Illustration by Michael DeForge
Song of MakaAlex Liu, Alex Xiong, Lucy Zhai, Youyang Xu, Keyi Li, Fletcher Gong
Song of Maka - Trailer
+In one or two sentences, describe the main themes present in your game.
Our game revolves around the themes of harmony and resilience. We wanted to create a game where the player progresses through knowledge acquisition rather than a traditional negative feedback loop.
+What was the inspiration of the game?
What made your team decide to make this game specifically?
Since the start of freshman year, we bonded over our shared passion in games like Hollow Knight and Ori and the Blind Forest. However, we wanted to create something unique that truly stands out in the oversaturated market of 2D adventure games; since our team members all loved birds, that was the start of our catalyst in producing Song of Maka.
+Were there difficult moments when developing the game? What led to those difficult moments? What did you learn from it?
There definitely were. We had an incredibly different creative vision at the start of our production phase - the team didn't have a strong grasp on each other's strengths and work styles, so we created a prototype with really lackluster combat systems and a linear narrative. After getting rejected at award shows and one of our team members departing due to style conflict, we led an internal discussion which helped us realize what we excel in - narrative, puzzle design, and our art. Our team then pivoted from a Metroidvania-inspired game to a completely puzzle-based, non-combat adventure game that truly allows us to express our passion for this project.
+Talk about your teammates! What was everyone's role?
Alex Liu: Lead Developer, Game Director
Alex Xiong: Producer, Project Manager
Keyi Li: Art Lead, UI/UX
Youyang: Scene Artist
Fletcher: Game Designer
Lucy Zhai: Marketing & QA Lead
play this game on itch.io
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