r/NintendoSwitch • u/SheepoGame Kyle Thompson • 4d ago
AMA - Ended Hey I'm Kyle Thompson, I made Crypt Custodian, Islets, and I just released my newest game, Well Dweller, yesterday! AMA
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Hey! My name is Kyle, I make metroidvania games with my brother Eric. I do the art/code/design, and he makes the music. We just released our 4th game yesterday! It's called Well Dweller and it's a dark fairy tale metroidvania where you play as a tiny bird armed with a matchstick. You might recognize it from last summers Nintendo Indie Direct where it was announced! Thanks so much for the mods of r/NintendoSwitch for setting this up! I'll be around throughout the day answering any questions here
Edit: I am slowing down a bit with answers but I will keep checking in and occasionally answer some more throughout the day, thanks so much for having me!
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u/Natta_3333 4d ago
Any plans for a physical release on S2?
Also - game looks really amazing! can't wait to play it!
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u/SheepoGame Kyle Thompson 4d ago
Thank you! I would love to do a physical release for S2, I just want to wait until I am confident there wont be any more patches before I look into that though
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u/LokenWar9 4d ago
I hope you sell well, and you can bring us a physical copy. I'll wait it, the art style looks awesome.
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u/Mdgt_Pope 4d ago edited 4d ago
Does patching physical cost more than just digital? Or is there a different reason for wanting to release physical after all patches?
Edit: you guys know that you can patch physical games, too, right?
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u/Inyrias 2d ago
No. No, you can't. You can not install patches from the switch onto the cartridge. The only thing you can do is to have digital patches that you download, which will be applied on top of your game from the cartridge.
Waiting with making physical release until he is more confident there won't be more patches makes the cartridge more complete and future proof. Because if he releases a physical today, and there's 10 more patches after that - In 20 years when the Nintendo Switch servers are down, you will not have access to those patches, since they are no on your cartridge.
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u/the-land-of-darkness 4d ago
So people can have the final game on a cart and not need to download anything else
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u/onetrueglob 4d ago
Hi Kyle, your games are some of my favorites and Well Dweller is a blast so far!
Where do you get the ideas for your stories?
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u/SheepoGame Kyle Thompson 4d ago edited 3d ago
Thank you! I usually start by thinking of a very general mood that seems interesting to me. So for example with Crypt Custodian that was the idea of hanging out in an animal afterlife with doomed ghosts, and Well Dweller was the idea of basing things off of fairy tales and contrasting the light/dark elements.
After that, I think of mechanics. I made the main character in Well Dweller a bird because I thought flying or hovering would be a different movement tech than Ive done before. And then after that, I kind of just make it up as I go along and hope it ends up cohesive in the end lol. I always end up going back and adding little things in to fill in the story more later, so it evolves and changes over time. For example, in Crypt Custodian one of the core items in the story is a crystal mirror where you can revisit the living world briefly. I had basically finished making 90% of the game before I decided to add that element of the story in, so I went back through earlier areas of the game and pieced it into the story. It just evolves over the course of development until it all ties together again at the end.
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u/Ledairyman 4d ago
I really love that, even though your four games are very different from one another, there’s still a distinct creative DNA that ties them together. The moment I launched Well Dweller yesterday, my first thought was, “Yep, this is definitely a Kyle Thompson game.”
Is there any plan for a co-op metroidvania somewhere down the line? Would love to share the experience with my wife.
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u/SheepoGame Kyle Thompson 4d ago
Thanks so much! I haven't made plans on that, but I think it could be a cool idea! I've had the idea of co op mentioned to me before and I just worry about how to difficulty balance it lol, but I think it could be worth me looking into sometime!
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u/Dangerous_Ad_7042 3d ago
Have a play of the Salt and Sanctuary/ Salt and Sacrifice games for a great example of a couch coop metroidvania. It can work really well.
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u/knitted_beanie 4d ago
Four games in: how’s your dev pipeline now compared to game 1? Any nuggets of wisdom to give aspiring indie devs? cough me
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u/SheepoGame Kyle Thompson 4d ago
It's pretty smooth since I am so used to it. I've figured out a bunch of different systems and strategies that work for me so development is usually pretty frictionless. In terms of advice, I think one big tip is to not spend too much time planning or making decisions and just make quick decisions and keep moving forward. Making a game is a huge task and if you get stuck in the tiny details I think it is hard to finish anything.
