LUNARK Q&A with Johan Vinet of Canari Games

Discussing Design, Inspirations, and More about LUNARK, an Upcoming Cinematic Platformer

There is something beautiful in the way a pixelated character moves in games that feature fluid movement as a core part of their design. Games like Another World and the early Prince of Persia titles defined the general framework of what this niche genre often leans on while later notables like Heart of Darkness, Tomb Raider, and Inside pushed things further. Now that genre is being explored by the talented Johan Vinet — who recently created the development studio Canari Games— with WayForward providing publishing assistance in a title called LUNARK, a gorgeous science fiction adventure that features a lot of clever use of movement and space.

We were graciously given the opportunity to pick the brain of Canari Games founder Johan Vinet (who also contributed as a pixel artist and animator to several of our favorites such as Flinthook, Mercenary Kings Reloaded, Shovel Knight Showdown, and Rivals of Aether) about this exciting new entry in a timeless genre. Surprisingly, the game was crafted by Vinet mostly alone over the course of more than four years with help from a few others with porting the game to consoles, localization, and testing. With LUNARK releasing on Steam and all major consoles on March 30th (with physical releases of the Switch, PS5, and PS4 versions from Limited Run Games available for pre-order) now is a great time to learn more about this deeply reflective work that appears to be a loving tribute to one of Vinet’s favorite genres.

Outside of marketing materials and what’s been shown so far, what do you think will draw players to LUNARK the most?

Starting with a difficult question, are we? I hope that someone who sees the key art or screenshots for the first time will be attracted by the colorful and dynamic universe of the game. Unlike many games with a dystopian theme, I absolutely wanted to get away from the “dark and dirty” cliché. LUNARK aims to be like its main protagonist: optimistic, adventurous, and sometimes funny, never taking itself too seriously. If they care to watch the launch trailer, then maybe they will like the richness of the animations and the many details that bring the universe of LUNARK to life.

What challenges did you overcome when creating LUNARK?

Every aspect of creating a video game is a challenge, but here are the ones that required the most effort from me, and that explain a bit of why the development took that long.

First off, working alone. On one hand, that has its advantages: you save time in communication, you don't have to justify your choices or make concessions, and the project follows a single vision from start to finish. On the other hand, it was very difficult for me to plan my tasks properly.

Second, among these tasks, the one that gave me the most trouble was the programming. Being an artist at heart, this was my first commercial game as a programmer, and I quickly realized that I would need help. Midway through production, I recruited the talents of Topher Anselmo, who was able to refactor the most technical and critical elements of the game so I could focus on the gameplay.

Finally, the process of creating those rotoscoping cutscenes was really time-consuming. I tried various techniques to optimize the workflow as much as possible but to achieve this distinctive look, the core of the technique still relied on long and tedious manual work.

What was it like to create a game through encouragement through social media?

It was extremely empowering! I feel so fortunate to have such a strong community of people following my project. Sometimes I regret showing so much, not leaving more mystery or surprise around the project, but I have always been eager to share my experiences and my work. By the way, now that we are at the end of this epic, many people have told me that following the development of LUNARK was very inspiring for them, and that is definitely the best compliment I can get.

What would you say to developers –and other creatives– who might feel downtrodden from a lack of encouragement whether online or otherwise?

I can only answer from personal experience. I’d say that one way to stay motivated is to try to interact with people who share your passion and who can recognize the challenges you face. It's also important to celebrate your small wins along the way, no matter how insignificant they may seem. Recognizing your progress and accomplishments can help boost your confidence and keep you motivated to continue pushing forward. Finally, I am convinced that staying positive and benevolent on social networks (and IRL) will set you on a virtuous circle and benefit you in the long run.

What is it about games with pixel art graphics that enable them to have such a long-lasting appeal?

To be honest, I'm not sure! I used to think that it was due to the sense of nostalgia for players who grew up playing games from the 8/16-bit eras. But maybe that timeless quality also comes from their simplicity and versatility? Unlike more realistic graphics, they don't feel outdated or obsolete. Additionally, pixel-art graphics are often used in indie games, which tend to focus on unique gameplay mechanics and storytelling, so maybe today it's a much richer and more complex message that is transmitted to players when they look at a game in this style?

What would you encourage new developers to do when making their first game?

Small scope, reachable goals, and get help if possible! Also, there's no shame in starting to work on your game as a hobby and having another full-time job. Admittedly, it's hard to keep the motivation to work on it at night, but it's even harder to have to worry about how to pay for rent and food, haha.

What engine do you think is the most rewarding to learn?

I can't really answer this question because I haven't tested many. I developed LUNARK using GameMaker, and believe me, this game engine has come a long way and is very solid for making 2D games. A lot of commercial games have used it like Blazing Chrome, Downwell, Hotline Miami, Hyper Light Drifter, Katana Zero, Rivals of Aether, and Undertale. Just to name a few.

For anyone curious, I can't recommend Pico-8 enough, which is an all-in-one game engine, for aficionados of old-school limitations. The language is simple and the community is very prolific.

What keeps you grounded as a creative? Maybe a favorite drink, a morning ritual, or rewarding yourself with a snack?

It's important for me to have a routine, especially when working from home. It's always a rush to get the kids ready for school in the morning (I always like to compare this to a rocket launch), but once the home is empty, I sometimes enjoy playing a video game before I start my work day. For that, I prefer games that allow short sessions (like Donut Dodo, Spelunky, or Downwell). Then I head down to my office with a cup of coffee. At noon, when possible, I allow myself a little "TV show break" during my lunch.

Do you think that players have a different relationship with physical games over digital games? Does this potential difference in player psychology affect your approach to designing or selling a game?

I am certainly not a psychologist, but I imagine there are many reasons to prefer a physical copy of a game. For some, it might be nostalgia; for others, the box, the cartridge and the manual might be part of the whole experience and they don't want to miss it; and finally, some people just want to collect an object, either for its beauty or for its value.

So far I have never considered taking advantage of this difference in psychology when designing my games. For sales and marketing though, it's definitely something to consider. I was lucky enough for LUNARK to be able to release a physical copy and hope with WayForward and Limited Run that you will enjoy the goodies contained in the deluxe edition (a keychain, magnets with the sprites of the game, a reversible poster, soundtrack CD). Moreover, there will be an instruction manual of the game in the boxes (deluxe or not).

Is there any particular game, film, comic, or show that you find particularly interesting at this time in your life?

Lately, I've been loving the show Severance - very surprising in its execution and its main plot. Staying in the sci-fi realm, I binged The Expanse, loved Andor, and can't wait to see the second season of Foundation!

There are also so many movies that have flown under the radar (like Vesper) that I'd love to see... Since the development of LUNARK is now over, I need to get the creative juices flowing again!

Conclusion

We hope that this Q&A enhances the player experience with LUNARK and we deeply appreciate the kind folks at WayForward for facilitating this exchange. At Forever Classic Games, we love creative uses of classic philosophies in game design. Vinet, Canari Games, and WayForward absolutely fit into that niche area of fascination in games and we are always happy to have these conversations.

LUNARK is launching on March 30th, 2023 on Steam, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PS4, PS5, and Nintendo Switch. Physical editions of LUNARK are also available to pre-order through Limited Run Games, including a Deluxe Edition, for PS5, PS4, and Switch.

This interview was conducted via email. Images were used courtesy of official press materials. There are no affiliate links in this article.