Cozy games are becoming an increasingly popular style with gamers, and SomeHumbleOnion, AKA Noah Lone, hopes to do the format justice withShumi Come Home. Casual and comfy, short and sweet,Shumi Come Homeis a narrative-driven explorationindie gameabout a tiny mushroom trying to find his way home in a big forest.
Game Rant caught up with Noah Lone to discussShumi’s development, incorporating fan feedback, and the game’s upcoming appearance onJirard “The Completionist” Khalil’s IndieLand charity livestream, scheduled to run from today until Sunday, November 13. The following transcript has been edited for brevity and clarity.
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Q: Please briefly introduce yourself, and describeShumi Come Homein a couple sentences for players who are unfamiliar with the title.
A: My name is Noah Lone. People know me by SomeHumbleOnion, which is kind of like my developer name.Shumi Come Homeis basicallya casual exploration adventure game. You play as a two-inch little mushroom who is lost in the forest and trying to find his way back home. And to do so, you explore different levels of the forest at your own pace, you know; there are no game overs or time limits. There are different side adventures you will take on, some including light puzzle solving or light platforming.
There are some other cool features, like the Mycology Journal, which lets you learn about real life mushrooms as you come across them. The game takes place on earth essentially, at a time when humans are gone, but that’s a bit of side lore that I won’t get into.
Q: This summer, you had a demo available at GamesCom and on Steam. What kind of feedback did you receive from players?
A: Yeah! The demo was insanely eye-opening. Absolutely amazing. Nothing but positive feedback. It seemed like everyone really enjoyed the experience. Good to hear, because it was the first half of the first level. It wasn’t a demo-specific area; it was the game. People loved the movement of the character, the dialogue, the pacing, and the diversity in gameplay. And any kind of constructive criticism I got was very positive. I can think of only one negative piece of feedback I got, and even that was mostly constructive.
Great feedback both on Steam and in-person—I wasn’t atGamesCom, but my publisher was—and they said everyone was really positive. Some people pointed out bugs, or said the movement was a little off, but over all it was insanely positive. I really wasn’t expecting that. I was shocked by how positive the feedback was.
Q: Shumi is also going to participate in Jirard Khalil’s IndieLand event. What are you hoping to get out of the experience?
A: Honestly, I’m sure there’s going to be some great press and publicity that comes with it, but I’ve seen IndieLand before and discovered some games I want to play, and really, I just want to be there. I think it’s a really cool opportunity to meet The Completionist—I lovehis YouTube channel. It’s got a really awesome foundation. And obviously, getting some publicity out of the experience, but I’m looking forward to just having a good time.
I’m looking forward to watching The Completionist and his team play my game, talking with them, and answering some questions on the livestream. Just kind of introducing myself as a developer. I think people are starting to get to know my game more, but they don’t necessarily know who’s making it. And that’s one thing I love about indie games. It’s a very personal connection between the player and the creator, and I am looking to establish that more with IndieLand.
Q:Shumi’s core mechanics seem to revolve around platforming, puzzles, and exploration. Does the game feature any other mechanics?
A: One I touched on earlier was the Mycology Journal. It is a totally optional feature. I don’t know if it is a mechanic so much as a feature. But again, something you pick up very quickly at the beginning of the game. But you’ve essentially got the main components. Puzzles, platforming, andopen world-ish exploration, because you are slightly restricted in certain areas, but for the most part you are able to explore freely. So that’s the main gameplay.
Q: How many entries are in the Mycology Journal?
A: Right now, there’s about twelve. And I am aiming to get about sixteen to twenty. So there’s gonna be a good amount to learn from. In the demo, there’s about four or five you can learn about. There are six in the first level. Six in the second level. There will be some smaller areas that may have some unique mushrooms, kind of like really special rare ones that you might find out in the wild. So yeah, shooting for sixteen to twenty.
Q: What setsShumiapart from other narrative exploration games?
