An Interview with Littlewood’s Sean Young

Tell me a little about yourself? How did you get interested in developing games and how did you train to become a strong game developer (technically and artistically)?

I started getting into game development in my freshman year of college. I was majoring in Computer Science. After my first 3 months of being in college I launched my very first game on android, called Backyard Zombies. It made barely anything on Google Play, but ended up pulling in over $100 a day on the Barnes & Noble Nook app store. After that, I was able to quit my job as a server at Steak N’ Shake and I began making games full time. What helped me become a strong game developer was watching countless coding and photoshop tutorials on Youtube. All of the necessary information is there, so all it takes is the drive and the time.

What’s your favorite console? Favorite game? What do you do in your free time?

I mostly play PS4, and my favorite game has to be Monster Hunter World. In my free time I often play Super Smash Bros, Ping Pong, and try to stay fit by working out. I also love big board games like Twilight Imperium and Kingdom Death.

Working solo or on a team? Do you plan to work for a bigger studio at some point?

For the past six years I have always worked on a solo project, and it wasn’t until a couple of years ago I started working simultaneously with programmers to make even more projects. I think I will always have a solo project going on. Right now, I have three other projects, all of which are comprised of myself and one programmer. I am the artist and part designer for these projects. I do not plan to ever work for a bigger studio because being an indie is way too fun! There aren’t many things in life that are as satisfying as having all of the creative freedom and being my own boss.

What does a typical day look like for you?

I wake up with my wife around 8am, feed the dogs and cat, and after she leaves for her work I hop onto my computer in my loft. I transformed that room to be an office! I work solo until about 1pm, then my coworkers arrive and they also work in the loft with me. I alternate working on those other projects each day, and since I can pump out pixel art pretty quickly, the programmers usually can go a few days of developing without needing my assistance. Everybody leaves around 5–6pm and then I eat dinner with my wife before either watching Netflix, playing games, or working more on my solo project. I stay up until 1–3am most nights.

What tools do you use to develop games? Can you describe your development process?

I have always used Unity. I make all of my art in Photoshop. I program in C#. When I’m not at my computer working, I will often have a pen and paper in hand to sketch out design issues and plan deadlines to meet.

Can you recall a time when you were especially proud during your game creation process?

Yes. Getting multiplayer to work for the first time in my first PC game Magicite was great, and I am very proud of that despite it being very clunky by today’s standards of multiplayer. Launching Magicite’s Kickstarter, getting Greenlit on Steam, and getting covered by big Youtubers were all amazing moments that I am very proud of as well. 2014 was a good year.

What were you doing before Littlewood?

Backyard Zombies, Galaxy Ninjas, Pixel Kingdom, Magicite, Roguelands, Dragonbolt, and Kindergarten were the games I worked on before Littlewood. Those are the projects I’ve worked on chronologically (All of them were solo except for Kindergarten, I was the artist with one programmer). Dragonbolt was not a success on mobile markets and actually got me pretty down for a few months, so I had to go back to making PC games.

What are some hurdles you’ve faced in your work and how did you get past them?

The biggest hurdle is dealing with criticism. There can be a million positive reviews and comments and all it takes is one really nasty one to ruin your day. I have gotten much better over the years about dealing with it, but I must say if you are an aspiring game developer, be prepared to grow some thick skin. In terms of actual game development there weren’t any programming or art hurdles that really stand out.

Could you describe Littlewood?

Littlewood is a peaceful RPG that takes place in a world that has already been saved. You defeated the Dark Wizard at the cost of your memory, so now it is up to you to help rebuild your town, master new hobbies, befriend quirky townsfolk, and recover your lost memories.

Where did you get your inspiration for Littlewood?

Animal Crossing, Dark Cloud, and Runescape are the 3 big inspirations for Littlewood. I was in a not so great place after Dragonbolt’s failure and I wanted a game that didn’t have much conflict and could just make me feel good. It turns out there are a lot of people interested in a game like that too! Motivation isn’t really an issue with me because I get stressed out if I go too long without working. I have many friends and family who are working themselves to death to make ends meet, so I try not to ever get too comfortable and to always work as hard as I can.

Why did you decide to make a Kickstarter campaign for Littlewood? How can someone create a successful Kickstarter campaign for Indie games?

I decided to make a Kickstarter campaign for Littlewood so that I could cover the costs of an original OST and to pay for Unity for a few years. The most important thing is to generate a certain amount of hype with your game way before ever announcing a Kickstarter. I don’t think crowdfunding will ever go away, and I think it is an invaluable resource for indie developers to use. I just can’t stress enough how important it is to start getting your game out there on social media before planning a Kickstarter campaign.

What advice do you have for people looking to get to a position like yours?

Don’t wait. Seriously, we are in the age of information. You don’t need to take a class first. You don’t need a degree first. Download Unity, watch tons of Youtube tutorials, get involved on forums, and start building your social media presence by constantly posting pictures, GIFs, and videos of your game. Try to get involved in your local community, if there is one for game developers. All it requires is time and effort, and anyone can make a game and put it on a storefront.

How would you describe the indie game landscape? Are you optimistic for it and where do you see it going?

I miss when Steam was a little less crowded, but I think the indie landscape is still booming and has a long way to go. Content creators like Youtubers and Streamers are always hungry for cool new games. It looks like Epic and Discord are going to give Steam a run for their money, so hopefully developers will end up getting a higher cut of revenue in the near future on all storefronts.

Is there anything else you’d like to add?

If you are an aspiring indie developer, don’t ever stop following your dreams. Be patient, do research, and keep trying to improve yourself and your games every day. It is important to set deadlines for projects and actually launch them, so as to not become that guy who has been working on the same project for four-plus years. Don’t be afraid of criticism, and let go of the idea that you know everything or that you are special. There are hundreds of thousands of people just like you trying to get their games out there. You just have to work harder than them.

Sean plans to release Littlewood on Steam at some point in early 2019. He is currently in the middle of researching the viability of releasing on other storefronts, including consoles.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/seanyoungsg?lang=en

Kickstarter (through Feb 14): https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/seanyoung/littlewood-a-peaceful-rpg?ref=section-games-featured-project