Interview with Max, Dev from Cold Out Interactive ahead of PAX Aus

BY DRAWZA

Drawza: Firstly, please introduce yourself and your game?

Max: I’m Max and my studio is Cold Out Interactive. We’re based in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland, NZ and we’re making CORPOREAL, a paranormal-mystery narrative puzzle game where you piece together a haunted family photo album. 

What is your background?

I’ve only been making games for about four years now, and prior to that I studied design, illustration & creative writing at university,  then drifted between various creative disciplines including illustration, comics, teaching and design work for film. Despite shifting between mediums, I’ve always had a throughline of narrative, a focus on semi-supernatural / mystery stories and an art style that some would say is quite somber & bleak.

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

I’m most interested in games as an experimental narrative medium, and I’ve always enjoyed games as a player, but I only started to think about it seriously when I found the right tools to start making prototypes with some confidence. Like many during the COVID outbreak, I had some spare time on my hands, so I took the opportunity to learn some rudimentary game development skills over the series of lock-downs we had here. 

What previous games have you created/worked on?

CORPOREAL is my first serious game project, and prior to this I made a series of short micro-games and prototypes. A few were actually much more ambitious, exploratory 3D games, but as a semi-solo-developer I've narrowed my design scope to get a project done.

What are the core concepts?

CORPOREAL involves investigating and piecing together a haunted family photo album and takes place in the mid-90s. You solve puzzles using narrative-deduction and visual puzzle solving over a series of retro analog interfaces, where you combine live-action photographs to create new images. There are supernatural elements (ghosts, time-travel - where events haunt each other across time) and hidden secrets you need to find to solve the mystery at the center of the story. It’s a mix of traditional adventure game mechanics and more experimental contemporary mystery games.

What were your inspirations?

The initial inspiration came from being gifted a photo album by grandmother for my 30th birthday. There was such a potent mixture of nostalgia and dissonance going through these images of spaces and people in the 90s I'd forgotten, and seeing these faces change over the decades, that some early ideas began to form. In terms of the gameplay presentation & genre, interface-based mystery games like Her Story, Hypnospace Outlaw, A Hand With Many Fingers are inspirations. There’s also classic ghost stories, 1800s spirit photography and analog horror media as other points of reference - especially the Australian film Lake Mungo, a really sad, eerie film that greatly affected me when I first saw it as a teenager.

How long have you been working on this game?

I have been working on CORPOREAL for roughly a year and a half now, since early 2023, but the last six months have been more serious development. Government funding (from NZ CODE & the NZ Film Commission) has allowed me to bring onboard a few collaborators, including a composer and an art director who is responsible for the production design of the photographic scenes. I’m looking to expand the team further depending on how the project progresses.

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

It is terrifying to be perceived, but I look forward to seeing what elements of the game resonate with people, despite it being a slightly unusual fit for a bright convention setting (dark/slow/cryptic). It really makes the project feel ‘real’ for a first-time developer like me.

What is it like being part of the New Zealand contingent of indie games showcased at PAX Aus?

It is an honour to be a part of the NZ CODE showcase and quite surreal. Some of the other teams have dedicated many years to their projects and I look forward to playing their latest demos and to just personally be involved with the NZ games community.

What advice have you got for upcoming game developers?

I don’t have too much experience in games specifically, but for making art in general, consistency and persistence is more important than talent. It is really hard to keep making art when you’re weighed down by work or self-doubt, so make something small (even in your spare time) and show it to people - anyone. Keep building up and you'll eventually have a strong series of projects (or concepts). And try to collaborate with those who complement your skills.

What advice have you received that you have held onto throughout your journey?

Try to get inspiration from everywhere: personal experience, books, film, art, games, overheard conversations, landscapes, everywhere. Games are a very iterative artform but it is easy to get trapped feeling derivative, especially when you’re drawing from popular genres. As much as possible, look around if you want to make interesting work.

Have you had any mentors in the gaming industry?

Aside from the many NZ developer peers I’ve met recently and various international devs online who have kept me going, I’ve had support and mentorship from many people including Antony Maday (my NZ CODE handler) who has helped keep me focused and Jean Leggett (biz-dev mentor) who has helped steer my studio in the right direction.

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

This is my first time attending PAX Aus!!