Rose: For someone who has never heard of your game, how would you describe it without using the usual genre labels?
Dev: It's a step back from the busyness of life, and an opportunity to enjoy a bit of the simple wonders of the world.
Rose: Where did the idea for this game come from?
Dev: TBH, I know this sounds strange, but I was in a creative rut, and figured I'd pray and ask God for a game idea, and this popped into my head... so... can I take credit for it?
Rose: What makes your game different from other games in the same space?
Dev: There is a narrative, but it's in the background. There's "achievements", but they're optional. There's beauty, nature, and birds, and that's what it's all about. It's meant to be enjoyed at your own pace.
Rose: Was there anything you had to cut that you still secretly wish you could put back?
Dev: Oof, I originally was planning on having the journal be much more personalized. You could sketch your own drawing of the bird, apply stickers to decorate the page, etc. That sort of thing doesn't work well for controllers though.
Rose: What is something players probably won't realize took an absurd amount of work?
Dev: The water in the coastal level. Getting the waves to be bigger farther out, and smaller closer to shore, and have birds match and bob up/down on the waves took a few weeks.
Rose: What is the weirdest bug you've encountered that you almost wanted to keep?
Dev: When the birds would hop, they wouldn't come back down, so they'd slowly be getting higher and higher until they were up in the trees!
Rose: Is there a particular emotion you wanted players to walk away with from your game?
Dev: Peace? More than that though, a sense of security, and resting in the moment.
Rose: What's one piece of advice you wish you'd had before starting?
Dev: A lot can happen in a year. Don't sweat it. Just keep doing what you're doing.
Rose: Five years from now, what do you hope people remember about this game?
Dev: I hope people remember the feelings it left them with. I'd love for those to stick with them, as well as a desire to go outside and watch some birds :)
Rose: Why should someone reading/watching this go play your game today?
Dev: Because birds are amazing! If you're feeling stressed, rushed or overworked, this is a game to relax to.
Rose: Finally, the question we ask every developer: After everything you’ve told us, can you officially confirm that your game is, in fact, probably a game? Why should we believe you?
Dev: If a game is a “voluntary effort to overcome unnecessary obstacles” then... well there's not that many obstacles in my game. If we define it as an activity involving player decisions, seeking objectives within a “limiting context” then I'm sure some players will complain about not being able to move around freely, so yes! It's a game!