A: That’s a good question. I think one thing that really sets the game apart is the wholesome coziness behind it. There are a lot of wholesome exploration games out there, and I think a lot of them do nail it, but there’s kind of like a different story going with this one, like being lost and trying to find your way home. And I think you do feel that in the first level from the way you are taken from your home. I’m hoping to have an emotional impact with that, but I’m also going forfun, goofy, light-hearted vibes.
I am really trying to blend that mix, which I think is unique to the game. There is a good amount of games that try to do that, and it’s really difficult to do. So I’m hoping that helpsShumi Come Homestand out. And I think the different kinds of movement systems will also help. Gliding is something we’re starting to see a lot ofsinceBreath of the Wild, and I think that’s because it’s just so awesome. It’s just such a fun feature. The hook climb feature we have is not something I’ve noticed in other games as much;Breath of the Wildhas free climbing, and I knowLittle Gator Gamehas it andA Short Hike. It’s definitely not the first time it has been done, but it’s the first time I’ve seen it in these types of games. It definitely provides for another style of platforming. And that’s another thing I feel the game is going to stand out from.
It’s not just running around and collecting things; the platforming and puzzle-solving kind of take you away from the repetitive elements of the game. It’s kind of here and there, bit by bit, so I think there’s quite a bit of diversity in the gameplay despite it not having any combat or insanely difficult challenges. I think it will provide a nice balance ofcozy and casual. And there is some challenge to it as well.
Q: What inspired the idea to play as a lost mushroom in the forest?
A: There were a couple of inspirations. I was working on a much more ambitious title before working on this game. And I was working on it so long that I never got the time to release anything online because the foundation was just so big. I ended up playingA Short Hikearound the end of the development of that game, and I was like “Wow, this is amazing!” because I hadn’t really played that many short games before, and I was super inspired. I absolutely fell in love with that title.
I ended up playing a lot of shorter games right after that. And you know, short games are starting to feel like my go-to style now. I don’t have a lot of time to play eight, or nine hour experiences anymore, and I enjoy playing through full experiences. So I like games that I can play through in one full sitting.A Short Hikeopened my door to smaller indie games, and shorter experiences that really fulfill you.
Another huge, huge inspiration was thePikminseries.Pikminis my all-time favorite game series.Pikmin 1andPikmin 2are my favorite games ever. Love them to death. Been playing them since I was a kid. Just the environment alone in those games, where you play as tiny plant creatures, but you are on Earth, so objects and things seem huge—I love that. And I pull a ton of inspiration fromPikminwhen it comes to environment and level design. So I would say those are probably my biggest inspirations.
If I have to give one more, definitelythe showAdventure Time. I am a huge fan ofAdventure Time.I love everything about it and have seen it like a billion times. My favorite thing about the show is the writing. I really try to incorporate that goofy, light-hearted, but also occasionally kind of serious dialogue. I pull a lot of writing inspiration from that as well.
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Q: Can you tell us anything else aboutShumi Come Home’s story?
A: It’s nothing super crazy. After all, the game is meant to be a short and sweet experience. The way Shumi gets lost is… hmm. Just know that Shumi gets taken from its home, not by choice. And Shumi also does have siblings as well, that he wants to get back to. How exactly that happens, I’ll keep a secret. But that’s the small bit I can give you right now.
Q: The Steam page mentions a graphical toggle for a ‘retro 3D pixelated’ aesthetic. Can you tell us a bit more about it?
A: That was a big inspiration, again fromA Short Hike. The developer, Adam, was really able to bring that look to life. I love that effect. Even back in the day playing games on my computer, I would actually attempt to stretch the canvas to make the resolution a little more pixelated.
I think it’s a really cool effect, I think it’s something that a lot of people are really into, but it’s definitely one of those looks wherepeople either love it or hate it. I think the majority of the people like the game without it, and even I have come to love it more without the pixelation on. These days I show all the new content with it off. It’s still an option in the settings to adjust the pixelation. There’s one option that makes the game insanely pixelated, just as a goof.
