Aussie Indie Insights: Square Egg Games

Studios focused on traditional console development in Australia have taken a battering over the past few years. In their wake, smaller companies focusing on mobile and digital platforms have risen up from the ashes. Even in the past few days, two new Aussie mobile developers have popped up: PlaySide and Square Egg Games. While both startups are busy working on their inaugural releases, GameSpot AU was fortunate enough to catch up with Square Egg Games chief marketing officer Rene LeMerle to get a bit of info on the studio and to find out about its first game, Finger Puppet Frenzy for the iOS.

Founded: 2011
Location: Perth, Western Australia.
Team members: Four part-time members, plus a bunch of contractors.
Current projects: Finger Puppet Frenzy.

GameSpot AU: If you had to talk to someone about your game who has never heard of it before, how would you describe it in one paragraph?

Rene LeMerle: Finger Puppet Frenzy centers around a range of colorful characters that pop in and out of the screen, the challenge being to tap the good characters while avoiding the bad ones. While the premise of the game sounds simple (and is aimed at kids), the game progresses rapidly, posing a real challenge to even the most experienced adult gamers. Players will be drawn back to achieve higher scores and [to] gather all the special and rare puppets that are hidden throughout the game. It also has cross-platform leaderboards and achievements to encourage players to compete with their friends.

GS AU: What challenges did you face while developing the game?

RM: There has been a steep learning curve in the development of the game. Although the team members are all experienced programmers, this is our first complete game. We have had to address challenges with performance, graphics, animation, models, and music. There were many items that we failed to anticipate in the planning of the game; things that as a gamer, you might take for granted, but are crucial issues to address as developers.

GS AU: Bite-sized games are a great way for developers to experiment and try something new. Describe to us something that's unique to your game?

RM: We felt that a game that appealed to kids should, by default, appeal to adults if designed correctly. After all, when playing games, we're entertaining that "little kid" in all of us. This game is simple enough to play and instinctive to understand, but what we've realized from testing is that it's achieved its goal of being engaging and entertaining for children and adults alike.