Hey guys, this time we take a closer look at Randy & Manilla, a unique quantum cyber-universe created by solo developer Ofihombre! The game invites players into a mysterious virtual environment inspired by Wreck-It Ralph and Ready Player One, hosted by Net-Cubes spanning multiple game genres.
Below is our exclusive Q&A with Ofihombre, where he discusses his development journey, challenges, and tools used to bring this ambitious project to life.
1: Could you introduce yourself and tell us a little about your background in game development? How did you get started making games?
I started experimenting with game development when I got GameMaker. I've been trying it out since I first learned about it in 2009. I published three small games on the old sandbox yoyogames.com site starting in 2013, and it was also the base for some earlier games that came out up until 2016 (like Cubix, Andrux Adventure, Pixelbit World, etc.).
2: What is Randy & Manilla, and what can players expect when they play it?
Randy & Manilla is an indie game where two siblings embark on a quantum virtual adventure where each Net-Cube (world) represents a specific video game genre (Terra-Qubit is a platformer, Gamezone Cube is arcades, and Rol & Rogue is an RPG and roguelite). That's more or less the basic idea players would expect.
3: What famous game inspired you to create it?
It wasn't actually because of a specific video game, but rather due to the influence of the Disney movie Wreck-It Ralph. I wanted to see games with digital, abstract, and pixelated environments where the characters evoked that movie, especially with a young female character who conveyed the same sense of tenderness as Vanellope Von Schweetz, and that also included references to classic games.
4: How did you approach the development of Randy & Manilla, and what tools or game engine did you use to build it?
The game is mainly developed with Unity 2019. For art and sprite editing, I used GameMaker 8.1 Lite; for modeling, Blender; RPG in a Box for voxelated assets and some Maya; for sound and music editing, Audacity and Cubase; and Wordpad for writing the script and dialogues.
5: What was the biggest challenge you faced while developing Randy & Manilla, and how did you solve it?
The biggest challenge I faced in developing the game was finding funding to invest in people who could help me develop the game I had planned. I had the misfortune of failing in Kickstarter and Indiegogo campaigns, mainly due to my inexperience in campaign marketing and my ego at the time. Luckily, my family has been very generous in making small contributions, but this meant that my game had to adapt to their financial limitations, which is one of the reasons why its development has been so slow.
6: Any info about the full release date?
As of the date of this interview, the game is 90% complete, so in theory, the game should reach version 1.0 in 2027, but I cannot guarantee an exact date until everything is secured.
7: Was there a particular gameplay mechanic, design decision, or feature that you really wanted to get right?
On my own, it was more about a lot of small details that bothered me; everything else was due to feedback, especially the cameras and gameplay.
8: Are you using AI tools to make this game?
The game began development in 2019, so a significant portion of its development predates the advent of generative LLMs. I don't usually use tools created with vibe coding or that generate assets based on a multitude of data mixtures trained using probability, because not only would the game be heavily criticized, but I also prefer to have tools that give me creative freedom (however complex that may be). If there are any elements made by generative AI, it would be due to outsourced parts of the development, and when I detect them, I ask that they be changed to elements made manually. The only use I would give to AI would be to request a chatbot for things that are very difficult to find. I also don't want AI agents doing all the work for me and then making a mess of things without my supervision. If we talk about the game at a conceptual level, the characters are highly advanced NPC AIs with defined personalities and purposes.
9: What was the most difficult part of developing an indie game as a solo developer?
Since it's a game where I do a lot of the work alone, it's impossible to develop so many things at once. There were parts that took years to review, and the weight of their accumulation is noticeable, but the most complex part I remember was creating the cutscenes. It's a very complex process that requires creating scenarios, storyboards, animations, and voice acting, even including lip-syncing. Talking about voice acting, the hardest voices to find were for Randy and Manilla, especially Randy. People who can accurately imitate pre-teen voices like Ash Ketchum (Pokémon) or Sora (from the first Kingdom Hearts) are unreliable and require younger actors. The actor I found for Randy wasn't particularly active, and finding a replacement will be just as difficult.
10: Looking back at the development of Randy & Manilla, what is one thing you would do differently if you started the project again?
What I would do is revamp the art style and character designs, but since it's a game based on something abstract, the artistic consistency sometimes becomes nonexistent. I would also change the mechanical aspects that I couldn't polish and address any plot holes.
11: What advice would you give to someone who is currently working on their first indie game?
If you're someone who doesn't have the experience of having created several previous projects, the resources of Team Cherry, a very large financial cushion to withstand the first failure, or even being willing to mortgage your house like the people behind Cuphead, I wouldn't recommend that you develop a game of Randy & Manilla
12: What would you say to someone who has never played Randy & Manilla before? Why should they give it a try, and where can they play it?
I would summarize what the game is about, ask if they would be interested in trying it in a very simple way, and mention that it is available on both Steam and indiexpo.
You can discover and download Randy & Manilla on indiexpo here:
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