Recently, one of the many indie games that I have been playing and enjoying is the Steam Early Access title Soviet Jump Game. After my friend Antonia linked me to a Game Grumps playthrough of it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e6xb8KDYOHM&t=943s
I began playing it for myself and since I’ve hardly been able to put it down. Soviet Jump Game is a 2D side-scrolling battle royale whereby players compete against each other in a last-man-standing battle by either stomping on each other or using various different power-ups acquired across a game map with several different biomes inspired by the culture and history of the USSR. After playing the game for some time I then wrote a first impressions article, but I also decided to reach out to the game’s principal designer Thom Glunt of Fantastic Passion based in California.
I had a lot of questions about this game for Thom ahead of its full release, as I’ve not been as excited about an upcoming indie game as I have been about Soviet Jump Game for a long time and I wanted to find out as much information about it as possible. Thom got back to me with the answers recently and here’s what he had to say about Soviet Jump Game:
How did the general concept of the game first come about?
By late 2018 it felt like Battle Royale’s have pervaded every genre of video game and I thought it would be funny if someone made a BR as a classic side scroller. Then I realized that I would really like to play that so I talked to Game Grumps and they were psyched on it too.
How has it been to experience such an influx of interest surrounding your game and the huge fanbase it has already garnished even before its full release?
I just hope it brings people some joy.
How did your association with Game Grumps and their publishing of Soviet Jump Game come about?
It’s a boring story.
Would you like the relationship between you and Game Grumps to continue in the future?
I have nothing but good things to say about them. They’ve been a great partner and have trusted us to make the game. I’ve approached them a few times for input and ideas and between Arin, Vernon, Greg, and Brent (and others) I’ve always left a good idea or new perspective on something.
Is there anything you can share in regards to any possible new content to be added to the game before its full release?
I think with the Daily civic duties and party feature we are going to hold off on adding major new features until release. We’ve been focusing on Bug fixes, network optimization, polish, and a bit of future content for the time being.
What’s next for you and Fantastic Passion?
Right now we’re just focused on making SJG and giving it the attention it deserves. When that’s finished I plan on climbing some mountains while I figure out if the next game will be a Fantastic Passion game or another game with my friend Stephen as Pixel Titans.
What other genres of gaming would you and the rest of Fantastic Passion like to develop for in the future?
I want Fantastic Passion’s focus to be on smaller fun games that we can develop in a year and a half on average. That way we can play with some unique ideas and try to keep things fun.
To me, Soviet Jump Game has one of the catchiest video game soundtracks I’ve heard in a long time. What was it about Alex Yoder’s music style that led to you choosing him to compose for the game?
First off Alex is a beast! It was his amazing soundtrack for CRAWL (Check it out!) and a recommendation from Barney Cumming and that was all I needed to reach out. I am pretty picky when it comes to what I look for with music for my games. I was lucky to work with Amos Roddy (ToyTree) on my first game (STRAFE®) and he set a high bar. Receiving a new track from Alex is like Christmas. I get psyched and have to share it with the team, we may have some new tracks coming soon.
What are yours and the development team’s characters of choice whilst playing?
My opinion changes weekly but right now I like Lil Jojo, Harrison seems to main Spots, Nick likes Artem and that’s all I can remember off the top of my head.
Do you and Fantastic Passion see Soviet Jump Game developing into a series of games further down the lines?
To be honest, I have no idea, I’m just taking it as it comes.
If you had the chance to develop for any mainstream development company or work on any gaming series, which one would it be?
I’d love to make a demake of Rage with id software. Since it was their only current IP to not exist in the 90’s I would like to make that game had a Rage been made in 1998 after Quake 2.
Would you be in favor of the idea of Soviet Jump Game being open to modding?
I don’t think it’s a good idea for this one, but I like the idea of modding in general.
Do you have any advice to give to any aspiring developers who may be reading this?
If you love videogames like truly love them and want to make them I trust that you’ll find a way. Inspiration is infectious. If you are psyched about making a game and can get some momentum other people will want a ride. Also, luck and privilege are factors unfortunately, it’s rarely easy.
I’ve won 88 out of 191 games so far, having racked up 628 kills, 10540 coins, and dealt 1241 damage at level 26. Could I be considered a loyal servant of the state?
Yes.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
Thanks to everyone who’s played the game or shared it with a friend! We hope you’ll like what we have in store. Stay safe and healthy out there.
I’d also like to take this opportunity to thank Thom for taking the time out to answer what questions I had about the game; especially since the developers seem to have been hard at work with recently as the game has recently undergone a lot of graphical changes compared to the previous build. If anyone reading wishes to check this title out, it’s free to play via the link below:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1072710/Soviet_Jump_Game/
If anyone also wants to check out Alex Yoder’s website and his various works, here’s the link:
I’ve been playing this game a lot over the last few weeks and I cannot wait for what the final build of the game will have to offer, as can’t everyone else who has played this exciting upcoming title. I hope you guys enjoyed reading this Q&A as much I enjoyed writing it and I’ll be back soon with my next article.
Game on,
Scouse Gamer 88