In light of its remarkable success, the director of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has revealed his approach to game development – but acknowledges that he got “really, really, really fortunate,” so you might want to tread carefully when applying his guidance strictly.
In a conversation with Pirate Software, Guillaume Broche was inquired about the tips he might offer to emerging developers. He replied that one should take his advice “with a pinch of salt because I see myself as really, really, really lucky in the manner in which everything aligned.”
Expedition 33: Dev Interview – YouTube
His primary suggestion is that “you don’t necessarily need to create a game that you believe will be liked by others; instead, you should design a game that you yourself appreciate.” That design principle is frequently echoed, but Broche notes that he often observes new developers stumbling with it. “Regarding creative choices,” he states, “if I wouldn’t enjoy it in the game, it doesn’t belong in the game.”
This can lead to a highly personal game, but he insists that “it’s not self-indulgent […] it’s simply that if it resonates profoundly with a player, like truly, truly deeply, it will, in my view, not falter.” For Broche, he mentions that he is fortunate enough for his personal preferences to have been “mainstream,” and could be “valued by many people.”
“I anticipated this game to be niche,” he confesses, “but I believe it will always strike a chord if there’s a sense of sincerity, truth, and joy embedded in the game, and I think that’s extremely, extremely significant. Moreover, in recent titles, the indie games that exploded have always been those that feel very genuine, and true, and the teams built the game they desired to play rather than the games they assumed others wanted.”
When considering games such as Vampire Survivors or Balatro, one can recognize that Broche holds a valid argument – some of the largest breakthroughs in the last five years have been strikingly original, yet marketed to the extent that they prompted immediate imitation by others.
Broche’s good fortune consists of two aspects, he emphasizes. Firstly, he was lucky to have preferences that coincided with a sufficiently large audience, enabling his game to thrive. Secondly, he was fortunate to assemble “this incredible team,” which he claims is so phenomenal that “I think I still can’t believe it to this day.”
In a different discussion, Broche shares that the team resembles “an RPG party” filled with individuals from diverse backgrounds who joined forces to create the game – akin to the lead writer who was initially hired for the game as a voice actor before ultimately contributing to shaping one of this year’s Game of the Year candidates.