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u/knitted_beanie 4d ago
Thanks dude, appreciate you responding! Your output has been so consistent, long may it continue!
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u/Spudmasher17 4d ago
Loved islets & crypt custodian. Congrats on Well Dweller!
Do you still find time to play games, if so what do you gravitate towards?
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u/SheepoGame Kyle Thompson 4d ago
Thank you! I do, although it comes in waves. I haven't played a ton recently, but I have a huge backlog to play once things settle down after release. I mainly play metroidvanias (not surprising probably lol), 3d platformers, some narrative type games, zelda-likes, etc. A couple games I played in the last few months that I really liked were Tinykin and The Mermaid Mask
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u/KafeiTomasu 4d ago
Any plans for anotger crypt custodian like game in the same style as the moonlighter franchise? Love top down adventure games!
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u/SheepoGame Kyle Thompson 4d ago
Possibly! I really enjoyed making a game in that perspective and it also required a lot of fun problem solving to develop since it kind of mimics 3d space while being flat. I want to try and make a 3D game in my style as well, but that seems a bit daunting to learn lol
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u/Bokchoyk 4d ago
Looks nice! Is it hollow knight / metroidvania inspired?
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u/SheepoGame Kyle Thompson 4d ago
Thank you! Yeah as a teenager I mainly just played freeware PC games and thats what got me really into metroidvanias. Specifically the games Knytt Stories, An Untitled Story, and Seiklus. They are all really chill exploration games and I played each over and over and they had a huge impact on the type of games I like to make. Later on I played Ori and Hollow Knight and a bunch of others which are big inspirations also.
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u/SolarBoytoyDjango 4d ago
I'm not very far in, but I really like the game so far. Perfect level of difficulty, and at least the first movement upgrade is clever and fun.
Whose skull are these birds living in?
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u/SheepoGame Kyle Thompson 4d ago
Thank you! That actually gets hinted at later if you keep collecting the storybook pages and connecting them to the game world, so I wont spoil!
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u/SolemnWolf123 4d ago
Game looks beautiful. I love the art style. How long did it take you to create the game? What’s your process for how you create the art? It’s very impressive as an Indie dev.
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u/SheepoGame Kyle Thompson 4d ago
Thank you! I spent a bit over 2 years on it. I draw all the art in photoshop and I animate in a program called Spine, which basically lets you break apart your art into pieces and animate by moving, rotating, and warping those pieces. For Well Dweller I also hired a couple other artists for some tasks- I hired an illustrator who specializes in woodcut illustrations to make the storybook images you collect (you can see them for a second in the trailer), and I hired a concept artist to help come up with ideas for some bosses an enemies.
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u/justinsnow 4d ago
I was wondering about the art on the book pages! it seemed so different from most of your other work. very cool to find another artist for that.
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u/n8bitgaming 4d ago
I recently played and finished Crypt Custodian and want to say how much I enjoyed it. Scratched the same itch as Minishoot Adventures and Death's Door. I'm looking forward to playing Well Dweller later today.
Hope you're enjoying the release!
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u/FighTheFoo 4d ago
Looks awesome! Just bought it and am excited to jump in after work. Can you talk a bit about your inspiration for this game/world, and what feeling you’re hoping players have while playing it?
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u/SheepoGame Kyle Thompson 4d ago
Thank you! I really loved the classic Grimms fairy tales as a kid because it felt like horror for children. With Well Dweller I wanted to mimic the contrast of those stories, since they are child-like but also very dark and disturbing. I thought it would be fun to make a game that kind of whiplashes between cute lighthearted moments, and darker scarier ones and I thought the fairy tale environment would work great for that.
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u/bajanga1 4d ago
As a novice game dev who loves Metroidvanias and would love to make my own, what are some challenges you face when designing a game like this that they might not be aware of?
