Ever felt like you’re at a point in your life where you’re just ‘stuck’? If so, you may relate to Dusk Wave Arts‘ Stuck in the Present, a 3D side-scrolling psychological horror game where two friends relive painful memories within the uncanny depths of twisting subway stations in a large, unfamiliar city.
The demo’s currently out on Steam, with the full release coming in August. Our very own Bronwen Winter Phoenix took some time out to interview Stuck in the Present‘s game developer, Javier “Monkey” Fernandez, to find out more about the game, and its intriguing concept.
But first, let’s check out the teaser trailer!
Hi Monkey! So, firstly, what can you tell us about 3D side-scrolling psychological horror game Stuck in the Present?
This is a game for anyone who has felt stuck in life. Everyone in the team has left a little piece of them. It talks about trauma, religion, immigration, and most importantly your relationships. It’s about facing your past in order to move forward.
We love that Stuck in the Present is a side scrolling game. What was it that made Team DWA choose this particular format?
We loved the cinematic possibilities of side scroller. We are big fans of Oxenfree and the work of the folks at Night school. We wanted to create a visual experience and a kind of almost voyeuristic vibe of seeing our characters from the side. There’s also a play on this side scroller idea that moving right is always forward. We wanted to use it as a symbol of time passing. Sometimes you keep moving forward not realizing you are going in circles.
There’s something about subways that can feel a bit ominous, isn’t there? I feel like Stuck in the Present has tapped into that pretty well from what I can see. It also looks visually captivating – what technology did you use to develop it?
Its a mixture of 3D and 2D. The art direction was done by Rija Kamran, an amazing artist. The 3D work has been a collaboration between teams in North America and in the Philippines. It’s been a great opportunity to learn though. At first Armin Tajik, the Lead Developer and I were also doubling as the 3D artists, but when we joined forces with the PH team the really came to improve the quality and optimize the assets. Specially Karla Deles, our 3D art Lead created great guidelines to improve the assets.
Beyond a literal interpretation, do you see migration as a metaphor within the game – perhaps for transitioning between states of mind, confronting past selves, or the journey of healing from trauma?
The whole game is about feeling stuck in life. In the case of migration sometimes you get pulled in so many different directions that you forget about your own motivations and values and can suddenly find yourself stuck in situations or jobs or places that you didn’t necessarily choose. But any kind of traumatic change can bring you to a state of arrested development. And we all believe that it is through understanding oneselve’s psyche and history that a path forward can start to reveal.
How have the diverse backgrounds and potential personal experiences with migration within your multinational team shaped the narrative, atmosphere, or specific scenarios in “Stuck in the Present”?
Well, Stuck in the Present has two dimensions to it. The present and the past. The present of the characters is Toronto, for this we have poured in our experiences with getting a work permit and taking the subway for the first time. The past of our characters is the Philippines, and the Filipino members of our team have added elements of their history to the narrative and setting: the scars of colonization, local games like sungka, the Japanese tunnels. It’s really been fascinating to learn more about The Philippines and their history.
Did the different cultural perspectives within your team lead to unique approaches or interpretations when portraying themes like painful memories, psychological horror, and the process of confronting the past?
Ironically the process of confronting the past is pretty universal. We all have different backgrounds, but my experience has been that when we have open vulnerable conversations about our past we can all relate to each other.
What were some of the unique challenges and advantages of developing a game with such sensitive psychological themes with a multinational team, particularly in terms of communication and shared understanding of these complex emotions?
Honestly it was pretty tough. In hindsight I think we underestimated the emotional and psychological labor that working on such a game can have over a long period of time. But we have a very open and thoughtful team and there have been multiple instances where we’ve given support to each other. I think the leadership of the studio has been very gentle leaders in that regard, always caring for the team first.
Does the game explore any specific anxieties or fears that might be more pronounced for someone in a new and unfamiliar environment, adding a unique layer to the psychological horror?
The main one is claustrophobia and over stimulation. Sometimes new environments can trigger your anxiety and that is something we wanted to talk about as it relates to your ability to take control of your life.
Q. Geek Native is Scottish and here the fae are capricious strangers from another realm. In Scottish folklore the fae are the ultimate foreigners. Is there any meaning in the names Rich and Faye in Stuck in the Present?
That’s a pretty cool coincidence. This project has had multiple different shapes and gone through changes but the one thing that hasn’t changed is the names. Our CEO Paul Graham was the original creator of SITP and the names always carried special meaning to him. Paul and the narrative team have more details but I think Rich’s name is meant to show that he is part caucasian and Faye’s name is meant to show she is connected with the supernatural.
Q. Finally, what’s next for Team DWA?
Well we are still tweaking the final details of SITP. But we have the next project already in the works and seeing the initial reaction has really shown that people appreciate this kinds of heartfelt specific stories.It’s still too early to announce but storytelling is in our DNA so well continue to make narrative-driven games about complex human emotions.
Thanks so much for taking the time to chat with us, Monkey!
And, if you fancy checking out Stuck in the Present, the demo is currently available on Steam right now. Don’t forget to check there for updates!
What do you think of Stuck in the Present so far – have you tried the demo yet? Comment below and let us know how you’re enjoying it!
