Postmortem: Mode 7 Games' Frozen Synapse

[mojo]

In 2004, two guys went on holiday to France to drink beer and play computer games.

One of their diversions was Laser Squad Nemesis, the turn-based strategy game from X-COM creator Julian Gollop.

As they battled it out over the gridlocked landscape, certain patterns began to emerge: the most satisfying feints and dummies were abutted by long stretches of units waddling towards each other. Yes, a certain tension was evoked, but wasn't it all a little bit... unnecessary?

Three years later, Ian Hardingham had learned a little about designing games; he decided to test out his assumptions.

His company, Mode 7, began development on a project with the cumbersome working title of Psych-Off, a simultaneous turn-based game which foregrounded tactics rather than strategy. Over the course of four years, this evolved into Frozen Synapse.

The game went on to sell over 300k units in its first year, and took Mode 7 from quiet obscurity into the glare of the indie game spotlight.

As the company's co-owner, I was lucky enough to play my part in seeing it through to completion. Development took almost four years of on-and-off effort as we battled to fit it in around contract work and other commitments: it was certainly a significant investment of time and energy!

Full Story: @ Gamasutra