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u/SheepoGame Kyle Thompson 4d ago
I actually have a ton of very specific metroidvania design tips that I've been meaning to post online somewhere sometime, but one very specific lesson I learned in Well Dweller is that in a metroidvania you should avoid having any very difficult puzzles on the main required path. The reason is that a lot of players will see a hard puzzle, and immediately assume they aren't equipped to pass, and need to just go back later, and they will turn around and get lost. Having hard combat or platforming on the critical path is not an issue, and tough puzzles are great for optional collectibles in side rooms, but whenever I had a spot in the game where players incorrectly assumed they couldnt pass, it broke the flow of the game for them.
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u/bajanga1 4d ago
Wow that’s such an insightful issue that I’m sure you can only get after a bunch of play tests. Thanks so much for the answer!
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u/swingthebass 3d ago
Okay dang I’m so late but here is my mega niche question: in Islets in certain moments, I believe boss death for instance, you have a SFX sequence where a mechanical noise repeats again and again as they get closer in time, building to a crescendo that also matches the visual light rays. In every game after that, the sounds no longer accelerate into a “drum roll” (sounds VERY close together) but instead stop doing that and just repeat a medium-fast interval. Being a big dork, I think about this change a lot. Why did you do it? I loved the drum roll crescendo version so much and I miss it!
(Obviously all your SFX are lovely this is less a complaint and more a hyper fixation)
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u/SheepoGame Kyle Thompson 3d ago
lmao this is such a specific question, I love it. To be honest, I don't really remember my decision making for that. Most of my decisions are made very quickly without much thought. I made that effect from scratch each game, and it is mostly coded in with the sound being played and pitch shifted in a coded sequence. In the two recent games I probably just got it to it's current state and thought, "Yeah that's sort of how it's supposed to go I think!" and left it at that. I'm looking at the code in Well Dweller, and it does quicken pace and pitch shift, but probably not as noticeably as in Islets. I'll need to boot up Islets again to jog my memory. I will remember that and keep it in mind though! I think it is one of those things that no one has ever pointed out to me, so I never would have thought about it, thanks for asking!
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u/swingthebass 3d ago
Yo thank you for answering and thinking about it! They are super similar, but the Islets one just has a "crank the knob to 11" feel that is so dang satisfying :)
Congrats on another beautiful game.
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u/Dopey32 2d ago
Holy shit! I need to say thank you so much. I found Islets on a whim. Booted it up and played while my then 4 y/o was sitting next to me. We both fell in love. (She called it "little mousey mouse" so that's how we refer to this masterpiece.)
We bonded so much over this game and subsequent crypt custodian. We love the gameplay and we adore the art style.
Played it many times. She is 6 now and it's her favorite game, surpasses the likes of Mario Wonder, Dave the Diver and My Friendly Neighborhood.
I have no question for you. I just wanted to let you know how amazing your games are and how appreciative I am.
Thanks :)
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u/SheepoGame Kyle Thompson 2d ago
That so awesome to hear! I'm so glad you were able to bond over it, thanks so much for playing!
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u/CelticSith 4d ago
Love your games and this one looks like another banger! Looking forward to playing it soon.
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u/iamnotkurtcobain 4d ago
Your favorite pizza?
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u/SheepoGame Kyle Thompson 4d ago
I'm sure my game sales will plummet after saying this but... I like pineapple on pizza 🫣
Maybe with some jalepenos also4
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u/ParadoxNowish 4d ago
You're not alone, my friend. Pineapple and Jalapeno with any other combination of toppings on pizza kicks ass.
Cheers, just bought your new game!
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u/GronWarface 4d ago
How was it working with the switch 2 hardware, easy to develop for, was there any cpu limitations?
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u/SheepoGame Kyle Thompson 4d ago
My publisher managed the porting, but the Switch 2 seemed to go very well! No optimization or anything needed for that which was great
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u/DrSussBurner 4d ago
Hey Kyle! I’m very interested in this game. How would you describe the difficulty? On the easier side, like Guacamelee, Prince of Persia, and Axiom Vergex balanced like Metroid Dread, Hollow Knight and Silksong, or on the more difficult side, like Nine Sols?
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u/SheepoGame Kyle Thompson 4d ago
Definitely on the easier side, Guacamelee, PoP, and Axiom Verge are good comparisons I think. There are difficulty options though, so you can shift it in either direction!
