ANDREW CURTIS Q&A

The lead designer tells us a thing or two

PLAY What did you learn about game development from making The Thing? Andrew Curtis

Don’t underestimate what a small team – who don’t really know what they’re doing but are full of passion, drive, and excitement and are just happy to be making games – can do.

PLAY Is there anything you wish you’d done differently when you were developing the game?

AC A lot more user testing. We did a tiny bit, but it wasn’t enough by today’s standards. The core controls were really funky, and the UI/UX was clunky, even incomprehensible in places.

PLAY Each NPC in The Thing is based on a member of the dev team. Who were you?

AC I’m a medic called Falchek, who [SPOILER] turns out to be a Thing imitator.

PLAY Would you do another Thing game? AC Abso-frickin’-lutely. Yes, yes, yes, and yes. I think a Thing sequel would be absolutely phenomenal. And the reason I’d make it in VR is that some things work phenomenally well in VR. Horror is one of those things, it amplifies emotion and claustrophobia. And oh my God; being face to face with a squadmate you didn’t trust? Or a Thing squirming around and closing in on you? I couldn’t think of a better horror property for VR than The Thing.