As I just happen to be a huge fan of horror games, movies, and books I simply couldn’t resist the urge to reach out to Madmind Studio for an interview request since they just happen to develop some very unique horror games.
Well, done and said, and Madmind Studio agreed on doing an interview with us =) (hell yeah!)
Anyways, I think you get the idea. So as I was saying, just recently I sat down with Tomasz Dutkiewicz (the CEO and founder of Madmind Studio) and we ended up talking about everything from the upcoming release of “Succubus“, the success story behind “Agony“, Madmind Studio’s brand-new game project (“PARANOID“) to Tomasz thoughts on censorship at large.
So, with that said, please enjoy our interview with Madmind Studio =)
Robin TGG
Thank you so much for taking your time to sit down and talk to us =) And with that said, please go ahead and introduce yourself to our readers.
Tomasz Madmind Studio
Hello, Thanks for your interest in our company and games! My name is Tomasz Dutkiewicz and I am the CEO at Madmind Studio.
Robin TGG
Could you perhaps tell us how Madmind Studio came to be? (when, where, how and why) And what has the journey been like since the Madmind studio opened up its doors?
Tomasz Madmind Studio
In fact, it all started with the publication of the prototype Agony gameplay (then also known as “Sacred Agony”. This material met with great interest, thanks to which it was possible to gain an investor, and thus – to establish Madmind Studio. Initially, the team had only 9 people, good friends with whom I had previously worked on various games over recent years.
Although we were in different parts of Poland in that time, we all believed in the project and the prospects it offered, finally opening the company headquarters in Bydgoszcz. With time, as the project developed, more people were joining the company. Currently, our team has 18 employees and it is still growing.
Robin TGG
”Agony” was your very first game, and it sure brought a lot of attention to itself when it launched in back in May of 2018 duo to it’s dark, mature and erotic content.
So, just out of pure curiosity, how did the ”Agony” project even came to be in the first place? And what was it that made you pick the theme and setting that you did for ” Agony”?
Tomasz Madmind Studio
The idea for the game itself was born a long time ago, at a time when I didn’t even work in the game industry. Being a great fan of the Doom series and classic horror movies I thought, that there is a gap in the market for a game whose action will be set entirely in the afterworld. Hell seemed to me to be the most obvious and proper place to place the action of a horror movie.
The idea for the game first existed only as conceptual graphics, draft character designs. The world of the game itself, hell, has always been in the area of my interest, and the various visions of the abyss described throughout history by numerous cultures gave rise to a lot of creativity and inspiration.
Designing your own vision of hell was actually a fascinating experience and still is. Over time, when I have managed to find employment in the gaming industry and gain some experience, I thought it was a good time to share my game idea with the players. As it turned out, the prototype already met with great enthusiasm, which motivated me to pursue my work on the game.
Robin TGG
What has the feedback and response been like since the release of ”Agony”? And were you happy with the end result of your game? And is there anything that you regret or wish that you could have changed before the full release of ”Agony”?
Tomasz Madmind Studio
The premiere of Agony taught us a lot. The very production process of this game was met with numerous difficulties. For example, as an inexperienced team, we signed contracts that we were not able to fulfill without significant changes in the project.
This made the game unnecessarily long and some of the functionality had to be cut out. We were not able to deliver a game of the quality we would be proud of for the premiere. However, it was a valuable lesson from which we learned a lot, and the mistakes we made at that time now allow us to better organize our work and have more transparent contact with the players.
Robin TGG
It’s now the year 2020, and Madmind Studio is very much in the spotlight yet again, but this time with a brand-new game title called
”Succubus”. So, for those who don’t know what ” Succubus” is all about, could you perhaps give us a short introduction of the game?
Tomasz Madmind Studio
Succubus is a spin-off Agony. This time, however, we decided to go in a different direction, creating a more dynamic action game, where horror is the setting of the game itself and we gave a large dose of gore.
The main heroine is Vydija (a succubus known from Agony), who became the queen of hell after the events of Agony. With time, however, the heroine began to realize that her wild nature does not correspond to the luxury of life in the palace.
She decided to head again to the dangerous regions of hell and focus on what gave her the most fun – fighting, hunting and torture.
Robin TGG
Surely I can’t be the only one that has noticed that Madmind Studio has this taste for demonic and hellish themes. So, why is that? And is that something which you have always been interested in? Because I highly doubt that it’s just there for the shock value.
Tomasz Madmind Studio
As I mentioned above, demons and the dark worlds have always seemed to me to be a fascinating and worth researching topic. I also wanted to make Hell in our version a more universal world. Relying solely on a single vision of a given culture would have been a strong constraint on us.
Thanks to another solution, we can allow ourselves a large dose of creativity and develop the Agony brand in many different ways, as Succubus is an example.
From the very beginning, it was important for the team, and for me personally, to offer the players an uncompromising vision of hell, full of pain, suffering and blood. Seeing whole locations made of dices and meat certainly shocks the audience, but this is the style of game we have chosen.
We want the players who reach for the game, the action of which takes place in hell, to experience terrifying images that will stay in their imagination for a long time.
Among other things, it was the brutal vision of hell we presented in Agony that attracted so many fans to the game. The action of Succubus takes place in the same world, which means that we try to continue our original assumptions.