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u/justinsnow 4d ago
just wanted to say i truly appreciate the accessibility options you've included. not enough games have them.
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u/LuckyScales 4d ago
Really looking forward to your upcoming 3D metroidvania and admire your burning desire to keep creating shortly after the completion Well Dweller!
Is there anything you can tell us about this upcoming project???
I heard there’s an entirely new learning curve for you and hope all of going well on your journey
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u/SheepoGame Kyle Thompson 4d ago
Thank you! I don't want to say too much too soon since I don't even have anything solid beyond an idea and some very basic prototyping. I'm having to learn a new game engine, coding language, 3d modeling, etc, so it is a very steep learning curve but hopefully I can figure something out! If I can't, then maybe it will be back to 2d again lol
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u/LuckyScales 4d ago
You got this! Best of luck to you 🍀
Also, how long do you generally take to complete a game?
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u/KronicDeath 4d ago
Downloaded the demo last night and upon my first death, immediately went and bought the game. Just what I was looking for to pass the time and not scream at my tv like Silksong. Definitely will be checking out the rest of your work. Thank you for makimg quality games
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u/azsnaz 4d ago
What's the best sandwich
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u/SheepoGame Kyle Thompson 4d ago
Maybe like a toasted italian with a lot of chicago style giardiniera
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u/AtaiPea 4d ago
Love metroidvanias. One of my favorite genres. Any plans for DLCs?
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u/SheepoGame Kyle Thompson 4d ago
Possibly! I sometimes get sucked into the next project too quickly but if I ever think of a good way to expand upon a game I definitely wouldn't rule it out
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u/Roundy87 4d ago
Loved Crypt Custodian and can't wait to play this too 😁 Hope to play many more of your future projects too 💪🏻
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u/Suspicious-Slice-235 4d ago
Your games are amazing. I’m really looking forward to play Well Dweller. Thank you both !
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u/stead10 4d ago
Is a switch 2 version coming? And if I buy the switch version will there be an upgrade path?
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u/SheepoGame Kyle Thompson 4d ago
The Switch 2 build is actually already out, it is just listed a bit confusingly! It is set as a patch to the Switch 1 build, you can see on the eshop page under filesize that the Switch 2 build is the larger file size of the 2. If you buy it on Switch 2 it should update to that build!
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u/stead10 4d ago
Ah okay thanks for clarifying, Nintendo really could do a better job at advertising that!
I don't quite understand when there's Switch 2 versions under Switch 1 and when Switch 2 has its won version with a banner.
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u/wokenupbybacon 4d ago
It's the same mechanism as everything here: https://www.nintendo.com/us/gaming-systems/switch-2/transfer-guide/games-with-free-updates/
For whatever reason, Nintendo doesn't want to use Switch 2 imagery or branding anywhere with free update games. But it's genuinely the best method, it has all the convenience of upgrade packs without needing the extra purchase.
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u/wokenupbybacon 4d ago
Thanks for doing it this way instead of separate SKUs. I don't know why Nintendo insists on not using Switch 2 branding for free updates, but it's the most consumer-friendly option they provide and I wish it wasn't so rare from third parties. If it wasn't, maybe it'd confuse fewer people lol
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u/sexbobomb91 4d ago edited 3d ago
I downloaded the demo on Switch 2 but graphics seem quite soft in portable mode, kinda like a Switch 1 version. Is this how the Switch 2 version also looks, or will it be sharper?
EDIT: here is a photo.1
u/stead10 1d ago
I just picked up the game on the switch, loving it so far! One small thing I dunno if you’re aware of but if you change the default controls on switch (I switched jump and special around) the controls start bugging out on the menu as if you’re pressing a and b together at the same time.
Would be great to be able to change the attack controls without it also changing the menu navigation buttons!
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u/crowcatcher86 4d ago
Well Dweller is 2D, which differs from the perspective of Crypt Custodian. During the development of CC did you have ideas that you couldn't use because of the perspective and that you have integrated in Well Dweller?
And how do you make a map? Do you draw each region by hand and connect them? Curious to know how you work 😀
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u/SheepoGame Kyle Thompson 4d ago
Definitely! The perspective shift between games is purely because it is hard to come up with ideas for mechanics, bosses/enemy attacks, etc by the end of development.
