As Black History Month in the UK comes to an end (not that you would know going by how many corporations couldn't be bothered to raise any awareness of BHM this year compared to four years ago), we wanted to showcase another amazing black dev creating their own game.
We had the honour to speak with one of the developers behind the upcoming Heroglobin: Monster Hospital, Pyrokid Sosa.
He is currently developing this title as part of Team TripleFire, alongside Sophie Artemigi, the developer behind the 2022 GameHers Mobile Game of the Year, Hook Up.
I remember how much of a buzz your game received once it was announced.
First of all, congrats on that! Secondly, I love the name of your game; Heroglobin: Monster Hospital.
What inspired this name and how would you describe this game to someone who's never heard of it?
Thanks! We were nervous about the announcement, but we're glad that people liked what they saw! I'm also super proud of the game's name too! One day, Sophie and I were talking about the story for the game and it just hit me. I'm a pun-tastic individual so once it came to me, I was smiling like a Cheshire cat for like 56 hours lol.
I'd describe this game as Persona meets Scrubs. Dungeon crawling madness with amazing characters you'll want to get to know!
What inspired you to work on this game?
Tbh, Sophie! When she floated the initial idea, she mentioned some hospital trivia along the lines of "Hey, do you know why you never see dead bodies in hospitals?" which took me off guard, but intrigued me and led us into a load of ideas!
Also, Sophie has extensive experience with hospitals and how they work due to having a chronic illness (Evans Syndrome) herself, and hearing those experiences fuelled a lot of ideas. She's inspiring af lol.
What's the synopsis of Heroglobin?
Hazel Harkin, a haematology patient, is struggling with life in hospital. One day, they uncover a conspiracy; the hospital is being run by cultists and their monster army! They join forces with other patients and fight hordes of monsters to save the world!
Who are the protagonist(s) and how did you develop their character(s)?
The main protagonists of this game are a duo consisting of Hazel Harkin (a happy-go-lucky girl with a bubbly personality who is contending with Evans Syndrome) and Iso Thompson (a more serious girl with a outwardly defensive personality guarding a heart of gold who is contending with Sickle Cell). Hazel is approached by Iso and told about the stuff going on in the hospital, and it all kicks off from there. They're a hilarious pairing with quite opposite personalities and philosophies which result in varying instances of silliness arising, but also can result in more serious clashes (we hope to convey that in-game)!
The development of the characters was fairly a simple one. When cooking, I tend to have a lil talk about the character in question, their personality, motivations, quirks etc. and then I just start doodling to see where it goes. Then after a preliminary design is done, I talk about them again and refine until voila! But also the development is never really done, any time the duo is spoken about, more is added to their lore. It makes it so they end up becoming really fleshed out people!
How long have you been working on this game?
We started on it at the beginning of the year! We've also had our own obligations to contend with, so the overall time has been a few months now.
Of course, this game is the product of yourself and Sophie, the mastermind behind popular game, Hook Up.
How did you two meet and how did you reach the decision to make a game together?
Oh, so we met whilst we were both doing a MA in Games Design & Development at the National Film and Television School! The vibes were vibing and so the friendship has been friending ever since! We actually discussed working together in some capacity a few times prior to this project, So the spirit of collaboration was always with us, but the time wasn't right then. And now it is, #timing lol.
Have you encountered any issues building this game so far? If so, how did you overcome them?
One issue early on was figuring out the camera angle. Right now, it's a top-down isometric affair, but it wasn't always like that. We were deliberating on whether the camera was to be behind the player or not. In the end, we went with a top down ting due to there being less to worry about in the long run (environments, camera framing, close-up details, etc.)
What are your hopes and expectations for this game?
At Team TripleFire, our motto is "Underdogs making games for underdogs". And so, personally, we're hoping for this game to resonate with people who've been marginalised due to health issues. And for the game to remind people of the powerful concepts of building/finding a community and not relying on your own strength. "Power of friendship" settings, innit lol.
And of course we want the game to be successful in general, because that leads to more games! I want to be in the business of making enjoyable titles for a long time!
Is there anything else you want us to know about Heroglobin at this time?
Listen, the OST will go crazy. Definitely looking into a grime-inspired sound! I'm of the full belief that grime music belongs in games, and I'm very keen to show that lmao
Which platforms can we expect this game to release on and when are you aiming to launch Heroglobin: Monster Hospital?
Typical indie affair, PC first then consoles later. As for the "When"? Can't give specifics yet, but in the grand scheme of the timeline of the universe.. Soon, innit 😁✨
If you like the opening and closing themes we use for our Streamcast podcast, you have none other than Pyrokid Sosa to thank, so you know he's a certified talent!
We also featured him in our Legacy of Dragon Ball/Akira Toriyama tribute podcast episode and we can't wait to work Sosa once again, I have a feeling we'll be cooking something together again very soon!
If you like what you read above about the Heroglobin game, please go and wishlist their game on Steam here. It's like giving our blog post or YouTube video a like, it goes a long way.
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