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Lucas Pope Honored with Pioneer Award at Game Developers Choice Awards
Lucas Pope, renowned for his innovative contributions to the gaming industry through titles like Papers, Please and Return of the Obra Dinn, was awarded the prestigious Pioneer Award at this year’s Game Developers Choice Awards. This accolade places him alongside esteemed figures such as Gabe Newell, Yu Suzuki, and Roberta Williams, recognizing his impact on game design and storytelling.
In his acceptance speech, Pope shared a light-hearted take on his newfound status: “Now that I’m an official pioneer, I have some requests. World peace, obviously. But for this crowd, I’d be happy if you kept making the kinds of unique off-beat, experimental, creative, and especially personal games that I love.”
Pope’s philosophy toward game development emphasizes the importance of personal connection and creativity. When asked about advice for aspiring developers, he advised, “Make something personal, make it small, release on [Itch.io]. Try to find the people who like the same things you do and then make the things you enjoy.” This underscores his belief that games should resonate with the creator’s interests and experiences.
For Pope, the essence of game development lies in creating experiences he himself wishes to engage with. He noted how Papers, Please, which requires players to navigate complex moral decisions as an immigration inspector, stemmed from his own interests: “I want this kind of game. I like looking at documents. Nobody else really likes that, was my thinking. And then I made it and I found out, actually, lots of people like the same things I do.”
Inspired by the success of his previous projects, Pope approached his next challenge with a similar mindset: “I’m just going to try that again. I’m going to make a game that doesn’t exist, that I wish I had and that I could play, and I’ll make that.” He firmly believes that if game developers channel their passions, their work will resonate with others.
This led to the creation of Return of the Obra Dinn, where players investigate a mysterious ship’s fate. His latest project, Mars After Midnight, presents a departure from his previous works, focusing on lighthearted gameplay where players screen aliens at a fictional Martian support center.
Mars After Midnight introduces a whimsical narrative, including scenarios where players must only admit aliens that indulge in flatulence. In a recent blog post, Pope expressed that the game is designed with his children in mind, acknowledging their limited access to his other, more mature titles. “That’s kind of why I wanted to make Mars. I wanted a game where they could just full-on play it and enjoy it,” he stated.
Pope shared that his children played Mars extensively, contributing suggestions during gameplay. Their unfiltered creativity offered him fresh insights, as he noted, “Kids don’t have a lot of preconceived notions, so while some of their ideas might have been a little ridiculous, I could see the core of a really cool thing that I could munge it a little bit and get it in there.” He appreciates how having children reshapes his perspective on game design.
Looking ahead, Pope hinted at his future explorations in game design, suggesting a potential return to 2D aesthetics. He remarked, “When I could reflect on Obra Dinn and Papers, Please, I kind of realized maybe I should be going back to 2D. It’s nice to work in 2D.” While he is currently conceptualizing several ideas, he mentioned that none are ready for public announcement yet, indicating that his innovative journey is far from over.
Source
www.theverge.com