Surmount inspirations and small status update
Hallå pals!
Jonas here with another issue of Indie Notebook to get some ideas out of my noggin, and to inspire you to do the same.
I’m gonna talk a lot about Surmount today! We released the demo on Switch! So if you’re on the fence about getting it, give it a swing!
On launch day my friend Anton shared this 3D model of Mount Om. He spent months, on and off working on this to surprise us! He’s been such a good support through this project, I don’t think anyone has tested the game as much as he has and on top of that he does stuff like this (seriously thanks buddy).
It’s almost been a week yet since we released the game. The reception has been quite positive. We’re not doing crazy numbers or anything, but it feels like a lot of people are playing far into the game and getting into it. Cause we’re getting lots of feedback and bug reports. I take that as a sign that people do care. And mostly everyone has been extremely patient and understanding about everything.
It’s still a little stressful and hard to prioritize what to do when there’s so much “noise” everywhere, but I guess that’s just part of it. And honestly if you played the game and haven’t shared any feedback yet, don’t hesitate to share it!
Our first Switch patch just got approved today (just saying cause I know some of you readers are playing on Switch). There are still some bugs on Switch that we have fixed but are not in this patch, because we need to prepare and get the next patch approved by Nintendo too. Which might take a couple of weeks.
I didn’t realize releasing a game would feel so much like working in technical support. Even writing this email feels like it. Could this be the most boring issue of Indie Notebook yet? (lmk if you can think of one that was more boring lol)
I jumped on a twitter trend today, where you share the game you’re making and three of its inspirations. Love to see what other people are inspired by.
Honestly I hadn’t even played DK King of Swing until a year or so into making Surmount, I just knew about the game and the mechanic.
Some other inspirations for me include
Animal Crossing - in general
One Piece - the sense of adventure
Calvin & Hobbes - the writing and dialogue
Free Solo - a very good climbing documentary that you gotta watch
Californian mountains - I just found some really nice looking mountains on Pinterest early on that just seeped right into the game. Not 100% sure they are in California though.
There’s also some influence that Jasper, our composer Ryan and our sound designers Rumsklang brought to the table that I’m not conscious of.
Gonna continue stomping those bugs with Jasper. But I also wanna end this issue by saying; thank you all so much for playing and leaving reviews already! It’s been so nice to hear that you are enjoying it!
Panel of the week
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Thank you for reading Indie Notebook! The best way to support me right now is by getting Surmount and by leaving a review on Steam!
Take care and have a creative week!
Wow! 💚
Let's go Surmount!
That's a beautiful 3D model. Mount Om has such a distinct look.
Besides the inspirations you mentioned, I've also wondered if there is perhaps a bit of Sludge Life in there. From the phone games, to the graffiti and breaking into the room atop of New Tully. Then again, maybe it's just because I know you like that game. hehe