![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.gameinformer.com\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/body_default\/public\/2024\/05\/21\/5334ea72\/01_0.jpg\")
<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\nOverland<\/p>\n<\/article>\n
Bridging The Gap<\/span><\/h2>\nFor as long as Adam can remember, he wanted to be a video game artist. Fascinated with the vibrant colors and rich SunSoft sound chips of original NES cartridges, the video games of his childhood quickly took over his imagination. He designed his own levels for Super Mario Bros. on sheets of grid paper. He ordered floppy disks with the Wolfenstein level editor built-in. He experimented with the Doom level editor, then eventually the Quake editor. However, despite being a part of this growing generation of designers with a dream to create console games that felt like some of their childhood favorites, it was never clear how exactly you get from hobbyist to career.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat gap, in the early 1990\u2019s in rural Michigan, is a very wide gap,\u201d Adam says.<\/p>\n
Upon graduating from the University of Michigan alongside Bekah, the Saltsmans made the move out to where the ever-growing indie scene was just beginning to flourish: Austin, Texas. An environment with excellent studios and cheap rent seemed the perfect place for Adam to cut his teeth and enter the industry. Unfortunately, getting your foot in the door at major developers of the time was much more complicated than anticipated, so he looked to other routes. In 2006, Adam transitioned into tech contractor work to dedicate sufficient time toward launching his and Bekah\u2019s new studio, Last Chance Media. Beginning with only a few days each month, the two created simple, arcade-feeling Flash and iOS games that promoted simple game mechanics and aesthetic sensibilities that fit into Adam\u2019s love for pixel art and incredible game soundtracks. Around this time, Adam\u2019s first major titles begin appearing: Canabalt, Gravity Hook, and Fathom. Adam\u2019s platformer, Fathom, had an especially intriguing finale that took some of his fans at the time by surprise \u2013 a boss fight you could not win.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\")
<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\nCanabalt<\/p>\n<\/article>\n
\u201cYou die, and you have this bizarre exploration experience,\u201d Adam says. \u201cYou find this door at the bottom of the ocean, it opens up, and you sink down into it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Until that point, the Saltsmans\u2019 stories in games always seemed to present something both unexpected and unnerving: a sinking robot, a crumbling city, a suffocating space mission. The games were always fun and engaging, but they had something larger to say. Each new project from Adam and Bekah were then examples of both creativity in design and were challenging the idea of what a game could even look like. That philosophy would eventually spur the change of Last Chance Media into their latest team-up and best-known collaboration: Finji.<\/p>\n
Finji Begins<\/span><\/h2>\nHaving scraped and saved for nearly 10 years, the Saltsmans were finally ready to unveil their development studio, Finji, on March 3, 2014, along with its first major internal project: Overland. It marked an exceptionally creative endeavor for Adam and Bekah, leaving behind action platforming in favor of eerie, strategic grid-based movement. Any given level is presented from a bird\u2019s eye view, showing various interactable elements for your character and hiding others within obscuring shadows.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe diorama, at a glance, should look like a little apocalyptic story,\u201d Adam said. \u201cThat was the rule for the level design: there should clearly be your characters, menacing forces and an escape route.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\nNight In The Woods<\/p>\n<\/article>\n
However, before they could reach that final product, the Saltsmans put out a very candid, transparent request on their blog, seeking animators and audio engineers who weren\u2019t looking to create something that sounded or looked like anything else on the market. Rather than base qualifications simply on prior experience or padded portfolios, they ensured interested artists were considered through paid, practical demos and tests that proved their intuition and problem-solving skills rather than simply their past work.<\/p>\n
Adam and Bekah have always been keenly aware of the toxicity in some of the gaming industry\u2019s highest-stake work environments, particularly regarding \u201ccrunch time\u201d before release. That attitude bleeds not only into their game development but also into their relationships with creators as studio publishers themselves. In fact, before they agreed to publish Tunic with creator Andrew Shouldice, they mentored him on the project for years prior. This way, Finji could view Shouldice\u2019s work on the game not only from a marketability, quality-assurance, or localization perspective (which was crucial) but also as fellow creative partners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\nI Was A Teenage Exocolonist<\/p>\n<\/article>\n
\u201cOur relationship didn’t start with a publishing negotiation; it started with them taking time to give a stranger some feedback and advice,\u201d Shouldice said. \u201cIt’s that willingness to help that I think makes them such an important part of the game development community.\u201d<\/p>\n
Another of Finji\u2019s published games, Wilmot\u2019s Warehouse, first appeared as a part of Humble Monthly on Steam, but creator Richard Hogg knew that in order to improve the game\u2019s performance and expand its audience, he would need a proper publisher. While Hogg had worked with various publishing groups before, it seemed that Finji was especially capable of providing a friendly, cooperative relationship in which everyone involved could have input on the game\u2019s design. Much like an indie record label that emerges from veteran bands supporting younger artists, Finji\u2019s own history in creating games sets it apart from other publishers.<\/p>\n
\u201cFinji is exactly like this, and, just like with those labels, there is an integrity and a camaraderie that naturally comes out of it,\u201d Hogg said.<\/p>\n
