Developer Interview: Act Normal Games
A while ago I had the pleasure of reviewing a game set in my home country of Finland which was also voiced in the nefariously difficult language. While playing, I happened to notice the game’s developer, Act Normal Games (referred to as ANG), was indeed also based in Finland (which is not always the case) so I reached out to Mr. Pulkkinen to see if he’d like to chat about himself, the studio, or his debut title, Rauniot. Happily, he acquiesced so we got to spend a while with the mind behind Rauniot’s post-apocalyptic mysteries.
Introductions: If you don’t mind, could you please introduce yourself? Feel free to tell us about yourself, Act Normal Games, and anything else that comes to mind
My name is Heikki Pulkkinen. Working as a solo developer, I created a game called Rauniot about my favourite topic: the world in ruins.
An earlier company I worked for developed horror games, after which we decided to focus on our own personal projects. The music for this game and its trailers were done by Paavo Härkönen.
Rauniot is set in Northern Finland and is voice acted in Finnish. Did this cause any surprises or difficulties either during development or the game's release?
Yes, there were quite a few issues, which weren’t helped by the fact that I wanted to use the Peräpohjola dialect [spoken in Finnish Lapland]. Luckily, I was able to eventually find the contact details for Jenni Kovanen who could translate into said dialect – through a friend of a friend.
During the translation process, I worked on finding a studio where we could record the game’s voice lines. Many of the companies replied that they do not do this kind of work, so my search was delayed. At some point, I asked Jane Kääriäinen if she’d be interested in voicing the main character, and thankfully she accepted. I told her about my troubles with finding a place to record, and she pointed out a few places, among which was Studio Outo. I contacted them, and soon Janne Karinniemi replied that it would be no problem. Like Jane, Janne turned out to be a real treasure. He not only found people able to voice the game, but also speak in the correct dialect.
All in all, taking care of all these factors took many, many months. But we got there! I have to admit, it did occur to me multiple times that it would be so much easier to just record in English. However, I felt the game would lack something if I were to go with another solution.
As far as I understand it, this is your debut title. Do you have any prior experience in game development, or was this your first foray?
Rauniot is indeed my first game, and in the future, I hope to continue making games that portray human misery in apocalyptical settings. I’ve been part of game development in Lapland Studio and I am one of the founders of Shiver Games, which created the Lucius series.
What was developing this game like in general? Did you have a clear vision about the mechanics and themes from the beginning, or did the concept change and evolve during development?
In the beginning, the theme was actually leaning more toward sci-fi, and the setting was completely fictional. However, realism, the destruction of humanity, an affection for Finnish nature, and a slight fixation on post-apocalyptic themes all led, on some level, to where Rauniot is now. For my first game, the point-and-click genre was a clear choice.
Were you inspired by other games or media, and if so, in what way?
To mention just a few games, books, and movies that have had the most impact: in terms of games, Fallout and Fallout 2, S.T.A.L.K.E.R, and Full Throttle; in terms of movies, Mad Max, Water World, and The Road; in terms of books, The Road by Cormac McCarty and After the Flood by P. C. Jersild, which I’m in the process of reading.
In the game, the Earth has faced a catastrophe related to rising global sea levels, which spared only a small part of humanity. What led you to choose this particular apocalyptic scenario?
I think the Earth is a very fragile and small piece of the universe. I developed a thought experiment where the Moon might be hit by a large object, resulting in the seas roiling catastrophically in addition to serious global warming, which is already ongoing. Hundreds of millions of refugees everywhere, a disregard for national borders, and armed conflict. This would result in atomic warfare, the life that comes after, and tales of ruins.
Is Act Normal Games planning a continuation to Rauniot, or do you already have a new project in mind?
I’m considering the development of a turn-based game set in the world of Rauniot, which has been in the back of my mind for a while now. I have also had an idea for another Rauniot game, but one thing at a time.
Rauniot has been out for a while now. Has the reception of the game met your expectations?
My goal was to create a solid debut release, which could serve as a good basis for the future. That, and Rauniot being relatively bug-free and well-received by people who like the subject matter. I feel like I have achieved these goals.
Bonus questions:
With the power of hindsight, is there something you’d do differently in developing Rauniot?
: I’d maybe try to make the latter half of the game better and decrease the amount of running back and forth in general.
What is your favourite thing about the game?
The general melancholic feel of the game.
If you found yourself in the world of Rauniot, how well do you think you’d manage?
I think I’d be lunch in a week or two.
And so ends our short interview with Act Normal Games. Thank you very much for reading and an extra special thanks to the studio for their time and patience. Check out Rauniot on Steam and get a taste of Finland!
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