Are you easily attracted to all things Cyberpunk? The mixture of old and new often results in an incredibly attractive and somewhat nostalgic feeling game that is cool to look at and “hopefully” just as cool to play – and in the case of Geometry Slalom, the gameplay does not disappoint!
If you have yet to check out our review of Geometry Slalom, you can do so here!
Before we start we’d like to thank the Irrazionali Team for participating in our interview and for answering all of our geeky questions! Thanks Guys!
…and without further ado, our interview begins…
The Interview
/// Thanks for taking the time to talk to us about Geometry Slalom! Could you kick-start this interview by telling us a little about your studio, yourself, and what drew you into the gaming industry?
Certainly, we love talking about ourselves!
(Just kidding… who doesn’t appreciate a proper introduction?)
So, let us begin by saying that Irrazionali is a growing independent laboratory and interactive multimedia studio. It is physically located in a most colorful and friendly corner of the South of Italy and it was founded in mid-2018 by partners in craft and life Matteo Greco and Maria Teresa Levante – and that’s us, that’s the whole studio! We feel at our very best when we work with extended reality technologies for cultural heritage fruition and – yes, you guessed it – games.
Our adventure started off with an intention to send out our ideas of fun and meaningful experiences and we were drawn into the gaming industry because of its all-round, multifaceted nature. We see working with games as one of the most exciting and stimulating opportunities for creative convergence. Though we’re only two people, we come from very different backgrounds: as the song says, “he’s from the 70s, but I [Maria Teresa, Ed.]” am a 90s… non-binary person; Matteo is a software engineer who got “gamestruck” as a kid playing Jupiter Lander on a VIC-20; Maria Teresa is a Philosophy student who grew up diving into storytelling games; one of us has a lot of experience working with 3D graphics and video production, the other has always leaned towards 2D art and writing. Whatever we do, we are always building on a dynamic blend of aptitudes and skills and we are consistently on the lookout for interesting collaborations. We’ve had the pleasure of working with extremely talented artists and musicians and there’s really nothing we enjoy more than that.
/// Ok, let’s start talking about Geometry Slalon. What are the highlights of your latest release?
Well, Geometry Slalom is a celebration of Arcade games, a tribute to retrowave culture and a textbook hyper-casual action game by design. We think that, thanks to the simplicity of its core mechanic and to the essence of its aesthetic, it has the potential for entertaining a large and diverse audience, ranging from younger casual and mid-core players to hardcore old school gamers.
Our system uses skillfully engineered algorithms to turn each and every match into a uniquely stimulating experience, so here you have a game featuring an Endless Mode and countless procedurally generated levels, plus a series of fun and lovable avatar skins and a first-rate sound design (which includes meticulously curated sound effects and original 80s-inspired electronic music).
/// What was the core idea or inspiration behind Geometry Slalom? And perhaps more importantly, where do you find inspiration for your games in general?
As it turns out, the concepts for our games usually have some kind of connection to our childhood memories and experiences. Then again, inspiration strikes in the most unexpected ways… or in the most common. The original idea for our first game, for example, came to us while we were browsing in a little toy shop (as in “99 Red Baloons”, precisely), whereas Geometry Slalom simply reflects our interest for the title discipline in its various configurations. We like the “feel” of the motion, so we tried to replicate it.
/// How long was Geometry Slalom in development for? And are there any interesting and/or exciting moments or experiences you would like to share with us from that time?
The first release of the game has been in development for about three months. However, all our creations are built inside a more general software infrastructure that Matteo has been putting together over the years.
It’s been a lot of hard work, but it feels like it paid off! We were as much surprised as we were overjoyed when we found out that Geometry Slalom had been featured by Apple. It’s just glorious, you know? Suddenly, your work is exposed on the App Store landing page in multiple countries, under the category “New Games We Love”, and it’s like you’re getting at the Gates of Valhalla to ride eternal, shiny and chrome!
…Anyways, we also loved testing the game. You never get tired of watching people’s first reaction to something you made and we are lucky, we’ve got a small but dedicated group of friends we’ve come to call the “Irrazionali Brain Trust” – though our most incisive and severe critics are, without any doubt, our little nephews and cousins.
/// What software, developer-tools, or black-magic(?) did you use when making Geometry Slalom? Is there anything you would like to share with the developers who read Edamame Reviews?
Geometry Slalom, like all our games, is proudly made with Unity (and love, obviously)!
As for the black magic, we refer you to our cat. We can assure you that no eye of newt or toe of frog was employed in the making of this game (‘cause some of us are vegetarians and wouldn’t even hurt a fly), though one can always count on some high school level Latin should the need for summoning a demon to arise.
That being said, the biggest piece of advice we can give to our fellow game developers originates from our own experience and consists of two (not so) simple things: start “small” (AKA try to keep your scope realistic and manageable) and take the time to build a solid general software architecture, improve it piece by piece and system after system.
/// Is there any secret “developer-advice” you can give our lucky players who read this interview?
Sure! Here’s an “inside tip” for you: the game’s core mechanic is really simple, but there is also a subtle elasticity to it, which leaves room for tactical speed control. Learn to use it to your advantage and you’ll have a game experience that’s even more enjoyable and fuller. Also, don’t forget to use the shockwave!
/// What can we expect to see in Geometry Slalom or from Irrazionali in the not so distant future? What do we have to look forward to next?
We’ll most certainly keep updating Geometry Slalom. You can expect more features, obstacle variations, levels, skins, and game modes. As for Irrazionali, we’ll continue exploring, playing and experimenting. There are some exciting concepts and game prototypes we’d like to further develop… maybe even something in Augmented and Virtual Reality!
Edamame – Augmented Reality sounds awesome!!! 😆
/// Lastly, is there anything you would like to say to our awesome team of Writers, Developers, and Patrons who keep Edamame Reviews up and running?
Well, yes, there is something! We are, of course, extremely grateful for the opportunity to share a few words with our players and your readers. We loved reading your review of Geometry Slalom. We found it just the right amount of fair and funny and we are honored to have this space next to some of the publishers and game studios we most admire.
Truth to be told, we have been following Edamame’s social media accounts for quite some time now and we were just trying to work up the courage to use your website’s submission form when we received your e-mail! Imagine our surprise.
We have a deep appreciation for your service to the mobile gaming community, so let us thank you one more time by reciting the customary farewell of our people. It goes like this: “Live long and prosper”.
Edamame – Thank You Too!
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