Ten years after those initial Overland blog posts, Finji is still looking for projects unlike anything else and continues to make space for game developers and creators who wouldn\u2019t usually be in the room. In Adam\u2019s experience, he\u2019s found that indie developers often fit into two modes: People who want to make games just like their favorites or people who want to make games that correct the flaws in those same titles and invent something new. More often, however, a Finji game fits in neither category. There would be no Chicory: A Colorful Tale without Link\u2019s Awakening. No Canabalt without Mirror\u2019s Edge. No Night In The Woods without one of Adam\u2019s own personal favorites: Kentucky Route Zero.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou are giving the player an experience they otherwise would not have had,\u201d Bekah said. \u201cThey are able to experience games in a way that they\u2019ve never experienced games before. That idea is fed through Night In The Woods.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\nWilmot’s Warehouse<\/p>\n<\/article>\n
Seven years since Night In The Woods\u2019 initial release, the game continues to leave as much of an impact as it did when fans first played it. Its casual platforming roots meant for an especially approachable gaming experience, and Scott Benson\u2019s wholly unique art direction helped the game transcend its medium and find itself in myriad forms; fan art, tattoo designs, cosplays, and more.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere were thousands upon thousands of responses on social media, from people who discovered it last week to people who discovered it seven years ago, talking about how that game not only changed what games were for them but also changed them as a person,\u201d Bekah said.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.gameinformer.com\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/body_default\/public\/2024\/05\/21\/c45066e4\/02_0.jpg\")
<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\nCanabalt<\/p>\n<\/article>\n
\u201cYou die, and you have this bizarre exploration experience,\u201d Adam says. \u201cYou find this door at the bottom of the ocean, it opens up, and you sink down into it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Until that point, the Saltsmans\u2019 stories in games always seemed to present something both unexpected and unnerving: a sinking robot, a crumbling city, a suffocating space mission. The games were always fun and engaging, but they had something larger to say. Each new project from Adam and Bekah were then examples of both creativity in design and were challenging the idea of what a game could even look like. That philosophy would eventually spur the change of Last Chance Media into their latest team-up and best-known collaboration: Finji.<\/p>\n
Finji Begins<\/span><\/h2>\nHaving scraped and saved for nearly 10 years, the Saltsmans were finally ready to unveil their development studio, Finji, on March 3, 2014, along with its first major internal project: Overland. It marked an exceptionally creative endeavor for Adam and Bekah, leaving behind action platforming in favor of eerie, strategic grid-based movement. Any given level is presented from a bird\u2019s eye view, showing various interactable elements for your character and hiding others within obscuring shadows.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe diorama, at a glance, should look like a little apocalyptic story,\u201d Adam said. \u201cThat was the rule for the level design: there should clearly be your characters, menacing forces and an escape route.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\nNight In The Woods<\/p>\n<\/article>\n
However, before they could reach that final product, the Saltsmans put out a very candid, transparent request on their blog, seeking animators and audio engineers who weren\u2019t looking to create something that sounded or looked like anything else on the market. Rather than base qualifications simply on prior experience or padded portfolios, they ensured interested artists were considered through paid, practical demos and tests that proved their intuition and problem-solving skills rather than simply their past work.<\/p>\n
Adam and Bekah have always been keenly aware of the toxicity in some of the gaming industry\u2019s highest-stake work environments, particularly regarding \u201ccrunch time\u201d before release. That attitude bleeds not only into their game development but also into their relationships with creators as studio publishers themselves. In fact, before they agreed to publish Tunic with creator Andrew Shouldice, they mentored him on the project for years prior. This way, Finji could view Shouldice\u2019s work on the game not only from a marketability, quality-assurance, or localization perspective (which was crucial) but also as fellow creative partners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\nI Was A Teenage Exocolonist<\/p>\n<\/article>\n
\u201cOur relationship didn’t start with a publishing negotiation; it started with them taking time to give a stranger some feedback and advice,\u201d Shouldice said. \u201cIt’s that willingness to help that I think makes them such an important part of the game development community.\u201d<\/p>\n
Another of Finji\u2019s published games, Wilmot\u2019s Warehouse, first appeared as a part of Humble Monthly on Steam, but creator Richard Hogg knew that in order to improve the game\u2019s performance and expand its audience, he would need a proper publisher. While Hogg had worked with various publishing groups before, it seemed that Finji was especially capable of providing a friendly, cooperative relationship in which everyone involved could have input on the game\u2019s design. Much like an indie record label that emerges from veteran bands supporting younger artists, Finji\u2019s own history in creating games sets it apart from other publishers.<\/p>\n
\u201cFinji is exactly like this, and, just like with those labels, there is an integrity and a camaraderie that naturally comes out of it,\u201d Hogg said.<\/p>\n
