DOOR – 10 questions : Inner Child

Guide for DOOR – 10 questions : Inner Child

10 questions of DOOR : Inner Child

1. What is the story behind Play Mephistowaltz?

I realized I wanted to become a game developer when my first game was selected at the “Tokyo Game Show (TGS2016)”. Here, I had the opportunity to meet pa*sionate developers from around the world and people who enjoy videogames, which made me fall even more in love with game development.
After that, I continued my studies and kept working on games. Thanks to beginner’s luck, my first game was met with great reviews so the expectations I had for myself after that were very high. Looking back now, I think I was a bit arrogant.
Without a plan, I decided to go all the way in game development. I burnt all my bridges, and created my own game developing company. This was the beginning of Play Mephistowaltz.

2. What type of game is DOOR?

The concept of DOOR is based on the idea that “the handle that opens the door of the heart is inside.” Since the game’s setting is the mind, we wanted to focus on expressing it. As a developer, I call “DOOR” an “art platformer” game because the world of the mind is represented in various ways. The gameplay is a Mario-like platformer where the player overcomes puzzles and obstacles.

3. What is the inspiration behind DOOR?

I think there are two different ways. One is development momentum, and the other is the way I wanted to design the game. I wanted to help this beautiful world even if it is just in a small way, and as a result, I came up with the idea to talk about the wounds people carry in their hearts.
The other is the approach to game development. I think that a good game must have a good concept, gameplay, and a strong reason for the character to strive to achieve their goal. The idea of “the handle that opens the door to the heart is inside” had a very powerful impression on me so I decided to design the game around it.

4. How long has it been in development?

From concept design to prototype creation, it’s been 2 to 3 years. While trying to find the most effective way to express the game essence, several versions were made along the way. Now we have reached the final version.

5. How many people are working in developing DOOR?

I am developing “DOOR” by myself. Before becoming a game developer, I wanted to be a writer, so I want to the tell the story of this game in my own words and in my own way.

6. What kind of experience do you want the players to have with DOOR?

I want players to enjoy a world where the mind is expressed in different ways. As you clear each stage, is the door talking about an inner wound? Or I hope it is an opportunity for the player to think about their own story. It’s a long stretch, but ultimately, I want to become a person that thinks about and considers the wounds of others.

7. Have the game won any prizes?

I have participated in many exhibitions and contests and achieved good results. Probably the most memorable ones are when I was selected as an Indie Prize finalist at the Tokyo Game Show 2019, when I competed against leading companies and obtained a spot in the best innovation top 3 at UNITY KOREA, and when I competed in the KOCCA GSP PLUS project, where it was possible to win up to 300 million won. Also, I won the WORLD DESIGN award at the Seongnam World Game Show 2019 Indie game Invitation.

8. What exhibitions have you attended to show DOOR?

I went to various exhibitions here in Korea and abroad: Tokyo Game Show, G-Star, Indie Prize held in China, Seongnam World Game Show, PlayX4, Tokyo Sandbox, Taiwan Game Show, BIGS2020 (participation was online due to COVID-19), and Indiecraft. I had planned to attend Game Connection America, but it was cancelled due to the pandemic.

9. In what platforms is DOOR going to be available?

First, it will be released on Steam (PC) as Early Access. Later it is planned that “DOOR” will be also released to consoles and mobiles such as PS, X-BOX, and SWITCH after officially launching it on PC between March and May 2020.

10. What are your plans for the future of DOOR?

I plan to continue developing the game as a series. I want to use people inner thoughts and dreams as inspiration and develop the game in a why that different stories can be told, like in the Harry Potter series.

This is all that we can say about DOOR – 10 questions : Inner Child for now. I hope this post helped you. If there is anything that we should add, please let us know via comment below. See you soon!