With Playtopia, the annual destination of Indie Games & Immersive Arts festival and conference set to return in 2024, GIA has partnered with the event to share insights from the crop of supremely talented creators in attendance. Next up in a series of speaker interviews is founder of Free Lives – Evan Greenwood

Would you kindly provide some background into who you are, your entry into the games industry and how you came into your current position?
I started a studio called Free Lives. We’ve been creating hit games since 2012. I got into this position through making lots of little games, then some bigger games, then some commercially successful games, and I did so in South Africa a little earlier than most – so instead of me joining a super cool video game company, I had to start a super cool video game company.

For the uninitiated, what role does a producer play in game development?
The particulars of the producer’s role will change from game to game. But, a producer’s primary function is always to enable the team to create their best work. The producer is the person with a high level view of the game’s progress, who will be looking for blockages in the chain of tasks that are needed to complete the game. In larger games this may involve facilitating communication between teams, in smaller groups this might be acting as the buffer between publishers and the creatives. It will always involve some degree of scheduling, thinking about deadlines, and constant worrying about the health, both physically and emotionally, of the team making the game.

Where has a lot of your inspiration for titles such as Broforce and Genital Jousting come from and how do you view the evolving landscape of game design across the continent?
At Free Lives we practice a playful attitude towards game development. A lot of companies might say they are trying to stay playful, but we are truly serious about playfulness. Our process is to just make the silly things we are talking about, and to worry about the business side further down the line (where the normal approach is to do it the other way around). As a result, we release some weird games, but the thing outsiders do not see is that we make a ton of prototypes, many even weirder, but we only pursue the very few games that pass our rigorous testing process.

You cut your teeth partaking in game jams at an early age, how crucial do you view this past time to priming the next generation of developers and game designers and what work do you see Free Lives doing to enable those opportunities?
For anyone that wishes to be a game designer, game jams are a non-negotiable activity. There is no other way to get the experience needed to design great games. Just like a fine artist will need to paint many paintings before they can paint a truly great one. But, while most creatives will benefit from game jams, it’s only game designers for which it is truly critical!

There are many many other ways into the video games industry, all of these ways involve developing a skill that is useful to a team making games. Because games are interactive multimedia experiences this can be from nearly any direction, involving nearly any discipline. But once you have such a skill, you’ve still got to show up. I would suggest you show up at a game jam.

Free Lives, through The Playtopia Foundation, hosts a game jam every month at the Maker’s Massive in Cape Town. In addition, the foundation also pays developers to prototype their ideas through a program we call the “Jam Dole”. Visit the Free Lives website if you would like to get involved. (https://freelives.net/foundation/)

Beyond the South African scene are there any other creators across the continent you view as being on the verge of making the step up internationally?
Keep an eye on Team Lazerbeam! Their game “Shroom And Gloom” is getting a lot of international attention. It was noticed by Rock Paper Shotgun and it shows a ton of potential.

What are your expectations for Playtopia?
Every year Playtopia exceeds my expectations, which has left me thrilled and bewildered. I don’t know what to expect anymore, other than I’m going to have an awesome time celebrating video games with the most inspiring creators from all over the world.

Check out the full program and consider joining Playtopia, which will run from December 6th to 7th December 2024 in Cape Town.