Ten years after those initial Overland blog posts, Finji is still looking for projects unlike anything else and continues to make space for game developers and creators who wouldn\u2019t usually be in the room. In Adam\u2019s experience, he\u2019s found that indie developers often fit into two modes: People who want to make games just like their favorites or people who want to make games that correct the flaws in those same titles and invent something new. More often, however, a Finji game fits in neither category. There would be no Chicory: A Colorful Tale without Link\u2019s Awakening. No Canabalt without Mirror\u2019s Edge. No Night In The Woods without one of Adam\u2019s own personal favorites: Kentucky Route Zero.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou are giving the player an experience they otherwise would not have had,\u201d Bekah said. \u201cThey are able to experience games in a way that they\u2019ve never experienced games before. That idea is fed through Night In The Woods.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\nWilmot’s Warehouse<\/p>\n<\/article>\n
Seven years since Night In The Woods\u2019 initial release, the game continues to leave as much of an impact as it did when fans first played it. Its casual platforming roots meant for an especially approachable gaming experience, and Scott Benson\u2019s wholly unique art direction helped the game transcend its medium and find itself in myriad forms; fan art, tattoo designs, cosplays, and more.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere were thousands upon thousands of responses on social media, from people who discovered it last week to people who discovered it seven years ago, talking about how that game not only changed what games were for them but also changed them as a person,\u201d Bekah said.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.gameinformer.com\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/body_default\/public\/2024\/05\/21\/fd1eb4a2\/03_0.jpg\")
<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\nNight In The Woods<\/p>\n<\/article>\n
However, before they could reach that final product, the Saltsmans put out a very candid, transparent request on their blog, seeking animators and audio engineers who weren\u2019t looking to create something that sounded or looked like anything else on the market. Rather than base qualifications simply on prior experience or padded portfolios, they ensured interested artists were considered through paid, practical demos and tests that proved their intuition and problem-solving skills rather than simply their past work.<\/p>\n
Adam and Bekah have always been keenly aware of the toxicity in some of the gaming industry\u2019s highest-stake work environments, particularly regarding \u201ccrunch time\u201d before release. That attitude bleeds not only into their game development but also into their relationships with creators as studio publishers themselves. In fact, before they agreed to publish Tunic with creator Andrew Shouldice, they mentored him on the project for years prior. This way, Finji could view Shouldice\u2019s work on the game not only from a marketability, quality-assurance, or localization perspective (which was crucial) but also as fellow creative partners.<\/p>\n I Was A Teenage Exocolonist<\/p>\n<\/article>\n \u201cOur relationship didn’t start with a publishing negotiation; it started with them taking time to give a stranger some feedback and advice,\u201d Shouldice said. \u201cIt’s that willingness to help that I think makes them such an important part of the game development community.\u201d<\/p>\n Another of Finji\u2019s published games, Wilmot\u2019s Warehouse, first appeared as a part of Humble Monthly on Steam, but creator Richard Hogg knew that in order to improve the game\u2019s performance and expand its audience, he would need a proper publisher. While Hogg had worked with various publishing groups before, it seemed that Finji was especially capable of providing a friendly, cooperative relationship in which everyone involved could have input on the game\u2019s design. Much like an indie record label that emerges from veteran bands supporting younger artists, Finji\u2019s own history in creating games sets it apart from other publishers.<\/p>\n \u201cFinji is exactly like this, and, just like with those labels, there is an integrity and a camaraderie that naturally comes out of it,\u201d Hogg said.<\/p>\n Ten years after those initial Overland blog posts, Finji is still looking for projects unlike anything else and continues to make space for game developers and creators who wouldn\u2019t usually be in the room. In Adam\u2019s experience, he\u2019s found that indie developers often fit into two modes: People who want to make games just like their favorites or people who want to make games that correct the flaws in those same titles and invent something new. More often, however, a Finji game fits in neither category. There would be no Chicory: A Colorful Tale without Link\u2019s Awakening. No Canabalt without Mirror\u2019s Edge. No Night In The Woods without one of Adam\u2019s own personal favorites: Kentucky Route Zero.<\/p>\n \u201cYou are giving the player an experience they otherwise would not have had,\u201d Bekah said. \u201cThey are able to experience games in a way that they\u2019ve never experienced games before. That idea is fed through Night In The Woods.\u201d<\/p>\n Wilmot’s Warehouse<\/p>\n<\/article>\n Seven years since Night In The Woods\u2019 initial release, the game continues to leave as much of an impact as it did when fans first played it. Its casual platforming roots meant for an especially approachable gaming experience, and Scott Benson\u2019s wholly unique art direction helped the game transcend its medium and find itself in myriad forms; fan art, tattoo designs, cosplays, and more.<\/p>\n \u201cThere were thousands upon thousands of responses on social media, from people who discovered it last week to people who discovered it seven years ago, talking about how that game not only changed what games were for them but also changed them as a person,\u201d Bekah said.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.gameinformer.com\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/body_default\/public\/2024\/05\/21\/83dfcb09\/04_0.jpg\")
<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.gameinformer.com\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/body_default\/public\/2024\/05\/21\/1a956353\/05_1.jpg\")
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