AMANDA DYAR: Karma is a point-and-click adventure game starring a protagonist named Pip. Can you tell us more about the character and how players will control him in the game?
ALEXANDER KUVSHINOV: The protagonist is named Pip, because as he jumps and lands he produces this sort of squeaking noise. Нe has an incarnation in a surreal world as a funny but brutal worm. Pip is naive and doesn’t know anything at all about this reality. Talking with a flower or a stone for him as natural as swallowing whole another representative of local fauna. He examines this new world overcoming obstacles to a new rebirth and trying to figure out who he really is. You control Pip by clicking your mouse. He goes to where you click and he does what you choose for him to do.
AMANDA: What were some of the original concepts for Karma that eventually led the team to being formed in order to develop the upcoming title?
ALEXANDER: At first it was intended as a small animated series which was just for fun. But when we saw how that turned out, we immediately decided to make a game of it, a real indie psychedelic adventure, that we all would love to play! We got together and started developing the game in our spare time between major projects.
AMANDA: The gameplay trailer for Karma showed that Pip can change and evolve during gameplay. What conditions affect Pip's transformations and how does this allow the team to create different puzzles in the game?
ALEXANDER: When Pip commits some evildoing, he grows horns, spikes and fangs. Various NPC react differently to his appearance : some might get scared and run away, and some might like his boldness and apparent strength. Looks don’t affect the way puzzles and mini-games are played.
AMANDA: The in-game world also evolves along with Pip throughout Karma. Can you tell us some of the different ways the environments and puzzles in the game change to fit Pip's current skills?
ALEXANDER: You can complete the majority of quests in different ways, opening alternative plot-lines. For example, you can try to communicate with a character so he might give you a task to complete. Alternatively, you can just swallow the poor sod and get the item you need in a fast and efficient manner. Different choices lead to different paths, so naturally some scenes would change. Thus, re-playing the game is going to be just as fun as your first walkthrough.
AMANDA: Pip also has the ability to use Astral Vision to see the spirit world. What does this gameplay mechanic add to your upcoming title?
ALEXANDER: First, it emphasizes the basic concept of karma - the presence of non-material worlds, subtle energies, reincarnations, etc. Secondly, it shows some game hints, additional clues and enriches game universe with detail, not to mention it looks pretty cool.
AMANDA: We're assuming Pip has changed several times over the game's early development. How did the team decide on the current forms of the character?
ALEXANDER: In fact, Pip didn't really change over the course of the development, he is pretty much the same from the time he first appeared in my animated series about karma.
AMANDA: Karma doesn't feature any spoken or text dialogue. What ultimately made this a design choice the team wanted to implement in the game?
ALEXANDER: First, Pip and all the other characters are not human and do not speak human language, we think this will sustain the unique atmosphere of the game. Secondly, it would make it easier for people to enjoy the game, no need to for localized versions. Still, you are going to hear the characters talk – they are not mute, after all, but their language is not the one you would recognize.
AMANDA: This obviously makes sound design very important to Karma. Can you tell us a bit about developing sound effects and some of the other noises players will hear in the final release?
ALEXANDER: Our friends at Zmeiraduga band are going to create full soundtrack album for the game. You can find out more about sounds and devices that are used to produce them in our next update on IndieGoGo!
AMANDA: One of the best parts of the sound design in Karma seems to be the soundtrack from Zmeiraduga. How did the band become involved with the game and did the team originally learn about Zmeiraduga.
ALEXANDER: I’ve known John (leader of the band) for quite some time, he is my friend. When he found out we started to develop a game, he immediately offered to participate in this project. He says he always wanted to create music for this kind of games.
AMANDA: Can you tell us anything else about Karma that we haven't already talked about?
ALEXANDER: Well, here’s a bit more detail on the story itself: The game begins when one of the Sleeping Spirits awakens and gives life to a new-born soul for the first time. He offers to play a game of Karma, to which the soul agrees, so it is incarnated in a body of Pip in a strange surrealistic world. As the plot unfolds, Pip tries to understand what he is and what is his goal, and eventually he realizes that the purpose of this incarnation is to unite three warring peoples and save the world from destruction.
To learn more, visit the official Karma IndieGoGo and Steam Greenlight pages.