Pseudo-Psy Play | American Worlds Roadshow 2027 Developer Interview
We’re featuring Pseudo-Psy Play, developed by Pseudo-Psy Studio.
In this interview, we’ll learn more about the game, the ideas and experiences that inspired its creation, and the stories behind its development.
Could you tell us a little about yourself?
My name is Ruslan. I’ve been working on Pseudo-Psy Play since 2018, when that strange phrase first came to me in a dream.
How would you describe your game to someone who has never heard of it before?
Pseudo-Psy Play is an eccentric blend of a side-scrolling shooter and a point-and-click adventure that utilizes unique storytelling methods.
What do players actually do in your game?
You need to collect all puzzle pieces (253 in total) and all mysterious texture pages (76 in total) to reveal the secrets behind Pseudo-Psy Play.
To achieve this, players must go through the heavily randomized gameplay loop. Yes, PPP is slightly different every time you play it.
What makes your game distinctive, and what would you especially like players to notice?
I find the storytelling techniques in my game to be quite unique. The story of PPP is massive and covers 70,000 years of human history.
The first part of the story is told through a gallery (you need to unlock exhibits by collecting puzzle pieces) and the second part is told through so-called “texture pages” — large scrollable spaces with text and game sprites placed on them. It’s really hard to explain. You just need to experience it yourself.
How does the American setting influence your game?
Since I was a kid, I have found the United States fascinating. For me, it’s not only a physical place on the map but also a mental concept.
In PPP, players find themselves in the shoes of Joseph Urban in late 1980s America. He’s a quite successful photographer and gambling addict who sees the world through a completely different lens.
So yes, Joseph is not your perfect action hero. In fact, he’s a man in trouble, caught between two fires. There’s a whole lot of trouble in this world, especially now. That’s why I think the story of PPP is more relevant now than ever.
Where did the original idea for your game come from?
PPP is a very personal project for me. As I said before, this phrase came to me in a dream. I quickly wrote it down and started thinking what it could possibly mean. Then answers started popping up, and that was basically the starting point of everything haha.
Were there any real-life experiences or personal memories that influenced the game?
PPP was a very hard game to make. There were some good things in my life, but unfortunately the last ~5 years were rough (not gonna lie, I’m kinda surprised that I was able to finish the game). Through PPP I tried to convey all the bad and all the good I experienced in life.
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In my opinion, PPP provides a very wide emotional spectrum. It is a very emotional game.
Were there any games, books, films, artworks, or other creative works that influenced your project?
Lost Highway, Eraserhead, House of Leaves, Nine Inch Nails songs (especially the Year Zero and Broken albums, which are absolute masterpieces), and the Metal Gear and Silent Hill series were my major influences.
Why did you choose this particular genre or style of gameplay?
I didn’t want to create a level-based game because it’s too boring and plain for my taste. I wanted to create a highly-engaging gameplay loop where the game constantly tests your skill, your luck and your strategic thinking.
Did any ideas from earlier projects, abandoned concepts, or old prototypes eventually find their way into this game?
No. PPP is my first game. As for my journey, I completely rewrote the story once. I really disliked the first iteration, so I almost completely scrapped it and started from scratch. In hindsight, it was the best decision I made.
Is there a memorable story from the game’s development that you’d like to share?
Once a playtester farmed a million game points because of a glitch. It was pretty funny, if you ask me. I wish I could do the same in real life! Also, recording the John Mint advertisement for PPP was a lot of fun! Thanks to OlvarTheViking for making this happen!
Are there any interesting stories about the people who helped create the game?
The game was fully written and directed by me. Of course, I’m not a genius, far from it, so I hired some talent to help with graphics and proofreading (big props to Virtually_Chaotic for proofreading ALL the text in the game, which is quite a lot), but that’s about it.
What has been your most memorable experience since showing the game to the public?
I discovered that originality in games (and not only in games, to be honest) is not appreciated. There are a lot of things going on, but it’s mostly about the very short attention span of the modern gamer, unfortunately.
Therefore, there’s no room for creativity and mystery in games anymore and it makes me very sad both as a gamer and as a developer.
What do you hope players will feel, experience, or remember after playing your game?
I really hope that the players will enjoy the story. I think there has never been a story like this (or at least not in this combination) in games before, so I’m pretty happy with it.
Is there anything else you’d like to share with players?
For me, the story is the most important aspect of any piece of art. At the same time, I think that games should be games and offer players engaging gameplay. So, if both the story and gameplay are good, then it’s a good game in my book.
It’s hard to talk about the future of Pseudo-Psy Studio because it seems very foggy, but I believe I did my absolute best with PPP. Hopefully, you will enjoy it too!
