of small moments, a couple working together, rescuing tiny creatures, or finding comfort in each other even in difficult times. The underwater setting allows us to subtly explore themes of resilience, environmental awareness, and the impact of human expansion on nature, all while keeping the experience fun, touching, and immersive.
HOW HAS THE DEVELOPMENT JOURNEY BEEN
The development journey has been both exciting and challenging. Since we’re a small two-person team, we have to wear many hats, from animation and programming to marketing and community building. The process has been rewarding, especially seeing how much people resonate with the demo, which has been downloaded over 8,000 times!
WHICH GAME ENGINE DID YOU CHOOSE AND WHY?
We chose Unity because we had experience with it, and it’s a great engine for small indie teams like ours. It offers a lot of flexibility and has a strong asset store, which helps us save time on technical aspects and focus more on the storytelling, art, and puzzle design. Since we’re creating a highly animated 2D game, Unity’s tools allow us to bring the hand-drawn world of Broken Shell to life without compromising performance.
WHAT'S BEEN YOUR BIGGEST DEVELOPMENT HURDLE SO FAR?
The biggest challenge has been the fact that we’re doing everything ourselves, planning, development, art, sound design, marketing, and now crowdfunding. Every phase of the project requires a different mindset, and juggling all of these responsibilities can be overwhelming.
One of the biggest lessons we’ve learned is to lower our expectations and enjoy the process rather than chasing perfection. Early on, we wanted everything to be flawless, which slowed us down. Now, we focus on making steady progress and allowing the game to grow naturally. Staying healthy, both physically and mentally, is also key. We’ve found that balancing work and rest is essential to staying creative and motivated.
Despite the challenges, seeing people connect with Broken Shell makes it all worth it. Our Kickstarter campaign has been an incredible milestone, proving that there’s a strong community who believes in this project. That support keeps us going.
ADVICE FOR FELLOW DEVS?
Start small. Make mistakes. Learn from them. Improve. Repeat.
One of the most common mistakes new developers make is aiming too big with their first game. Instead, look at successful indie projects that match your team size, scope, and resources. Learn from them. If you’re a two-person team, study how other small teams structured their development, marketing, and community-building.
Also, don’t underestimate marketing and community engagement. Your game can be amazing, but if no one hears about it, it won’t succeed. Start sharing your journey early, on X, Bluesky, Discord, Kickstarter, and wherever your audience is. The indie scene is incredibly supportive, and building a connection with players before launch can make all the difference.
ANY FINAL THOUGHTS?
Thank you so much for this opportunity and for sharing Broken Shell with your audience! As indie developers, having platforms like yours that highlight heartfelt, handcrafted games means everything to us.
We’re so excited for what’s next, including working towards our stretch goal of bringing Broken Shell to Nintendo Switch on Kickstarter! The journey so far has been incredible, and we’re beyond grateful for the love and support from the gaming community.
If you love cozy adventures, emotional storytelling, and meaningful puzzles, we’d love for you to check out Broken Shell! 💙
-Ali & Sadegh
❤️