I ended up posting a TikTok on it a while back, and it really blew up. I got like seven hundred thousand views and people were saying they want to play the game on this crazy pixelated setting. No guarantee, but I’m gonna try to make that level of pixelation actually playable. Because it’s not really playable right now, it’s just kind of a goofy thing. But I might try to make it actually playable somehow. I’ve got a couple ideas to make it work, but for the most part the pixelation effect is something that people can toggle on and off and they can adjust the pixelation with a couple different settings. It’s just a graphical style that some people are into and some people aren’t.
Q:Shumi’s Steam page also promises the ability to interact with lots of colorful characters. Are there any major recurring characters, or are they mostly singular encounters?
A: I will say most of them are singular. Some of them give you side quests or mini adventures, where you have to go back and talk to them. For the most part they are one-offs, there are secondary and tertiary dialogue with all these characters. And some of them may have something new for you to do.
Once the primary development is completed, I am planning to add more dialogue andmore things to do with these different NPCspost-game. I’m definitely trying to build the world for there to be content even after you beat the game. I want to give reasons to go back to previous levels and have more stuff to do. But that’s definitely not a guarantee yet. Most of these NPCs are kind of a one-off.
Q: How are you handlingShumi’s score and SFX?
A: Most of the sound effects I’m doing myself, either sampling with my own microphone or mixing free SFX. All the music is done by Fail Positive. He is doing a really cool dynamic music style for the game, meaning depending on the different areas you are on a certain level, different instruments will play. So it’s playing the same song but swapping out instruments, which kind of helps with the familiarity of areas, and keeps the song from becoming repetitive. He’s also handling small ‘rings’ here and there. Like when you grab an item, it pops on a little screen and there’s a little tune that plays with it. But I am handling most ofthe sound effects.
Q: More and more indie developers are creating cozy games, but most AAA developers have yet to catch on to the trend. With cozy games becoming more popular, do you think that paradigm will ever shift?
A: I actually haven’t thought of that, that much. I thinkcozy games are definitely growing. Indie developers are definitely picking up on that. At the same time, I feel that the cozy gamer is also growing, that crowd is getting bigger, but it is also much smaller. I personally don’t see AAA trying to jump on that any time soon, because they are dominating other types of game genres. At the same time, I wouldn’t be surprised if that shifts a little bit and the AAAs try to take over that category.
Whether it would be a good thing or a bad thing? It’s hard to tell. If they are actually making genuinely good, cozy games? Hey that’s awesome. It would definitely be more difficult for us indies to stand out, but from the players’ side, they’d be getting more awesome, new experiences. It’s tough to say. It’s definitely not something I personally worry about? And I don’t really see it coming, but it’s definitely possible.
Q: Why do you think cozy games have become more popular recently?
A: Honestly, I think the Nintendo Switch was a giant inspiration for a lot of these cozy games. The Switch is a console that has just been selling like crazy, and it’s selling to these casual gamers, and I think a lot of the cozy gamers are casual gamers, from what I’ve noticed. So I thinkthe Switch exploding as a consolehelped explode that genre. Most of these cozy gamers are playing on the Switch.
One of the biggest questions I get about my game is “Oh, is it coming to Switch? Is it coming on the Switch?” because my target audience is cozy gamers, and their target platform, the majority of the time, is the Switch. So honestly, I think we owe a lot of it to that console just kind of exploding and bringing a whole new genre of gaming which brings a whole new pool of gamers. People who have never really gamed before are starting to get into games because the Switch is there, and it’s so easy and portable. And it’s a nice little console that has all these cozy games on there. So I definitely think the Switch was a big factor.
Q: What has been the most challenging feedback to address so far?
A: I would say thelevel design. That’s definitely been a very challenging thing in general with the game. I went through multiple rounds of playtests with a small group of playtesters. That was always my biggest criticism and I’m fully aware of it. It was definitely rough. It’s very difficult to create level design for these open world areas when you have all these different movement types.
