Have you ever complimented a notice for doing its job well? Finley, the protagonist of Fall of Porcupine has. And while it might seem like a weird thing to do, it is a perfect example of his humor and optimism.
Finley’s personality is an important trait that helps us, the player, navigate the relationships and heavy themes of Fall of Porcupine. This cheer, along with the beautiful, whimsical art of the game creates a stark contrast in which to examine the struggles of healthcare professionals. Especially in struggling or faulty healthcare systems.
We, at GamesHorizon, got a chance to review Fall of Porcupine, and we adored it. After our playthrough, we were curious about some of the decisions the developers had made. This curiosity birthed questions that Sebastian Heße, the lead Game and Story Designer for Fall of Porcupine, was kind enough to answer.
Developer responses have been lightly edited for length and clarity.
What was the inspiration and goal behind picking a topic like a faulty healthcare system?
Sebastian: The inspiration came from reality. I had a lot of talks with relatives and friends who work in the healthcare system. We realized that there is a lot of potential in their personal stories. We want to show that you can find immersive adventures in a real-life setting, without the need for an epic hero journey to save the universe. And of course, we want the players to pay attention to the real people, who do their best in healthcare on an everyday basis.
How do Finley’s optimism, humor, and position as a Junior Doctor fit into this narrative?
Sebastian: The topic itself delivers enough potential for emotional, critical, and serious storytelling. Finley faces the positive but especially the negative sides of his new job. By writing Finley as an optimistic and humorous character, we were able to show his conflict even better.
How did you go about deciding on the type of characters needed to create such an eclectic town?
Sebastian: A lot of characters are inspired by real people and experiences. Each resident of Porcupine has his or her role in this small society and helps to understand the dynamic between the city and the hospital.
What were the challenges with creating Porcupine, balancing narrative, mini-games, and exploration?
Sebastian: The hardest thing was to tell a strict but open story for 7+ hours. From time to time, you get to the point where you write yourself into a dead end or the storyline does not fit the gameplay loop and you end up with empty or repetitive gameplay. In the long process of development, your testing period is short and late, so it’s most important to fix each element as soon as possible, and find flexible solutions for these dead ends.
What can the player look forward to when exploring Porcupine? Both the town and the game itself?
Sebastian: Players can explore the city, the people, and the hospital at their own pace. Within the linear storyline, you can choose what you want to do or not. You can walk through the city to meet the residents and get to know their daily life, or you can take the bus to be at work as fast as possible. In the hospital, the players have insights into the daily life of healthcare workers, with all its ups and downs as well as the funny, absurd, and sad moments.
Fall of Porcupine is about interacting with characters and their respective roles. But of course, you also have to treat your patients. Several types of short-game mechanics are spread all over the game.
There are no HUD or objective markers. This highlights the art a lot and makes the screen look like an episode of my favorite cartoon. Was this intentional?
Sebastian: Kind of, yes! We chose the cartoony art style to make the topic more fun and comfortable for the players. Also, the sadder and more serious situations have a greater impact.
What are you hoping the player will experience and remember as they go through the town of Porcupine?
Sebastian: Firstly, I hope the players will enjoy the game as much as we enjoyed making it. I hope that players of Fall of Porcupine will remember Finley and his story for years to come and think about the situation of the healthcare system and especially appreciate the people who work in it.
Will the team continue to improve the Fall of Porcupine experience? Or are you guys already working on your next project?
Sebastian: Of course, we will work towards improving the experience. We are a small team, but with the feedback of our friendly community, we’ll do our best to make Fall of Porcupine as cozy, fun, and immersive as possible.
The CRITICAL RABBIT team is already working on the next project, but at this point, we’ll have to wait a little longer before we can share more information with you 🙂
Fall of Porcupine is available to play on Steam, GOG, PlayStation Store, and the Microsoft Store for PC and Xbox.
