Full Void: The OutofTheBit developer interview

You may have noticed that I'm rather in love with Full Void (review) and the Evercade physical limited edition. The exciting cinematic adventure from OutofTheBit in the style of Another World and other 16-bit classics is a lovingly-crafted slice of gaming. 

So much so, I thought it would be good to talk to the developers (as with Decemberborn and Cathedral) to find out more about them and Full Void's born-during-COVID tone.

Note, if Espanol is your first language, HABLAMOS DE EVERCADE has a video translation of the below interview up (Gracias, Miguel)!  

First, let's get your name and role? The team size for OutoftheBit and honorable mentions? 

Hi, my name is Ali Motisi and I am founder and Director of OutOfTheBit. For Full Void I was the programmer and game designer, in charge of the artistic direction for the game. We are currently a studio of 6, with pixel artists Leonardo Halwart and Miles Atkinson, pixel artist and animator Tom Cullen (he joined during the last two months of the development of Full Void), Rosalia Trupiano for marketing, social media and public relations, and developer Raphael Barber in charge of porting and was involved first-hand in the Evercade release. We have two other very important freelance members of our team, Robyn Powell, composer of the amazing soundtrack and sound designer Jack Addison who infused Full Void's dystopian world with its unique and immersive soundscape.

As a developer/creator, how does it feel to have a physical copy of Full Void in your hands?

There's something undeniably magical about holding a physical copy of your own game, particularly for someone who grew up in the cartridge and CD era like myself. The tactile experience of flipping through a printed manual, the smell of fresh ink and paper, and exploring the art that extends the story of the game—it's all quite nostalgic. 

When we began working on the Evercade edition of "Full Void," the entire team was buzzing with excitement. Miles devoted a significant amount of time and meticulous attention to the artbook, ensuring it captured the essence of our development journey, even including early-stage artwork. His commitment to getting every detail just right was remarkable. 

As for Leo, his enthusiasm for the special edition's comic was infectious; he crafted it with an artist's eye for storytelling, ensuring it complemented the game's narrative beautifully

How long did it take to create the Evercade version? What tweaks, sacrifices or limitations did you come across when porting Full Void to Evercade (or is it an emulated version?)

Porting "Full Void" to Evercade (natively!) turned out to be quite a streamlined process. Leveraging our own game engine, which we developed in-house, really paid off in terms of efficiency – the bulk of the porting was done in just a few days.

The Evercade's retro hardware was a perfect match for our game. We didn't face any significant challenges, though we were meticulous about ensuring a steady frame rate to guarantee a fluid gameplay experience. The game's resolution is a perfect fit for the Evercade handheld screens, ensuring that the graphics look as sharp and engaging as on any other platform.

As for the game's size, it's a compact 48MB, with audio making up the bulk of it, so there were no concerns regarding memory constraints.

Overall, it was a rewarding experience, and working with the folks at Blaze was a highlight. Their enthusiasm and support made the whole process even more enjoyable.

What specific feelings/moods from your COVID lockdown experience drove the development of the game?

Our company faced some of its most challenging times during the pandemic, undergoing a near-total reconstruction. This journey deeply influenced the themes and emotions we wanted to portray in Full Void.

We wanted to be reflective of our own experiences and the world around us during the game's creation. Full Void narrates the tale of a child in an isolated, desolate world. We drew heavily from our own experiences of lockdown—a period that was difficult and unsettling for us, just like for so many others worldwide. 

We've especially witnessed the emotional toll the pandemic took on children—experiencing isolation from their friends, the discontinuation of regular school activities, and the lack of human contact. It was disheartening, to say the least.

We believe games can be a medium to tell compelling stories and convey deep emotions, and that's what we aimed for with Full Void. 

Why the decision for an anonymous hero/heroine? Are you worried about the lack of buy-in some players might feel for the character?

Our choice to keep the hero's identity unknown is a choice that allows the player to project their own identity onto the character, making the journey more personal and immersive. The essence of "Full Void" lies in the protagonist's journey and the universal struggles they encounter, which anyone could face, regardless of gender. 

Our hero is a child in a world that's both dark and challenging, a narrative that resonates with players from all walks of life, inviting them to engage deeply with their own interpretations and experiences.

