Interview with PAX RISING Artificial Nexus’ Developer - Harry Sewalski

By Drawza

Drawza: Firstly, please introduce yourself and your game?

Harry: Hi, my name's Harry Sewalski! I'm a (mostly) solo developer with a keen interest in games that tell engaging stories or have innovative concepts. My game is called Artificial Nexus, a visual novel/point-and-click hybrid, in which you need to both escape a building and discover who the amnesiac protagonist, Susan, is.

What is your background?

Long story short, after tinkering around with Game Maker in high school and making some games that will never see the light of day, I went to university to learn how to develop games. The course was unfortunately lacking in a few areas, so I didn't jump into the industry immediately afterwards, but making games was something that I always had in the back of my mind. A few years ago I decided to nurture those thoughts, starting off by making some visual novels, since I enjoy playing them and they seemed manageable to develop on my own.

What made you decide to journey down the path of game development?

I've always loved playing games and telling stories, so making my own games to flesh out some concepts and try out some different gameplay ideas felt like a very natural step to get those out into the world. Plus, it's fun!

What previous games have you created/worked on?

Aside from some tinkering as mentioned above, I've only created one game so far - The Many Deaths of Lily Kosen, a horror visual novel I released last year in which you need to try and make it through the entirety of the story without losing your life, or that of your companions.

What are the core concepts?

Without giving away too much of the story, the core theme of Artificial Nexus is asking the question: what do you do when your life isn't what you want it to be? When you fail, how do you pick yourself up and keep going on? What are you willing to do to get past the obstacles in your path?

What were your inspirations?

I'm not too sure whether it would be obvious to people who have played it, but last year I got around to checking out an old Hideo Kojima game called Snatcher that's mostly forgotten these days, but was an absolute blast to play. Experiencing that got me thinking about a few different possibilities for what visual novel gameplay could look like if you want more than just reading. I also found a video on an obscure PS2 game called Lifeline where you play as some schmuck in a control room, giving commands and advice over the radio to the actual protagonist of the story, which triggered a few of the initial seeds of the story. Beyond those two, you can also probably see a little bit of Virtue's Last Reward in there if you squint - it's an absolutely fantastic game and so it's one that I'm always thinking about when it comes to visual novels.

How long have you been working on this game?

I could probably bring an actual date up if I searched through a few folders, but off the top of my head I think that it's a little under a year.

What is it like to have the game showcased at events such as PAX Aus?

A mixture of terrifying and exhilarating. There are always so many fantastic games showcased there that it's a little scary to be mixing my project in with them, but it's also exciting to share something that I've created!

What advice have you got for upcoming game developers?

Game development is time-consuming, and it's more competitive than it's ever been. You can't let yourself be scared, though - all of the people you look up to had to put in just as much work as you; you just can't always see it. Make something that you truly believe in and make sure that you're happy with it, because you need that passion and it's important to be proud of your own work. Finally, make sure that you complete your projects - if you get bored of something and jump to the next project at the drop of a hat, you won't learn nearly as much.

What advice have you received that you have held on to throughout your journey?

Listen to the feedback you get - if someone "doesn't get it", there's a good chance that it's a failing on your part, not theirs. Also, be nice, yeah?

Have you had any mentors in the gaming industry?

Not really! But broadly speaking, I think that it's important to play a large variety of games and read about the histories of developers - you can learn from their mistakes, and be inspired by their successes.

How many PAX Aus events have you attended (as both a developer and as a regular attendee)?

One as each, and both were absolutely amazing! I can't wait for this year's to arrive!

Check Out the website for Artificial Nexus

Be sure to check out Artificial Nexus and other PAX RISING games

And make sure you check out PAX Aus 2024 in October.