"Failure is a good thing," says Indie Game Development MA (Online) graduate
21 October 2024
Since starting his undergraduate degree at Falmouth in 2019, and through to completing his online Indie Game Development master’s, Sam Claydon has been on a mission to bring his ideas to life. From testing concepts on small prototypes to full-scale projects spanning several months, he uses the creation process to push the boundaries and discover what works and what doesn’t.
Sam has launched a new YouTube series that documents his ‘failures’, offering detailed insights into how he transformed his notepad sketches and game mechanic ideas into working prototypes, and why many have ended up in his extensive archive.
We caught up with Sam as he embarks on a new challenge with stop-motion animation.
What inspired you to start the My Games That Weren't series?
I love creating games; even when a project isn’t the right fit at the time, I enjoy the process of conceiving, prototyping, and developing an idea. The My Games That Weren't series initially started as a short-form TikTok series about old game ideas. I wanted to delve deeper into the indie game projects that I’ve scrapped in the past, so I adapted them into a YouTube series. My aim with these videos is to highlight the different projects I’ve worked on over the past five years, exploring the creative process behind them and why they weren’t finished. This series is my way of showing new and upcoming game developers that failure is a good thing. I strongly believe that creating games is the best way to learn game development, and that’s why Falmouth appealed to me so much when I started the undergraduate course back in 2019.
What I love about making these videos is that I use a roulette spinner to select which game I’ll talk about in each episode. This keeps it exciting for me as I delve into my prototypes and chat about the inspirations behind them. All the games in My Games That Weren't were solo projects, each with a varied amount of time invested, and all of them make me so happy to be a game developer. I love the creation process, possibly even more than playing games, so having a space to talk about it has been so much fun.
Which game are you most proud of? Are there any you'd like to continue working on?
Each game I’ve worked on was developed at different points in my life, and they are all very nostalgic to me. One of my first larger-scale projects, Snow Way Back, has always appealed to me because it was the first game I pitched to a publisher. After finishing my third year at Falmouth, I took the leap and went to Cologne to pitch the game at The Big Indie Pitch at Gamescom.
I also have a soft spot for my third-year solo project, Timothy Tinyhat. The game revolves around the theme of burnout but takes place from the perspective of a hand-drawn doodle that has come to life. It was featured on Safe In Our World’s website and was my first attempt at creating a game with 2D hand-drawn animation
But the game I’m most proud of (so far) is The Calcium Crusader in Boogietown, a randomly generated 2D platformer created in just one month. In October 2022, I set myself the challenge of creating and releasing a game for Halloween that year. You play as The Calcium Crusader, a skeleton brought back to life in a world that’s been converted into a disco! You ‘boogie’ your way through the game’s world and need to be on the lookout for the Disco Demons! Two years on, I’m thrilled to say I’m currently developing a new game centred around The Calcium Crusader character.
I’m also really proud of releasing my first book at the end of 2023, which covers all the sketches and idea generation from 2020 to the end of 2023. I love physical media, so creating a book about my game development journey has been exciting for me.
You've started an animation course with Aardman Animation – how’s it going and what are you hoping to learn from it?
Aardman has been a big inspiration to me throughout my life, and after five years at Falmouth, I wanted to expand my skillset further and learn stop-motion animation. The course is going really well, and I can’t recommend it enough to anyone interested in stop-motion. Right now, I’m working on small animations, but I’m planning to release a short film in December or early January. I love learning new skills, and I hope to deepen my understanding of storytelling and expand my knowledge of animation, which I’ll take into my game projects.
Where did your passion for indie games come from?
Video games are a huge part of my life, offering a form of escapism that really appeals to me, and I gravitate towards games with engaging stories that are relaxing to play. I’m inspired by indie developers because they take their creative ideas and bring them to life, and you can really tell each project is filled with heart and soul. The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask is an incredible game, and its sense of adventure is so inspiring - I’d love to create that kind of immersion in my own games. Pokémon Emerald is another one of my all-time favourites and led me to create my own Game Boy Colour games.
What was the best thing about the Indie Game Development MA (Online) course at Falmouth?
The creative freedom in both the Indie Game Development MA and Game Development: Art BA courses is my favourite aspect. Being able to try out a game idea, prototype it, and get feedback from tutors and peers is a fantastic environment. Game development at Falmouth feels like working in a professional environment, and I love seeing everyone’s game ideas come to life. Before starting my MA, I founded my own indie game studio with Falmouth’s Launchpad programme and continued working on studio projects alongside my course. I had experience in 3D environment art during my undergraduate years, so coming into the master’s allowed me to try different aspects of game development, like design, audio, and programming. I loved the MA and would do it all again if I could!
What’s next for you? Any cool projects coming up?
My Aardman Academy short film is my main priority until December, but I’m also working on a full release of my Cornwall-inspired game This Little Car of Mine. The game focuses on the theme of grief as you drive around Cornwall in a little red car, offering a relaxing and cosy experience. Development started in January 2024 as my Final Major Project on the master’s and it’s already been showcased in both Bristol and Penzance. I’m really excited about this game, and my prototype is available on my website if you want to try it.
As well as my cosy driving game, I’m finalising my aforementioned game starring The Calcium Crusader. Bringing my skeleton character back from Boogietown, this game doesn’t take itself too seriously and will be filled with puns… sorry about that! The game’s art style has a retro aesthetic that I think players will enjoy.
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