From Canvas to Controller: My Journey into Interactive Art
November 28, 2024
by Schauermann /
As an artist, I wanted to push my work beyond traditional boundaries, to create something not just to be seen, but experienced. The idea of making my art interactive led me straight to video games. At the time, I wasn’t a hardcore gamer - aside from childhood memories and the occasional Zelda game every few years. But as I dove into titles like Limbo, Inside, Journey, Celeste, and Night in the Woods, I was hooked. These games aren’t just entertainment; they’re works of art. In fact, I believe some games should be displayed in galleries. What I didn’t anticipate was how challenging this path would be.
The Beginning
My journey started with excitement, but without a clear plan. I had big ideas but wasn’t sure how to execute them. The vision was there: I wanted to create an interactive experience, something that players could explore and connect with. The starting point was simple - a small house in which the player could move around, interact with objects, and discover bits of a story. There would be a cat that asks for food, a TV showing quirky commercials, and my own painting hanging on the wall. I even created background music in Ableton to set the atmosphere.
I gave the project the working title Mom Said I’m Special. It felt right - it was sweet yet had a certain ambiguity. On one hand, it was a mother’s loving sentiment; on the other, it suggested that there might be something a little offbeat about the character.
My First Steps in Game Development
At this point, I had already spent a lot of time thinking about various details. For example, there’s a TV in the game that gives hints about the story and plays an silly NFT commercial. These little dialogues were designed to subtly describe the characters and offer clues about the direction the story would take. The entire feeling of the game already existed in my mind - how it would look, how it would feel, the mood it would convey.
But then reality set in.
The First Setback
The early version of the game relied heavily on text and dialogue. But there was a problem - I wasn’t confident enough in my English to write authentic, engaging conversations. (If the dialogue sounds polished, it’s thanks to AI!) This was a major roadblock. So, after about three weeks of development, I decided to scrap the heavy text-based approach. I would focus more on visual storytelling, something I felt more comfortable with.
It was a humbling moment. I had to learn to let go of ideas I was attached to and pivot quickly. And this was just the beginning of constantly reevaluating my project and making changes along the way.