Meet The Devs Leon Lim: “would Kojima do this?”

There are thousands of indie game developers out there and therefore it is easy to miss out on a lot of them. Indie Game Reporter makes a change. In Meet The Devs we interview a new game developer every Monday and Friday. With this series of the article, you can learn about interesting indie developers, creative new videogames, and stories on how developers worldwide try to entertain all sorts of indie gamers.

Thie article is about Leon Lim from Limited Games. He has been interested in games and game development for his whole life. Unlucky for him, he was not fully equipped for it until two years ago when he decided to sit down and teach himself to code. Now he is working on Greyhat, a digital Detective adventure.

Leon Kim tells about Limited Games

How do you hope others will remind you?
“Honestly, I hope people will just think of me as a game developer. I’ve always wanted to be one. As someone who really loves gaming and playing games, finally being able to cross the threshold over to the creative side of gaming has been the fulfillment of a childhood dream.

However, I didn’t go to school for this, don’t have any formal training, and barely have a portfolio to stand on. So, I’m often burdened by a huge amount of impostor syndrome. I’m hopeful that if other people recognize me as a game dev, it may go away one day.”

Which of your game developer achievements made you most proud of yourself?
“Sometime last year I released a game called Rubber Wrestling. It was a video game version of a childhood game played by school kids in Malaysia and Singapore. Played with erasers, you’d take turns trying to pin your opponent’s eraser by flipping your own onto them.

I made it in 24 hours, just to play around with developing in 3D, which at that point I’ve never attempted before, and released it for free on the Google Play store just for fun. It kinda blew up, hitting the number 1 trending spot in both countries, and getting thousands of downloads as well as significant press coverage.

My proudest moment was when someone sent me a message online telling me he had been playing it while waiting in line at the bank. The stranger in line behind him noticed and asked him about it. They ended up playing two-player mode during their time in line.

Two complete strangers had a special moment together playing a nostalgic childhood game on a mobile phone. And it was all because of something I created. That story will always be held close to my heart.”

What would Kojima do?

What kind of games and which well-known persons inspired you?
“I’d definitely point to Satoru Iwata as a huge inspiration. His tenacity and drive, as well as his devotion to his vision of what gaming, has always touched me deeply. ‘On my business card, I am a corporate president. In my mind, I am a game developer. But in my heart, I am a gamer.’ This quote is never far from my mind as I continue my game development journey.

I’m also a big fan of Hideo Kojima’s work. I draw inspiration from him whenever I think of an idea that sounds a little too crazy. I ask myself, would Kojima do this? The answer is usually ‘Yes’.

Each Metal Gear game that Kojima worked on has revolutionized the stealth action genre. The amount of attention to detail and the thought that goes into each system in his games is unparalleled. And there’s always something extra in his game that goes beyond what you’d expect.
For instance, you would never think that an adult magazine would belong in a stealth game, but in the Metal Gear series, it’s used as a way to distract enemies.

Most game devs would balk at that idea, thinking that it would ruin the immersiveness of the game, or that it wouldn’t be a good fit for the game’s mood. They’d be right, but taking that kind of risk can result in something unique and truly special.”

What is the hardest part of being an indie game developer and how do you try to tackle that problem? What could others learn from you as a developer?
“The hardest part of indie dev is trying to sell your game. Making games is incredibly fun. Selling, advertising, marketing, and distributing them is decidedly not as much fun. I’m still coming to grips with the right way to do it. I definitely see and feel the difference between these two sides.

I don’t think I’m experienced enough to impart any lessons about developing. I’m more suited to remain as a student right now. But for those interested in trying their hand at game development, I’d tell them to start now and not wait. The resources to begin your game development journey are available right now, mostly for free. You just gotta seek them out and use them.”

Greyhat, a Digital Detective Adventure

What are you currently working on that needs to be seen and played by others?
“I’m currently on the verge of releasing my first full-sized game: Greyhat- A Digital Detective Adventure. In Greyhat, you play as a hacker detective with the ability to hack into other people’s computers. You can steal their secrets. One day, you cross the wrong people and pay a heavy price. You must use your skills and abilities to regain that which has been taken from you.

Greyhat releases on the 31st of August 2020. A Grayhat demo that covers the prologue of your thrilling adventure is available on Steam.”

Why should people try Greyhat and where can they find it?
“People should play Greyhat if they like a good thriller mystery, love puzzles that will really challenge their ability to think critically. This game is also for people who enjoy sneaking into places they have no business being in.

You may also enjoy Greyhat if you, like me, feel powerless in a world that seems to grow more dangerous with each passing day. With Greyhat, I’m hoping to provide players with some level of agency or influence over dire subjects that mirror the ones we see in the news every day.”

Are there other Indie game developers that deserve a shout out?
“There’s a husband and wife team from Canada called End of the Line Studios. They do some incredibly impressive work in the point-and-click genre. You should definitely check them out!”

If you want to read more about developers, you will find more articles in Meet The Devs. Every Monday and Friday we will publish a new article in this series. That way you can meet new developers!