DISTRAINT 2 Continues the Dark and Psychological Tale of DISTRAINT
November of 2018 has been filled with new releases; Fallout 76, Battlefield 5, Hitman 2, and plenty of others. However, one game release which you may not have heard about is that of DISTRAINT 2. This indie game launched on Steam just a couple of weeks ago, on the 13th of November. If the recent spate of triple-A titles has left you disappointed; DISTRAINT 2 has launched to very positive reviews and is currently available for just £6.19. If you’re a fan of indie horror titles, especially ones with well-written stories, then DISTRAINT 2 may be ideal for you.
DISTRAINT 2 is the work of solo developer Jesse Makkonen, whose one-man studio is based in Finland. It’s a “2D psychological horror adventure game,” and it boasts a rather distinct art style which is eye-catching from your very first look at the game. DISTRAINT 2 follows on from the story of the first DISTRAINT, which was released just over three years ago. I recently had the opportunity to interview Jesse Makkonen about both his work and experiences, and about DISTRAINT 2 in particular:
How did you get started with game development?
“I was studying audiovisual communications, and it popped into my mind; I’d create a game. I did start planning while studying, and once I graduated I started a company and applied for this ‘start-money’ for the new companies. I got it. It was not much but enough to pay the rent.”
“It took me around one and half years to create my debut game; ‘Silence of the Sleep.’ I released it on Steam in 2014, and even when it didn’t do great, it still was enough to make me a full-time developer. I did learn some useful stuff while studying but mostly I’m self-taught.”
What inspired you to make DISTRAINT and now DISTRAINT 2?
“I was creating this big game ‘The Human Gallery’ after the release of ‘Silence of the Sleep.’ Unfortunately, the development was so slow and troubled. There were tons of bugs and things out of my hands. The development got stuck and was so slow it wasn’t enjoyable to work with anymore. I had to pause it and back then in 2015 Halloween was only three months away. My wife suggested that I should create something for Halloween. I thought that was a crazy but wonderful idea – to make a game in a mere three months!
“I started working and kinda figured out what happens next while working. It was super fun, and I made it in time. The launch was horrible though, haha! But somehow, people who played the game liked it. At some point, a fellow developer suggested that I should port the game over to mobile devices. I did that, and the game got quite popular. At that point, it made sense to start developing DISTRAINT 2. But, yeah… hard to say about the inspiration. I think it’s all the stuff in life that affects you. Movies, music and your own experiences.”
Was DISTRAINT 2 your largest game project so far?
“Tricky question! I think it’s the most polished game and took a lot of time to create. However, ‘Silence of the Sleep’ is a lot longer, though more rough around the edges. ‘The Human Gallery’ would’ve been the biggest project, and who knows, maybe one day I’ll continue with it!”
What are the central themes of DISTRAINT 2 which players can expect to encounter in the game?
“Strong atmosphere, and a great and touching story. The game is about finding hope. It’s a very deep game with profound messages!”
What inspired the distinctive art style of DISTRAINT 2?
“After the troubled development of ‘The Human Gallery,’ I wanted something simple; something I could create rather quickly. Well, the first ‘DISTRAINT’ looked uh… uh, pretty rough. Only after the ‘Deluxe Edition’ update, it came together. The art-style to my eye looks nice, has colours and a blend of pixel-art and low-res. It’s straightforward and quick to create which is a big plus for a one-man-band. However, in the future, I want to experiment with different styles.”
DISTRAINT 2 follows on from the story of the first game. Should gamers play the first DISTRAINT first, or are the two stories largely independent?
“I’d highly suggest players play the first game before. It continues the story of the first game. However, there’s a small ‘previously in DISTRAINT’ which gives a rough idea of what happened in the first game. But still, I’d say try to grab ‘DISTRAINT’ for cheap and give it a go before!”
What are some of the challenges you’ve found as a solo developer, and how did you overcome them?
“The biggest challenge is to keep up the motivation. When you create everything yourself, it takes tons of time and knowing that you’ve only just begun… It’s tough like that! And, after you’ve spent thousands of hours staring at your creation, you start questioning everything you’ve made so far. But at the same time, it’s great that if you don’t feel like drawing graphics, you can start composing music for example. So that’s a big plus and the fact that you can do things how you want.”
Would you ever work for a larger studio, or do you think being a solo developer is right for you?
“As long as I can go solo, I will remain solo. The freedom it offers is irreplaceable. However, the industry is getting tougher. The quality and amount of indie games are going up, and it’s harder and harder to stand out. So yeah, if I can’t make it alone anymore, then perhaps.”
Now that DISTRAINT 2 has released, what are your plans for the future?
“Now I’m porting the game over to Android and iOS. After that, I want to take some time off, play some games myself and watch movies. However, I think I’ll start creating something new rather soon; what it is, I’ve no idea! Currently, I’ve been thinking I could continue making 2D horror-adventure games like so far, but I’ve also thought about switching to Unity and going 3D. I also find VR exciting, and that is something I could consider developing for. So yeah, it could be anything!”