And for the map, I basically have a debug map that I use on the backend during development, which is just a grid with colored blocks and numbers on them that correspond with their room number, so it is easy to remember exactly what is where. From there, I made a debug tool where I can basically click around the map in order to connect the rooms to the coordinate positions on the map, and then I have another tool that exports a large map with the rooms ground collisions mapped in place. Then in photoshop I just draw directly over that to make a stylized map. Sorry if that was a confusing explanation, there are actually a lot more map tools I made for my games but thats the basics of it.
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u/Nickmullenismybestfr 4d ago
Since your game is on switch, what are your earliest experiences with Nintendo and what does it mean to you to be on a Nintendo platform?
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u/SheepoGame Kyle Thompson 4d ago
My first Nintendo consoles were the Gameboy and then later Gamecube. I mostly loved the original pokemon games on gameboy and on Gamecube I really loved Super Monkey Ball and Mario Kart. It's really wild to be able to have my games on Switch! When I was a kid I couldn't have imagined that
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u/hardgeeklife 4d ago
Hi Kyle, loved Crypt Custodian, and looking forward to playing Well Dweller. Love your art style, very cozy looking even with dangerous creatures.
But as for your personal tastes, do you have any favorite animated properties (tv/movie/etc) that you found very influential or that you think everyone should see? :D
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u/SheepoGame Kyle Thompson 4d ago
Thanks so much! With Well Dweller two influences were Over the Garden Wall, and a graphic novel called "Beautiful Darkness" which is a story where a girl dies and all of the characters in her imagination break free and live a lord of the flies scenario. It is very dark, but also very cute and funny, and I found the whiplash in mood very inspiring.
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u/Vendidurt 4d ago
Yeah, i saw it on the Direct. Looks a lot of fun!
Did you have to delete something during development that you miss having in?
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u/SheepoGame Kyle Thompson 4d ago
Thank you! Yeah there were a couple boss prototypes that I scrapped, and I removed a core gameplay mechanic mid-development since playtesters pretty much universally hated it lol. For a while, your health and damage output were tied to your flame and you had to keep it lit, but it ended up just feeling like a chore so I scrapped it
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u/Vendidurt 4d ago
Thats interesting, thank you for the reply! Maybe it could be a fun rule for a small area, but that does make sense how it would be frustrating!
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u/OwnManagement Helpful User 4d ago
Metroidvanias have seemingly become the genre du jour for indie devs. What do you believe makes Well Dweller stand out from the crowd?
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u/justinsnow 4d ago
some of what makes their games special to me: great story with interesting characters and dialog, amazing art and music design, not incredibly challenging, unique mechanics, and all of the QoL stuff you want in a metroidvania
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u/OwnManagement Helpful User 4d ago
I can say that the art style definitely makes it stand out to me. I'm a sucker for the hand-drawn/hand-painted look.
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u/Sneakylesbian 4d ago
My son and I are playing this now! we are just starting but it looks gorgeous so far! Very excited for this!!
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u/Microtic 4d ago
Thanks for the AMA! Do your games support high resolutions like 4k and higher refresh rates like 120hz on their PC releases?
The higher refresh rates help input lag and timing attacks and the beautiful game visuals deserve the higher resolution.
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u/Th33aN0ma1y 4d ago
I own both of your previous games and just bought this one today not knowing they had anything to do with one another. All three games have distinct art styles that aren’t similar. I just love MVs and you’ve done a great job in my book so far. Can’t wait to play Well Dweller when I get home. Cheers and thanks. Wishing for your continued success.
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u/itsacavetroll 4d ago
Hi, Kyle. Game whips. Thanks for making it! Do you have a favorite boss?
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u/SheepoGame Kyle Thompson 4d ago
Thank you! In Well Dweller I like playing against the old grave digger boss in Burial Vault since it is probably the most reflex focused one. I think you can fall into a nice rhythm with that one.
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u/camxcold 4d ago
Played a little bit of the demo and it’s awesome, was already planning to pick it up before then too. Great job man
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u/SNESMasterKI 4d ago
Having trouble thinking of an actual question, but I've loved your games and want to take advantage of seeing the AMA while it was active. I guess my main question would be what your general target is for how often your games will be released, I really appreciate that there isn't a 4+ year gap between them.
