When you think of the ocean, what comes to mind? You probably think of the waves, the cute animals that inhabit the waters, or maybe even the sand that sits below. The one thing you probably don’t picture is the trash left behind on the shores. Unfortunately, trash is common on beaches nowadays, negatively affecting the terrain and the living things within. DEM XR made a game centered around remedying this problem, called Don’t Trash The Ocean!
We had the honor of interviewing DEM XR to get a glimpse into the creative mind behind Don’t Trash the Ocean. Let’s dive into it!
1. How long have you been developing games?
I started developing games about 3 years ago, but it was on and off. Sometimes I would stop developing games for more than 8 months, and then come back to it during the summer vacation.
2. What made you want to get into game dev? Is there a particular game that inspires you as a developer?
Some of the games that inspired me as a developer are Hollow Knight, Rayman Legends, and Little Nightmares. They are some of the best games I have played. What made me get into game development was a YouTuber who is also a game developer. I liked how you can create whatever you want in a game and make people play your game and enjoy it, as well as participate in game jams.
3. Did you learn/realize something while participating in this game jam? If so, what was it?
The first thing I learned is that losing doesn’t feel great. I also realized that whenever you lose a game jam, you feel like you want to come back and participate again and try to win or get a higher ranking. I also learned how important it is to organize yourself and not jump straight into coding, but to make a plan first.
4. When creating games, what comes first for you: the coding, artwork, writing, or something else?
Whenever I made a game before, I would start by collecting artwork and then start programming the game. But I learned that it is important to make a plan. This is the first game where I used a program to make a development plan consisting of a list of tasks. After making the plan, I started setting up the game, working on the gameplay, and collecting artwork because I couldn’t find an artist.
5. How did you get the idea for your game? Was there anything that inspired your idea?
I got the idea for the game in a way I didn’t expect. At first, I had joined a team, and we had chosen this game jam to participate in, but in the end, it was just talk, and nobody joined me. After that, I decided not to participate in the game jam, and that was on the ninth day of the jam.
Two days later, I was looking for games on itch.io and trying some of them, and that’s where I found a game that gave me the idea for my game.
6. A silly question, just for funsies: If you could live inside the world of any video game, what would it be and why?
I would definitely choose the world of Little Nightmares or Hollow Knight, even though I know I’d probably die within the first 10 minutes.
Thank you to DEM XR for taking the time to answer our questions, and for submitting Don’t Trash the Ocean. It was great getting to hear a bit about what inspires you as a developer. We wish you the best of luck with the other games you develop in the future!
If you’re looking for a simple yet challenging game to play, why not try Don’t Trash the Ocean? In Don’t Trash the Ocean, you are tasked with sorting the various items you find on the beach. With each level, you’ll be challenged with the addition of more bins. Try your best to sort the trash from the sea creatures to keep the ocean clean and safe!
That does it for this interview. Our very last interview of the series will be out next week, so you won’t want to miss that!
Thank you as always for reading! We’ll see you in the next post. Better swish, jellyfish!