In an interview with Indie Games Devel, Sam and Kostia shared new details about their upcoming wholesome adventure game, Copycat. Here’s what we discovered.
They met eight years ago in Germany while working their first jobs in the industry. As a creative team, they worked on various projects together, including short films and a children’s book. But their shared love for video games eventually inspired them to take a leap into the gaming world with their project as Spoonful of Wonder.
Transitioning from advertising to video game development wasn’t easy. While learning new skills like coding and game writing came naturally to them, handling business-related tasks like accounting and securing funding was more challenging. They began working on Copycat as a hobby, but to take it seriously, they needed financial support. Fortunately, Screen Australia provided them with a development grant, allowing them to focus on bringing their vision to life.
Copycat is not just a game about cats; it’s a deep exploration of themes like home, belonging, and identity. The idea was born out of their experiences with cats and their reflections on what home truly means. The game follows a three-act narrative structure, delving into sensitive topics like adoption, loneliness, and abandonment, all viewed through the eyes of the main character, a cat named Dawn.
Bringing Copycat to Life
In this game, player choices shape the story and relationships but don’t drastically change the ending. These choices, however, influence the player’s journey and ethical decisions, making each playthrough unique. The game’s art design is influenced by Samantha and Kostia’s backgrounds in film and advertising. They used color theory to evoke different emotions in each scene, drawing inspiration from indie games like Firewatch and Life is Strange.
Players can customize Dawn, choosing the cat’s color and collar. This feature wasn’t initially planned, but after feedback from the community, it was added to give players a more personal connection to the game. The collar’s color, in particular, carries symbolic meaning as it fades throughout the game, representing a loss of identity.
Copycat is also a fully voiced game, with voice actors including friends, streamers, and even their cat, Flame, who provided the meows. Recording Flame was surprisingly easy, as he naturally meows a lot, adding a special, personal touch to the game.
The positive feedback from the gaming community has been both overwhelming and motivating for Samantha and Kostia. As they approach the release of Copycat, they feel a mix of excitement and nervousness. They hope that Copycat will resonate with players around the world, opening doors for future creative projects under the Spoonful of Wonder banner.
The game will be available on To Steam next month. Additionally, you can read our first impressions of the game here.
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