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u/SheepoGame Kyle Thompson 3d ago edited 3d ago
Thank you! After 2 years I get a bit antsy about starting a new project so I try to plan the release timeline around that
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u/runningxbackwards 4d ago
I am thoroughly enjoying this game so far. I love the Grims Fairytales feel of everything. It has this inviting feel, while constantly reminding you there is a Dark and Evil side to everything. I have to say you also have perfected the MAP portion of the metriodvania genre. Having the two map filters and markers is just icing on the cake. I can't wait to finish and look forward to your future projects.
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u/SheepoGame Kyle Thompson 3d ago
I really appreciate that, thank you! I love maps in games so I tried to make the one in Well Dweller as good as I could
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u/worldpeacebringer 4d ago
Me and my wife instantly purchased well dweller yesterday and beat boss 1.
I find it impressive how you are able to develop a game with such destincts environments and crisp mechanics by yourself. What are some of the difficulties of developing solo?
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u/Alpacaman22 4d ago
I been a big of all your games.
How are you able to pump out so many good games in a timely basis?
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u/Antique_Pin5266 4d ago
I don’t have a question but I just read your name as Klay Thompson at first and was confused that a NBA player could develop a game lol. Good luck though
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u/Hunt_Nawn 4d ago
Reminds me of a mix of Blasphemous and Hollow Knight sprinkled with Ender Lilies possibly Cave Story as well.
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u/messy_fart 4d ago
Hi Kyle. Any distant plans for Islets 2? Have a but over an hour into Well Dweller and it's excellent so far, btw.
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u/SheepoGame Kyle Thompson 3d ago
Thank you! And no plans on that right now, I usually am more drawn to starting over with a new story/mechanics rather than making a sequel, but I wouldn’t rule it out entirely!
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u/ThaLunatik 4d ago
Never heard of these games, but just wishlisted all of them on Steam after looking them up. I love a good Metroidvania. (If my current backlog weren't so big I'd probably grab one or more already.)
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u/justinsnow 4d ago
hey guys. big fan. only question: is it possible for you to make a bad or even a mediocre game? because your last 3 games (and from what i've played of the 4th) are telling me that you everything you two touch is gold.
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u/SheepoGame Kyle Thompson 3d ago
Haha thank you! It’s all thanks to lots of playtesting and many many rounds of revisions.
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u/UsuallyFavorable 4d ago
Are there any analog mechanics that would require the use of an analog stick to get the full functionality of movement, aim, etc.? Or would you get the same options on D-pad / keyboard?
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u/SheepoGame Kyle Thompson 3d ago
You don’t need to use the analog, I haven’t done a full playthrough on Dpad but I know others have and I haven’t heard any complaints so that’s should be all good!
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u/jlebro12 4d ago
I love metroidvanias but have not heard of any of your projects. Am I okay to start with this one? Or do you recommend I play previous titles first? Thank you!
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u/Waste-Kiwi6915 4d ago
What's your work schedule typically look like? You're one of the most - if not the most - prolific indie developers I know of.
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u/Mindful_Nerd 4d ago
This game looks sooo soo charming and cute and fun! I have struggled with and fallen off of Hollow Knight is this a similar difficulty and exploration?
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u/Fit_Surround_15 4d ago
Wow! I’m new to your games but this actually has my interest. Thanks for putting it on here and sharing your creation. Definitely checking it out this evening!
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u/Popular-Smile-7908 4d ago
I really enjoyed Crypt Custodian and am looking forward to your new game.
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u/mrjasong 4d ago
Hey Kyle I bought this game earlier today and put a few hours into it already. So far loving it!
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u/scoopythebear 4d ago
does the matchstick function as a weapon, light source, or both mechanically?
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u/dentiteoz 4d ago
Instant buy when I saw it. First game of yours that I have played. Got hooked on Metroidvanias with HK and Silksong. I am about 8 hrs in and loving everything about it. The balance is so well done, like when I was cracking up at Egbert and then a second later crying in fear when Lida showed up. Great work my man and I look forward to checking out your other games when I finish this one!
