Strategy games are not typically the niche I’ve gravitated towards in my gaming history, and it’s only recently that I’ve started to appreciate the finely tuned plan that leads to my opponent’s death (or my profit).
Even still, I frequently find myself more skeptical than optimistic when it comes to new strategy games I come across. There’s a new “simultaneous turn-based” strategy game from Mode 7 Games called Frozen Synapse, however, that may just be able to creep into my lineup.
If you watch the trailer for the game (found on the developer’s website) you’ll likely be immediately be intrigued by the Tron-looking visuals that are amazingly slick for how simple they are. The gameplay has a similar affect, succinctly providing room for a range of options and outcomes that are birthed from a small outset of moves and pieces.
Essentially, the player is tasked with planning the next five seconds of real-time gameplay each turn. You and your opponent take as long as you like to plan your moves, and then the outcomes plays in real time before the next turn starts with another planning stage. It’s a simple formula that yields interesting results.
The game is harsh, the AI unforgiving, and in general the mechanics severely unkind to the slightest miscalculation, or worse, lazy planning. I attacked my bedroom wall with my forehead in frustration more than once, but also found myself highly content when planning a successful flank or maneuver.
The game is currently in beta (an invite is available to anyone who pre-orders the game) and I recently got a chance sit down and talk with Paul Taylor, one of the developers on the game and one of the founders of Mode 7.
GDN: I always like to start with breaking in stories and, as far as I know, you guys founded Mode7 in 2005... before we even get into the actual start of the company, what kind of stuff were you guys doing before you started Mode7, and what exactly led you to up and start a game company?
Ian, who is our Lead Designer and Programmer, started off by doing a Computer Science degree. His final year project was a "sports camera" for Tribes 2, and this introduced him to the Torque engine. After he left, he realised he didn’t want to work in the mainstream industry, but still loved games, so he started working on an indie sword-fighting title.
I’d known Ian since school, and I’d gone to Uni to do an English degree. I’ve done music and sound design for as long as I can remember, so Ian asked me to help out with his indie game. I loved it, and when I left I joined up with him full-time to help build up the company.
We’re really unusual these days, as we’ve both been around for a while AND never really worked in the mainstream industry. Ian has a bit of experience, but I’ve not done a single day’s work at another developer!
You guys also have one of the greatest names for a gaming company I’ve ever seen, Mode 7, it’s super geeky in the best way possible... for people who don’t understand that reference, and what it means, can you explain to people what Mode 7 is exactly?
Ha, thank you! Mode 7 is a graphics mode on the SNES. It allowed a background image to be rotated and scaled, giving the illusion of depth. We just liked the phrase, and also it sums up our desire to make deeper games using limited resources.
I promise we’ll get to Frozen Synapse, but just to give people some background your first game was a sword fighting game called Determinance, which was very well received, how long after Determinance did you guys start work on Frozen Synapse?
We released Determinance in 2007 and started on Frozen Synapse pretty much immediately, as well as doing a load of contract work.
I’d say Determinance was one of those games that critics felt had a certain amount of promise, but it never really caught on or even slightly reached its audience. It’s a weird thing and it makes it laugh to look at it now! I had a go on it a few months back and really loved it, but then I’m strange.
