By the power of email, we spoke to Lente – a solo indie game developer from The Netherlands who lives on a boat! While renovating said boat, she started working on the wonderfully wholesome Spilled!, a relaxing eco-conscious game in which you clean up oil spills… With a boat! So hop on board, discover her story and our favourite new video game:
SPILLED! THE INTERVIEW
THE JOURNALIX: Who are you and how did you come to develop a video game?
LENTE: My name is Lente, I am a Dutch 24 year old. I’ve been making games as a hobby for close to 10 years now. Games and computers have always interested me!
THE J: And it’s true you live and game on a boat?!
LENTE: Yes! At the end of 2022, alongside leaving school to pursue my indie passion, I bought my own small boat to live on! This allowed me to spend more time working on my game, while keeping my costs lower than if I were to rent an apartment.
SPILLED! – THE COSY CLEAN-UP GAME
THE J: What were your gaming inspirations behind this game? I’m getting vibes of A Short Hike or is this more like Power Wash Simulator?
LENTE: I love the graphics of A Short Hike. It’s definitely an inspiration, at least graphics wise. In terms of gameplay it is probably more similar to Power Wash Simulator indeed.
THE J: How do you ensure you’re not copying what are obviously still great ideas in gaming?!
LENTE: I feel like Spilled! is an original creation and can’t really be copied by others due to its unique story behind it. That said, I’m sure I’ve been inspired by plenty of other games, but I don’t think that’s a bad thing!
GRAPHICS UPGRADE
THE J: How big is the development team for this?
LENTE: The development team now consists of 2 people: Me and Starbi. Starbi is a Tech Artist that worked on the graphics update for Spilled! and will keep working on the game alongside me up until and after release. That said, most of the development has been done by me.
THE J: And how happy with the outcome of the graphics upgrade?
LENTE: Very happy! It’s what I had imagined for the game since the very start, I just lacked the technical skills to actually make it look like that.
ECO-FRIENDLY
THE J: Are you inspired by the idea of using this platform for political reasons or is playability the main motivation?
LENTE: It’s definitely a nice bonus! I am determined to make an experience that is both genuinely fun, but can also raise awareness on the topic.
THE J: What can the average gamer do to help support the environmental cause?
LENTE: I’d say a good start is to learn about it! I am currently learning a lot about our carbon footprint for instance.
THE J: There has been a lot of hype around this since it was first announced, are you feeling the pressure to deliver what the fans want?
LENTE: There is definitely some pressure! But most of all I’m really happy that it’s going so well already. I have a good idea of what I want Spilled! to be like, and won’t be pressured into expanding it a lot.
THE FUTURE
THE J: How big are your own personal ambitions?
LENTE: I’d say they are pretty modest. If I’m able to sustain myself while making games, I’ll be pretty happy. That said, sometimes I fantasise about growing beyond that. Maybe hiring more people and making more eco-conscious games. But yeah, the other part of me just wants to chill and make smaller games.
THE J: What does the future hold for you? Will there be a Spilled! sequel…?
LENTE: //
THE J: Finally, can you recommend a book, a film and some music for our readers?
LENTE: I love the book (and film) Where The Crawdads Sing – The story follows an abandoned yet defiant girl, Kya, who raises herself to adulthood in a North Carolina marshland, becoming a naturalist in the process.