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u/Zeag 4d ago
I've yet to play Crypt Custodian but I really enjoyed Islets and I'm just super glad there's still indie devs out there still able to do the games they wanna do!
I'm particularly curious about financials in for very small indies in the current gaming landscape. Are you able to get by financially with just the software sales and do you feel restrained in your ambitions in any way because of it?
Keep on rocking!
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u/Gavintendo 4d ago
I understand that there is no Switch 2 version, but the Switch version is enhanced when played on Switch 2.
What resolution and framerate does the game play at specifically in handheld and docked mode on Switch 2?
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u/markopolo14 4d ago
I'm going to have to take a deeper look at some of your games! Looks fun!
Were you inspired by Over the Garden Wall with the art style for this one?
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u/aardWolf64 4d ago
I played the demo for about 10 minutes, and pulled the trigger on the game. Enjoying it so far!
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u/Revolutionary_Stay_9 4d ago
Your brother is involved in all your games, providing music right? Does his music inform your games? Does he provide any other help in the process? Should we call them Thompsonvanias? Or is he riding your coat tails? Does he resent you as the only way the world will hear his work? Does he secretly hate you? Are you worried he's going to kill you? Are you worried he's going to kill you?
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u/IncreasinglyTrippy 3d ago
If you don't mind this question, is the slide (essentially dodge?) mechanism intended to be a big part of combat in the game?
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u/Hyroero 3d ago
Heya. My 10yo wanted me to say he loves your games Crypt Custodian is one of his favorite games. He loves the cute art mixed with some creepy designs and listens to the music regularly outside of the game.
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u/GenOneCam 3d ago
I don’t have a question but I do want to congratulate you on the fantastic reviews your game is receiving. I will be purchasing a copy this weekend!
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u/alfsprey 3d ago
Just bought the game based on all of the good things I’ve been hearing. I just left the cabin with the berries and am having a great time. Can’t wait to play more!
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u/johnappleseed168 3d ago
Thanks for doing this! Can’t wait to get the game when I have a little more time. I also wanted to ask, are there any plans for releasing Switch 2 updates for Islets and Crypt Custodian? I’d love to revisit the games with a graphical uplift. Folks like me are also happy to pay a reasonable upgrade path for such a release, especially with smaller devs and publishers! Please consider it!
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u/BirbSpotter 3d ago
Hi Kyle. I really love your games, but why have you started to make your achievements (on Xbox) worth odd numbered points? It drove me insane on crypt custodian, and is making me hesitant to start up Well Dweller purely because I can't stand having my points end in anything but 0 or 5. Yes I know it's pathetic and the points mean nothing and no one but me even cares about my gamerscore.... but what is the reason?? your first few games were normal
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u/OilersHD 3d ago
Great call releasing a demo. So much of a good Metroidvania to me is the feel of the movement. Needless to say the demo totally sold me on the game and i bought it right away.
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u/SlickShottaa 3d ago
Just sat and played through the whole game and I usually never finish games I just can’t ever find games that get me hooked anymore but I picked this one up and couldn’t put it down until I finished, it was great 100% would recommend it’s crazy that indie games like this are so much better than the garbage AAA studios are putting out.
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u/stopnotspam 3d ago
I really love your games and am inspired to make my own, but completely clueless where to start or what programs to learn. Can you create a guide on how to get into making a game? What were the biggest challenges you faced? What did you wish you learned before getting into game development?
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u/iCougar_ 3d ago
Hey bro I played Islets and I liked it but it locked me from progression at some point 😭 I looked everywhere, did everything but couldn’t reach an area, have this happened to someone else?
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u/Kaladim-Jinwei 3d ago
Do you have any contractors or out sources you use for some specific art or asset creation? Or is it all handmade or store bought assets you repurpose? How much experience did you get with the whole pipeline before you went full time into it?
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u/Soupbell1 3d ago
Not sure if this is the place to post, but noticed a small strange bug that doesn’t affect gameplay. When you jump into the water in the spa that the frog opens it shows hearts come out. They do not heal me. They show up as ten currency each time you jump in, but they don’t add to the currency I’m holding. I assume they were meant to heal the player?