Is there anything a player of the Switch/PlayStation versions would notice as different on the Evercade (functionally or visually)?

So, the game is exactly the same in terms of storyline, puzzles and controls. Although…. We couldn’t not include some extra Easter eggs. We hint at them in the game manual!

Do you prefer playing Full Void on the small or large screen?

Given the resolution we’ve chosen for Full Void, a smaller screen might feel like a great fit, although to make sure console players could enjoy the game fully on a big screen, we added a CRT filter that gives the game a neater and even more retro look.

There aren’t that many enemies I’ve come across, are there some creations you didn’t use or scrapped for design reasons?

Oh, the enemies in "Full Void" definitely had their own little journey. We started off with enemies that were a bit too... let's say, 'human'. At some point we had you chased by an old lady with a stick… Turns out, Our first play testers tried to fight the AI-controlled grandma… So it was clear that we needed something way scarier and definitely non-human, to pair with the lore of the game. And here comes Full Void's primary enemy: relentless, instilling an immediate sense of urgency and danger, compelling players to flee rather than confront.

The enemies evolve with the game's settings - in the city, a seemingly ordinary dog poses a threat, but as you delve deeper into eerie environments like labs, the foes become increasingly otherworldly. You encounter grotesque creatures and creepy entities that seem to have leaped from a nightmare, emphasising the game's surreal and unsettling tone.

We intentionally kept the number of enemies limited. This decision was about focusing on the protagonist's interaction with the environment and the puzzles. The world itself poses numerous threats - from drowning to electrocution - complementing our puzzle-solving mechanics and hacking skills gameplay. This approach allows players to immerse themselves in the game's atmosphere, where the challenge is as much about survival and exploration as it is about facing adversaries.

The Robyn Powell soundtrack is phenomenal, did she build it around the game in development, or provide tunes that “fitted” with your ideas?

Thank you for your kind words, which we totally agree with! Robyn was amazing and you can feel her talent through the tunes. We provided her with development builds so that she could play the game, a brief on the lore and a few references to draw inspirations from in terms of films and soundtracks. 

One of the major influences was the film Terminator but we also wanted the horror vibes of Stranger Things and the sonority of classic chiptunes. And then Robyn came up with a soundtrack for the first teaser trailer which was absolutely spot on. From there, we kept refining the soundtrack, tailoring it closely to the game's evolving gameplay. 

Each track she created was not just fitting, but it also elevated the game's mood and narrative, marrying her artistic vision with our game's soul. The soundtrack is now available on our website, for everyone to listen to or download for free, in both mp3 or Amiga mod format.

Without giving anything away, are there any hidden areas or secrets for us to find?

Yes. Oops, too direct? 🙂

The game doesn’t have many areas where the player is encouraged to explore (better run, as we said…) but as we were putting the final polish on the game, we couldn't not add a few Easter eggs - little nods and winks that give an extra layer of charm to the world we've crafted.

These hidden touches are our way of adding an extra smile, a moment of 'aha!' for the keen-eyed players. So, keep your eyes peeled as you journey through the game – you never know what small surprise might be waiting around the corner.

What’s next for OutOfTheBit? Do you want to stick with retro-modern games or stretch your development skills further? Related, is there room for more tales from the Full Void universe? 

In truth, we’d love to go back to Full Void at some point. The idea of expanding its story, perhaps through DLCs or by exploring it from the perspectives of other characters you've met along the way, is something we're excited to consider for the future. 

But for now, our sights are set on new horizons. We have now built a team boasting three incredibly talented pixel artists, and we’re already having great fun working on our next project. It's going to be a fresh take – different from "Full Void" in atmosphere and narrative, but still a 2D puzzle platformer at its core. We're particularly excited about bringing more hand-drawn animations into the mix and taking interactive cutscenes to the next level, further enhancing the player's experience.

We love retro-games and we strongly believe there’s unexplored potential in 2D games. Our aim is to be a hub where artistic and creative excellence in video games can flourish. By weaving together unique art, captivating music, engaging storytelling, and innovative gameplay, we're hoping to make a mark in the gaming world. It's about creating games that aren't just played but experienced and remembered.

Thanks to the OutofTheBit team for their time and amazing development efforts!