PLEASE START US OFF BY INTRODUCING YOURSELF:
Ventu: Hi, I'm Ventu, and I'm a professional technical artist and game developer, currently working on Tower of Whispers as a Programmer, overall Artist and also in charge of “marketing” the game.
Toto: Hello there! I am Toto, an Electro-Acoustical Engineer, Musician, and Game Developer. I take on the roles of Game Designer, Audio Engineer, and Programmer.
TELL US ABOUT TOWER OF WHISPERS.
Ventu: Tower of Whispers is a hack-and-slash game with heavy action roguelike aspects.
Toto: It is set in a dark fantasy world inspired by titles that had a significant impact on us, like Bloodborne and Castlevania.
Ventu: Also gameplay wise we took inspiration from hades and curse of the dead gods. The game takes place in an endless tower where you face off the different horrors it houses.
Toto: Originally, the idea started as a test of various mechanics that Ventu wanted to try and make but never had the chance to do so.
Ventu: Yeah, at the time I was playing many roguelikes, so I tried my hand at making a Boon system and procedural dungeon generation.
Toto: then we started writing some lore for the world and we were so happy with how it came out that we decided to make it into an actual game.
HOW HAS THE DEVELOPMENT JOURNEY BEEN
Ventu: It’s been an interesting ride. The game went through a lot of changes since its early concepts. One of the things that got scrapped was the procedural dungeon generation.
Toto: that’s because we opted for a more tailored experience with handmade maps, giving us more control over the pace of the gameplay and environmental storytelling.
Ventu: Oh, and the game was originally set in a cave until we realized a tower was cooler and creepier.
WHICH GAME ENGINE DID YOU CHOOSE AND WHY?
Toto: We chose Unity because it is an engine we both already had experience with in the industry, and it’s a reliable tool. There is a lot of documentation available, and it suited perfectly for the stylized look of the game.
Ventu: Another deciding factor was the active community as it really helps when trying to solve issues.
WHAT'S BEEN YOUR BIGGEST DEVELOPMENT HURDLE SO FAR?
Ventu: Time! We work on the game mostly in our "free time," meaning after finishing our day jobs. So, finding the time to work on our own project can sometimes be rather difficult.
Toto: Yeah, totally. Between our jobs, and studies, it's hard to juggle it all and put in the work.
ADVICE FOR FELLOW DEVS?
Ventu: Passion is key. Game development can be tough, tedious and motivation can wane. BUT genuine passion will help you push through challenges by keeping your eyes on the goal.
Toto: Yeah, I absolutely agree with Ventu on this one. But I would like to add that it is immensely important to set achievable goals to finish a project. Sometimes we can get carried away and aim a little too high, leading to an endless development cycle that can cause burnout.
ANY FINAL THOUGHTS?
Thanks for having us and for reading. If you want to support Tower of Whispers, you can wishlist the game on Steam or follow us on Twitter/X.
X/Twitter: @Silverventu
-Ventu & Toto
❤️
