As a media partner for the Southeast Asian Games Showcase, MonsterVine had the chance to talk to Work Work Work Game Director Elwin about the upcoming adventure game about everything from its distinct pixel-art visuals to making the mundanity of an office job immersive and enjoyable. The title doesn’t have a release date at this time, but can be wishlisted on Steam.
“WORK. DIE. REPEAT,” reads the game’s official tagline. “Can you break out from the sinister cycle?”
A Space for the Unbound and Work Work Work both have incredible pixel art. What is it about that style that keeps you coming back to it for your stories?
We have a certain attachment to pixel art because the games we played and loved in our childhood were made in pixel art. And the fact that it still looks as beautiful as it was makes us realize its special quality of timelessness. Furthermore, compared to other art styles, it has a low entry barrier and is easy to adopt and learn, which means it allows us to recruit and train artists into our team.
Similarly, both are adventure games. How did creating A Space for the Unbound influence the decisions you made while developing Work Work Work?
After releasing A Space for the Unbound, we learned the strengths and weaknesses of ourselves as game developers: delivering memorable, thought-provoking stories with relatable characters, while keeping honest and true in expressing ourselves and our identity. With Work Work Work, we focused on delivering the same experience, polishing our craft in puzzle design, while exploring new settings, new themes, and new twists.
Credit: Toge Productions
How did you balance having the “work tasks,” such as the CAPTCHAs and the like, be both enjoyable for players and repetitive enough to fit the intentionally “dull” office setting?
Well, designing the “work task” was actually one of the struggles we found early in development. Creating a “work task” that is both fun and mundane at the same time seems unintuitive, so instead we keep the player immersed in its mundanity and reward the player with something intrinsic, such as a story and secrets to be uncovered, rather than instant gratification.
I like the desktop mascot’s design quite a lot in the game. What was the design process for them like?
Thank you for appreciating the handsomeness of our little guy. His name is Hustler. Dimas Novan, the Art Director for Work Work Work, is responsible for the Hustler’s concept and creation. He combined the 1960s anime aesthetics with an overbearing and cheeky personality that is typical of a desktop mascot. We hope you won’t mind him constantly reminding you to be productive.
Credit: Toge Productions
What’s something that you hope people take away from playing Work Work Work?
By playing Work Work Work, we want our players to enjoy their experience solving challenging puzzles and engaging with its story and characters. But if I’m allowed to hope, I want the players to find themselves questioning what the meaning of “work” is.