Robin TGG
Will ” Succubus” been even more lewd and brutal than ”Agony”? And will the game be fully uncensored on release? And what were your sources of inspiration while creating ” Succubus”?
Tomasz Madmind Studio
I think so. Succubus tells the story of a brutal and unscrupulous demon of sex. The sole fact of incarnation in this type of character suggests that we will experience its demonic nature in the game.
Many times, we had to stop for a moment during the production process to try to look at the world through the eyes of this character.
What would she do if she saw the martyr crucified? Would she free him? Or maybe she would just kill him? Considering her nature, certainly not. That’s why we try to make sure that all the scenes in the game correspond with her character. We do not necessarily judge whether a given execution will be shocking in reception or not.
For our heroine, it is an ordinary day in her life, and bathing in a pool of blood full of broken limbs is something that does not impress her much. Going for a Succubus, players will have to accept that they are just looking at the world by the eyes of a bloodthirsty demon, and that will require courage and a strong stomach.
Robin TGG
What could you tell us about Vydija and her role in the game? And how did you even come up with her character and her role in ” Succubus”?
Vydija is a character that the players have already met in Agony, and Succubus continues the story of this heroine, this time putting her at the center of events.
Tomasz Madmind Studio
We wanted her to represent her race without standing out from other succubuses. However, the change of events in Agony made Vydija a very important figure in the hellish hierarchy. Sitting on the throne next to a new king, Nimrod, Vydija became a new queen, thus becoming an object of worship and honor.
With the passing of time, Vydija decided to leave her palace in order to let her animal instincts take over again.
At the beginning of her journey in Succubus, the heroine will experience humiliation from demons who want to defeat the new king.
Driven by a desire for revenge, Vydija will go hunting again as she regains her strength, not only to stop the attack on Nimrod’s Palace, but above all to prove that she is deserving of her high position.
Robin TGG
What exactly can players expect to get out of ” Succubus”? And can you give some reasons why players should be excited for ” Succubus”?
Tomasz Madmind Studio
Only a few games can provide such strong emotions as Succubus. It’s a great game to relax after a hard day at work or at university. We designed the levels in such a way that they are short and action-oriented.
So you can jump into the game, choose any level on the world map and enjoy a spectacular, brutal action for 20 minutes, then change your equipment, beat more levels, or come back to the game in a while.
Robin TGG
Not so long ago you released a free prologue for “Succubus”, well, what has the reception been like so far? And are you happy with the prologue yourselves? (the end result).
Tomasz Madmind Studio
Succubus: Prologue was another very important stage of production for us. In December last year, we run closed tests of the alpha version, which provided us with a mass of valuable feedback. Prologue went to a very large number of players, who not only rated the game very well, but above all gave us a lot of constructive feedback.
Currently, the game has a “very positive” status on Steam. Thanks to this we know also which elements of the game are worth improving or changing to make the full version even better. So answering the question – Yes! We are very happy to receive Succubus Prologue.
Robin TGG
What are your thoughts on censorship and cancel culture in the games industry? And what do you think that we could do about it? (gamers, publishers and game developers)
Tomasz Madmind Studio
I think players should be able to play “Adult Only” games on all platforms. Censorship unnecessarily limits the creative freedom of many productions. The implementation of the “Adult Only” zone in console online stores, which would be adequately protected against younger players, should not disturb anyone and the games could finally be designed without any concern for censorship.
Robin TGG
As of now, ”Succubus” is still a TBA title for PC. Even so, do you have any idea when players can expect to get a chance to play the game for PC? And do you have a rough idea of how many hours of gameplay that the full version of ” Succubus” will offer?
Tomasz Madmind Studio
Succubus will have its premiere in 2021. The time of playing will largely depend on the players themselves. We have designed the world of the game in such a way that the levels are short and concise, but they can be repeated many times to improve scores. Then you can unlock additional weapons and armor for the main character.
The role-playing mode itself will not be artificially extended and players will also be able to compete in the ranking arenas. The result on these arenas will be listed in the online leaderboard. Choosing the right armor, weapons, and special powers that will allow players to get better and better results will certainly provide many extra hours of fun.
Robin TGG
If ” Succubus” does really well on PC could we then perhaps see a current and next-gen console release of the game as well?
Tomasz Madmind Studio
We are hoping for that. If the game will be positively received, we will certainly try to develop Succubus console versions as well.
Robin TGG
Have you ever had any thoughts about releasing a limited or collector’s edition of ”Succubus”? If so, is that something that you could give us some insight on?
Tomasz Madmind Studio
We do not have this in our production timeline at the moment. However, there is still a lot of time left before the game will be released and a lot can happen.
Robin TGG
As for my very last question to you. What are your plans, hopes. and expectations for the rest of the year? And is there anything else that you would like to say to our readers?
Tomasz Madmind Studio
We have also prepared some more surprises for players at the end of the year. We will surely present new material from the second game we are already working on – Paranoid.
Robin “V-Act” Ek
Editor in chief
The Gaming Ground
Twitter: @TheGamingGround
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Tags: Action games, Horror games, Indie games, Madmind Studio, PC games, Steam, SUCCUBUS