Interview with Shrikkanth from Astronaut Diaries ahead of PAX Aus

BY DRAWZA

Drawza: Firstly, please introduce yourself and your game?

Shrikkanth: I'm Shrikkanth from NZ based indie game studio Astronaut Diaries. We're working on our first title, Denari. Denari is a narrative action game about a boy with telekinetic powers who must fight to save his people from the invasion of an empire.

What is your background?

My career background is as a software engineer. In my spare time I'd play and write heavy metal music and eventually wrote music for a friend's indie game.

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

I loved my day job as an engineer, I loved my hobby as a musician. I didn't want to quit either the engineering or creative pursuit, so I realised the solution was a career that combined the two: video game development!

What previous games have you created/worked on?

Me: Nothing that made it past prototype stage. The artists of Denari: Tamihana Greaves and Isabelle Dela Torre shipped Bloons TD 6. Our musician/sound designer David Mason worked on Dredge and I am Your Beast. Our narrative design consultant Cam Rogers worked on Quantum Break and currently works on Warframe.

What are the core concepts?

Gameplay - an isometric hack and slasher with a telekinetic twist. You are able to redirect projectiles such as grenades and arrows, as well as blast enemies into one another and objects in the environment. The core idea is that enemies are now resources that you can use on the battlefield, which adds a layer of strategy to the gameplay.

Story/world building - the story is about a young warrior who's village is attacked by the magitek powered Denari empire. During the invasion, he is granted powers by the goddess of his people, in order to fight back and save his people.

What were your inspirations?

Gameplay - fast paced hack and slashers like Kingdom Hearts, Nier Automata and Hyper Light Drifter. These games give you the adrenaline rush of fast paced combat but also require the player to think on their feet. This is something we'd like to achieve with the combat of Denari.

Story - The conflict with the Denari empire relates to the conflict between technology and spirituality, which is an internal conflict each of us have experienced. The delivery of the story is inspired by games like Final Fantasy 9 and Katana Zero. Each of these games deliver their gameplay mechanics in the context of a high stakes storyline, which is why we think they resonate so deeply with players.

How long have you been working on this game?

We worked on it part time for almost 6 years before landing some funding from NZ CODE. We've been working 6 months as a full time team.

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

Fantastic. As a game designer, there's no better way to get feedback than by watching players get through the game and speaking to them directly. We exhibited at PAX last year and took a tonne of notes, and the game is far better now as a result.

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

Honestly I didn't get to know many of the NZ teams very well until we all exhibited beside each other at PAX last year. There was a lasting comradery we all felt by exhibiting together.

What advice have you got for upcoming game developers?

Focus on players! Showcase your game and collect honest feedback. It might take some time for the industry to trust you with big opportunities, but earning players' trust is the first step of that, and it's the one that's most in your control!

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

"Game feel" matters. How each button press feels matters. How it feels to move around in the game matters. A lack of responsiveness in a game can put off anyone from appreciating a great design.

Have you had any mentors in the gaming industry?

For sure! There are many veterans in the NZ scene who I go to for advice.

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

2 in the past: I attended PAX Rising in 2018 with another team to exhibit a couch brawler called Tinker League. In 2023, we exhibited Denari at the NZ booth, and we're coming back in a few weeks!