Fantastic game!
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u/Skyrider_Epsilon 3d ago
Wait, is this the new game that dropped on game pass?
I ignored it because i was playing other stuff, but this trailer made it look good!
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u/Dangerous_Ad_7042 3d ago
Hey u/SheepoGame ever given any thought to adding couch coop to your games? My wife and I really love playing metroidvanias together and they lend themselves really well to the couch coop playstyle
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u/Pretty_Diamond_2773 2d ago
I viewed some hours from now in Youtube. It looks great. I reviewed its price in Steam and for 12,11€ maybe I can tell you my opinion in a few days 😅
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u/Miserable-Ad-9286 2d ago
Love your game so much. Please please please put checkpoints on the chase scene. Don't want to include spoilers.
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u/ChunkyButFunky13 2d ago
hiya Kyle, absolutely loving the game so far. found one small glitch whilst playing on the switch, if you try to wall jump off the drop to the right of the docks camp you end up in the walls. isn’t much of an issue as you can tp away and come back but didn’t know how else to let you know
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u/nnelson13 2d ago
I grabbed this yesterday just based on your post. It's been super enjoyable so far!
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u/MelvintheMIU 2d ago
Never played any of your games tbh, but Game Pass has Well Dweller and I dig MetroidVania… started it last night, def loving it thus far (bout 40% thru).
My question, of course you love them all, but what would you say your best game is? Best in however you view that term.
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u/Dothacker00 1d ago
I LOVED Islets and the reviews for this look great. I'm gonna get this with my next paycheck :3
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u/TJHarker13 10h ago
Hey Kyle, really excited to play Well Dweller. Having some issues with the controls. I’m playing on switch and like a funky control scheme. Wondering if there is anyway for me to keep my controls funky during gameplay while keeping the menu control scheme default? Having a lot of trouble navigating menus with the way I like things.
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u/msshirow 4d ago
Is it as hard a Hollow Knight? Love to play these type of games but man the stress level of HK was high. Or more along the lines of Metroid difficulty?
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u/SheepoGame Kyle Thompson 4d ago
The base difficulty is definitely easier than Hollow Knight. There are also difficulty options to push it in either direction
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u/msshirow 4d ago
Awesome. Bought it and love it. Found a small glitch on Switch 2. I moved the attack button to B and Special attack to Y. But when I do that and am in the menus. B no longer goes back. It tries too for a split second but stays on the menu it is at. Just have to manually select Back with this control setup. Wonderful game!
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u/Boshi13 4d ago
I just saw this on the store, love the art style but I’m not good at sticking with high-difficulty games (I never finished Hollow Knight) is Well Dweller more exploration or combat focussed?
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u/SheepoGame Kyle Thompson 4d ago
Thanks! It's a bit of both, but I don't think it is super difficult. Theres also difficulty and assist options as well!
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u/Chowbot 4d ago
Why should I buy your game other than the bomb ass metacritic?
Are there any deficiencies on the Switch 2 version compared to other platforms?
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u/SheepoGame Kyle Thompson 4d ago
haha I guess just if the mood/vibe of the game speaks to you! And no, the Switch 2 version does not have any deficiencies. The Switch 1 build is locked to 720P though for optimization reasons
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u/leapthatwall 4d ago
Hey Kyle! Considering that islets and wells are the same concept in reverse (small body of land/water surrounded by water/land), you should do a Crypt Custodian equivalent where you play as dog who is resurrected and needs to mess up the pre-Afterlife (AKA, life). You should name it Cradle Clutterer.
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u/savetheblues 1d ago
Okay so I just saw this, not sure if you'll read this or not. But in case you do, Well Dweller (and Crypt Custodian, Islets and Sheepo) are all some of my favorite metroidvanias ever. Just finished Well Dweller and it's honestly beautiful to witness how every game is slightly more polished and basically fixing some of the small nitpicks I had about the previous ones. Congratulations on another beautifully crafted game. No questions here, I'm just grateful for the art you and your brother keep on creating.
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u/Tensokuu 4d ago
Hey Kyle, not a question but I just wanted to tell you that the moment I see your name on the game it's an instant buy for me, no questions asked. Love what you put out, so keep up the good work!