Sam Leitch of Soliloquy Games Discusses Wren’s Resurgence (Interview)
Wren’s Resurgence. Credit: Soliloquy Games
I had an opportunity to interview solo dev Sam Leitch of Soliloquy Games about his upcoming action game, Wren’s Resurgence. A demo is currently available on Steam.
About the game (from Steam):
Wren’s Resurgence is a 2D action platformer where Wren must fight her way through the Yokai-infested lands in order to rescue her sister Swan. With the evil force’s tyrannical grasp on the island, it’s up to Wren to brandish her katana and bring peace back to the land.
Along her journey, Wren will meet a number of seemingly friendly faces, some of whom will aid her on the adventure ahead.
Wren is a nimble warrior, with fast-paced movement and the agility to double jump, dash and climb up walls. Shrines to one of the realm’s greatest warriors, the legendary Masamune, house some of the long-deceased master’s renowned blades, which Wren can wield in her battles.
Key Features:
- Fast-paced rōnin combat
- 10 levels
- Lush Japanese-inspired landscapes
- 36 Yokai enemies based on Japanese folklore
- 8 weapons to unlock
I’ve made some light edits to the interview for clarity.
Geekly Grind: What is your background, and how did you come to game development and decide to develop a game solo? Is Wren's Resurgence development full-time for you, or are you also doing something else?
Sam Leitch: I am a full-time dad; I work part-time packing shelves and got into game development to keep my brain busy during the late night with a newborn. My first son was born in March 2020, when COVID hit hard in Sydney. So, a few really big things kicked off for me at once.
Since then, I learned how to use Unity, code, and pixel art. Having none of those skills prior certainly has made these four years a dramatic learning experience. Through trial and error, I landed on what I think has tuned out to be a pretty great game (hopefully!).
Wren’s Resurgence. Credit: Soliloquy Games
GG: The game is infused with a rich Japanese flavor, which is evident in its characters, setting, and creatures. Could you share your inspirations behind the elements that make up the game? What works—movies, stories, art, anything—are you thinking about as you write and design?
SL: What led me to use the Japanese Yokai and their stories was, in fact, the rich, deep lore already evident in the world of anime, manga, and ancient works from Japan's past. I took liberties on a lot of the character designs and expanded on large facets of the law to create a theoretical invading army that has entered our realm from the Yokai realm. How they did it is expanded on with the story in the game.
I have been a massive anime fan since I first saw Dragon Ball Z air in the very early 2000s in New Zealand. I was captivated by the art style and the stories and that led me to become a lifelong fan of both anime and manga. Initial D actually played a big part in my young adult life, getting in cars and drifting, and I followed that path for a good number of years. Even now, I still watch One Piece, which has to be going on 15 years.
Wren’s Resurgence. Credit: Soliloquy Games
GG: What other games inspired you, and what unique aspects do you plan to incorporate to differentiate your game from your inspirations?
SL: Initially, I wanted to create a new Metroidvania, thinking it would be easy. Time would show that I didn't have the chops, at least in the planning phases, to actively pursue that. I settled into an action platformer with larger open levels. Inspiration is tricky; I can't say there was a formula I saw that I thought was what I wanted to make.
I played a game called Ara Fell in 2020 and thought to myself, "I wonder if I could make this." No, I couldn't. It turns out game design is way harder than I initially thought, but that game inspired me to get into game design. Regarding Wren's Resurgence, I drew partially from many sources, mainly Mega Man, Celeste, Shovel Knight, Shinobi, Ninja Gaiden, Hollow Knight, and Ori.
Wren’s Resurgence. Credit: Soliloquy Games
GG: How closely does the gameplay in the demo—specifically, traversal and combat—match your vision for the game?
SL: The demo is the start of the game; you get given a good base from a story perspective. The gameplay ratchets up from there with new weapons and abilities that dramatically change how you traverse all the areas. Things like double jump, a dash, speed boosts, blast attacks that enable movement and are capable of destroying destructible terrain areas.
There is also a new block/parry system that has been implemented that dramatically changes combat, as well as a dodge roll to get you out of tricky situations if timed right. There are also now new projectile weapons that have been added to the game in the form of bows and arrows with replenishing ammo, which change how the game can be played as well.
Wren’s Resurgence. Credit: Soliloquy Games
GG: How long has the project been in development, and what's its current state? What's left to do, and when do you expect it to be done?
SL: The game is closing in on being completed; the release date has been confirmed and locked in and will be announced in the coming weeks.
Regarding what I am working on, I am currently working on making the game more user-friendly with options to adjust certain aspects of the game to optimise people's enjoyment of it. The one I have been working on today is the Key Rebinding, which works well; it just is not quite optimal yet.
GG: What feature are you especially proud of and why?
SL: The art would stand out to me, I believe. My father is a painter and canvas artist; in my biased opinion, I believe some of the most magnificent of any works ever created. His name is Laurance Leitch; he does large picturesque landscapes. For some reason, I didn't miss that creative outlet. I'm still learning, but I am proud of where my skills are at this point. I know the power of good art work.
Wren’s Resurgence. Credit: Soliloquy Games
GG: What are the most important lessons you've learned from your experience working on this game solo? What advice would you give other solo devs?
SL: Fail and fail regularly. It's the only way to grow. You just need to start, make something, and learn something. Somewhere along the line, you will forget that you are learning and you will make something great. While I was typing that, I thought I had written something inspiring, and reading it back, it doesn't make too much sense, except that its all true and it just starts with one step.
I want to thank Sam for giving us his time for this interview and Alex Harding of The IndiEXP for coordinating. Be sure to wishlist the game on Steam and stand by for the release date announcement!
