Key insights

• 🚀 🚀 A small, inexperienced team can achieve remarkable results in game development through passion and ambition.
• 🎤 🎤 Expedition 33 is actively seeking voice actors, demonstrating the team's grassroots approach to development.
• 📈 📈 The studio expanded rapidly, growing from a core team of six to over 15 members, primarily junior engineers.
• 🎮 🎮 Kepler Interactive's collaboration provided financial backing, allowing for enhanced production capabilities and team growth.
• 🌟 🌟 The game was revealed at the Xbox Game Showcase after a successful six-year development journey, showcasing strong collaboration with the publisher.
• 💰 💰 Expedition 33 sold over 2 million copies in just 12 days, highlighting its critical and commercial success.
• 😊 😊 The development team prioritized player enjoyment over profit, which was key to achieving their goals.
• 🎬 🎬 Plans for a live-action film adaptation of the game franchise were discussed, expanding the project's universe.

Q&A

• What philosophy guided the development team during the creation of Expedition 33? ❤️

  The development team prioritized passion and respect for the player experience over profit-focused strategies. They aimed to create a game they genuinely wanted to play, avoiding unnecessary revenue-driven elements that could detract from the game design, which they believe is essential for long-term success in the gaming industry.

• What has been the commercial success of Expedition 33? 📊

  Expedition 33 has achieved massive commercial success, selling over 2 million copies within just 12 days of release. It quickly ranked among the top 10 most popular games on Steam, highlighting the effectiveness of the team's passionate approach to game design and player enjoyment.

• How was the gameplay of Expedition 33 received after its reveal? 🌟

  At the Xbox Game Showcase in June 2024, Expedition 33 was presented as a nearly complete game, showcasing the team's strong vision and development efforts. The gameplay reveal led to overwhelmingly positive feedback from viewers, indicating that only minor adjustments were necessary.

• What role does Kepler Interactive play in the development of Expedition 33? 💰

  Kepler Interactive, founded to support indie developers, partnered with Sandfall Interactive to fund the game Expedition 33. This collaboration enabled the team to shift to Unreal Engine 5, expand its workforce, and create a motion capture studio, ensuring a high-quality development process.

• What challenges did the team face during development? ⏳

  The team faced the challenge of learning game development from scratch, spending the first two years understanding Unreal Engine and creating a workable prototype. They also needed to effectively communicate and collaborate as a rapidly growing team while maintaining their creative vision throughout a six-year development cycle.

• How has the development team of Expedition 33 evolved? 📈

  The development team initially started with six members and rapidly expanded to over 22, mainly consisting of junior engineers. This growth was made possible by a partnership with Kepler Interactive, which provided funding and resources to enhance team capabilities and secure professional voice actors.

• Who are the key people involved in the creation of Expedition 33? 🚀

  The project was initiated by Guom Brush, who transitioned from mobile game development at Ubisoft to pursue a more meaningful endeavor. The lead writer, Jennifer Schwedberg Yen, was found through auditions on Reddit, and the composer Laurian Testart was discovered on Soundcloud.

• What is Expedition 33 about? 🎮

  Expedition 33 is a visually stunning RPG developed by a passionate, small team in an effort to create a meaningful gaming experience. It represents the journey of a group of inexperienced individuals aiming to make a significant impact in the game development industry, showcasing their commitment to creativity and storytelling.

• 00:00 🚀 Expedition 33 is being developed by a small team of inexperienced individuals, demonstrating how passion and ambition can achieve remarkable results in game development, even against larger industry norms.
• 02:58 The development of the game 'Sandfall' began with the founders exploring Unreal Engine 4, naming the project related to time, and assembling a passionate team, including a lead writer from Reddit auditions. The search for a composer also started on Soundcloud, leading to the discovery of Laurian Testart. 🎮
• 05:35 🎮 The video discusses the formation and growth of a video game development team that began as a grassroots effort, rapidly expanding from six to over 15 members and creating a promising prototype for their game, Expedition 33, to attract investors.
• 08:25 Kepler Interactive, a small indie publisher, collaborates with Sandfall Interactive to fund and develop the game Expedition 33, utilizing both financial backing and a talented voice cast to enhance the project 🚀.
• 10:51 In June 2024, Sandfall Interactive unveiled their game Expedition 33 at the Xbox Game Showcase after a remarkable 6-year development journey, showcasing a well-developed vision and strong collaboration with their publisher. 🎮
• 13:43 🎮 Expedition 33 has been a massive success, selling over 2 million copies in just 12 days and earning praise from both critics and gamers. The development team prioritized passion and player enjoyment over profit, which is key to their achievement.