That was some common feedback I got on the demo. It’s been really challenging, because most people said they got lost, the level design is a little confusing. But about fifty percent of players said they enjoyed being lost. After all, it’s on theme, since you are lost and trying to find your way home. But the other fifty percent said it was kind of frustrating, because they ended up unintentionally backtracking to areas they had been before.
So that has been very difficult to figure out. Some people are enjoying how complex the level design is now, and how it’s a little bit complicated, or difficult to remember, because you don’t have a map in game. But others are finding it a little too challenging, and not as welcoming as I want it to be.
The problem with level design is that so many things are sitting on top of it. Changing that level design means changing a ton of different things. It takes a lot of time, and it obviously needs to be tested over and over again as well. So that’s definitely been one of my biggest challenges in terms of implementing that feedback, and even developing the game on my own in general.
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Q: How has working with Mooneye Studios been as a publisher? Do you have any advice for other indie devs looking for to secure publisher support?
A: Mooneye Studios has been absolutely amazing. I feel very lucky, to be honest. They are incredibly down to earth. They are a small team, which is one of the reasons I went with them. They are able to give me that personal connection that I needed with a publisher.
There’s kind of two different types of publishers. Somepublishers are super corporate-y, but they don’t really give you that personal attention because they are working on ten other games. Then there are smaller publishers like Mooneye, for example, who are still trying to build their name. They’ve had some success, and they want to help you. And I think if you may help them with your game as well, I think that’s the best connection you can have with a partnership.
To any developers out there who are looking for publishers…For me, personally, I feel very lucky because I never pitched my game to any publishers at all. Mooneye and a couple other publishers reached out for me. And we chatted a good amount, and they were always one of my favored picks.
What I would tell indie developers is…Well. What I did? I just kept posting my game on every social media channel. Even if gamers aren’t looking at it? Publishers are scouting. Especially Screenshot Saturday; the screenshot Saturday hashtag on Twitter. It’s really crucial. Even if it isn’t blowing up from gamers liking it and retweeting it, publishers are scrolling that hashtag. Next thing you know, you got a message in your Twitter DMs. That’s the best advice I can give, because I never had to reach out and pitch. Just get your game out there and post it as much as you’re able to in hopes that a publisher will find you instead of you finding them, because that really is the best-case scenario.
Q: What challenges are you currently working on? What is left to do between now and launch?
A: One of the biggest challenges is trying to wrap up all the essential gameplay. There’s still quite a lot left to do with the remaining levels and areas. I’mjust a one-man teamand that makes things ten times harder. Also, my lack of experience to be quite honest, makes things pretty difficult. Some tasks are taking me a lot longer than they would take a more experienced developer. And that’s just the way it is.
Also, we are now porting the game to the Nintendo Switch. It’s not something I am directly handling. Luckily, again, that’s something my publisher is handling. Everybody there is also a developer, and the head of the company is porting the game for me. However, I have to get the game to a specific version before we can start that process, and I’m on a pretty tight deadline. That has been the biggest challenge by far. And that’s just because Nintendo needs to play the game obviously, to test it and see if there are any bugs. And their process, from what I’ve heard, is very, very slow. And if they find something, it can be weeks before we can try again. And we don’t really have that much time.
Q:Shumi’s release date is currently set as early 2023. Will this be a Q1 release, Q2, or is it too soon to tell?
A: The best I can tell you is that we are aiming for early spring. So early Q2 or late Q1.
Q: Is there anything else you would like readers to know?
A: If there are any aspiring game developers reading this, I just want to say: don’t give up on your project. Even if it does appear ambitious at first. As long as you truly believe in your passion for the project, I think that’s all you really need to get it done, regardless of how ambitious it is. And just stay disciplined. Don’t rely on motivation, because that comes and goes. Keep holding yourpassion for your work,and you can make something beautiful if you have those two components.
[END.]
Shumi Come Homelaunches on Steam and Switch in early spring 2023. The game will appear as part of IndieLand 2022 on Saturday, November 12 at 6:00 a.m. PST.
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