Our interview with Sarah Hourcade: Co-founder and Executive Producer of Douze Dixièmes
Shady Part of Me was, in our opinion, one of the most captivating, exciting, and deserving projects we had the pleasure of playing.
A memorable work that transports the player into an emotional experience built on a solid and mature narrative, developing an emotional component so powerful that it wins the hearts of thousands of gamers.
We are therefore pleased to present our interview with Sarah Hourcade, Co-founder and Executive Producer of Douze Dixièmes, in order to learn more about the development of their first project.
We also advise you to be cautious because, if you are unfamiliar with Shady Part of Me and want to play or learn more about it, you may come across spoilers about the various aspects and game mechanics that have been included in this title. If you are simply interested in our opinion about it, we invite you to read the review we wrote.
Sarah also wanted to express some emphasis in her responses, which we decided to keep so that you could enjoy them as well.
Indie Games Devel:
Shady Part of Me is your first major project, and both critics and gamers have praised it as an extremely exciting and satisfying video game.
What do you think was the secret of the success of this project? Would you have ever expected such feedback from gamers?
Douze Dixièmes:
Shady Part of Me was the first game of Douze Dixièmes. The studio was created in 2017 by seven associates knowing each other for quite some time. Actually, I was friend with some of them since high school ^^
None of us had ever worked in the video game industry but combined, we believed we could make something worthwhile.
It was a great adventure so maybe the secret is simply that we enjoyed making the game and we put our hearts on it.
Indie Games Devel:
Would you like to tell us how you divided the work for the realization of Shady Part of Me? How is the Douze Dixièmes team composed?
Douze Dixièmes:
In the end, Shady Part of Me was created by a lot of people! xD
At first we were only the associates in the studio but we hired a game designer, an animator and a 3D artist. Several interns and freelancers helped and brought a lot to the project.
We really wanted the game to be a collaboration and everyone could bring ideas. The result is definitely the vision of all those people put together.
Indie Games Devel:
Does the protagonist have a name and, if so, is there any symbolic meaning about her name?
Douze Dixièmes:
Officially the protagonist does not have a name. However, we did have to give her one internally. You actually can find the names in the game code! 🙂
We used the name “Alice” internally during production for the little girl, in reference to the book “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland”. The shadow was Celia, it’s the anagram.
Indie Games Devel:
Is the setting in which we find ourselves a psychiatric hospital? Is this a real place or a mental prison?
Douze Dixièmes:
I’m really glad you asked this question.
We wanted the player to doubt the reality of the experience. Some elements were made to look very real and based on experience, while we wanted some moments to be completely unrealistic in order to throw the spectator off base.
Indie Games Devel:
In the early moments of the game, we play the role of shadow in what appears to be a carefree and sunny setting. Does the fall into the void have a particular symbolism?
Douze Dixièmes:
It was made to represent the end of freedom and the beginning of the journey.
Indie Games Devel:
What are the reasons why the protagonist is segregated in a psychiatric hospital? Is all of this related to a lack of growth (both physical and temperamental) in real life?
Douze Dixièmes:
It could be. Like I said before, the game was the result of several visions from several people. Some of them saw this, but not all of them. It’s a story about overcoming your fears.
When the game launched, several players talked about their interpretation of the story. We had deliberately hinted at some of them but others were both surprising and quite convincing. To see that we were able to touch different individuals with different stories, was a great achievement for us.
Indie Games Devel:
We really enjoyed Shady Part of Me also from a playful point of view. The gameplay immediately seemed simple and intuitive, so as to accompany the narration and psychology of the protagonists in an extremely sweet way.
Was it just our impression or was it your intention to make it this way?
Douze Dixièmes:
We definitely wanted the game to be intuitive. Light and shadow physics behavior is not so we tried our best to make it simple and accessible to everyone. The game was supposed to be a stroll, so we tried to design the mechanics and puzzles in order for the player not to get too stuck. They had to find their way.
Indie Games Devel:
Hannah Murray‘s portrayal of the two protagonists was another thing that we liked a lot! Her vocal intonation fits both protagonists perfectly, in our opinion. How was it working with her?
Douze Dixièmes:
It was a great opportunity and we’re glad our publisher (Focus Entertainment) made it happen. The recording was a little crazy since there was a lot of time zone difference. We had to do it during the night at the very end of the production. xD
Indie Games Devel:
Your project’s soundtrack is something sensational and has brought back many memories, eliciting feelings of calm and tranquility as well as anxiety and sadness. What steps did you take in this regard?
Douze Dixièmes:
The soundtrack is the work of Nicolas Gueguen. He worked with us in this project and did amazing work. We talked a lot about our intentions, the message we wanted to convey and gave him a lot of independence. We still often listen to it at work. ^^
Indie Games Devel:
Could you explain the real meaning behind the Shady Part of Me ending? Is this, in your opinion, an ending that allows for multiple interpretations by the players, or is it not?
Douze Dixièmes:
It is! xD (The game provides the player with various interpretation keys.)
Indie Games Devel:
Thanks also to your project, we have noticed an increase in the highest quality products in the European video game panorama. What is the gaming landscape in France currently like?
Douze Dixièmes:
There are a lot of independent studios. The French government is trying to help fund more and more projects and carry small studios at their beginnings. It’s actually partly how we financed Shady Part of Me before the involvement of Focus Entertainment.
Indie Games Devel:
Do you have anything planned for the future? Are you currently working on a new videogame project? If so, could you give us some spoilers about it?
Douze Dixièmes:
We are currently working on our next title. It’s going to be quite different. xD
I hope you’ll like it too!
Conclusion
Hoping that you enjoyed reading this interview, we would like to thank Sarah Hourcade and the entire Douze Dixièmes team for their courtesy and availability.
Expecting to have news and updates on their next title as soon as possible, we are already thrilled to try a project different from Shady Part of Me, but which will undoubtedly be something exciting and memorable.
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