We wrote about Lichthund’s super-weird action game Lichtspeer back when it was released in 2016. Ever since then, it saw a bunch of console ports… and, just recently, a documentary which focuses on the game’s creation. Instead of using broad strokes and glossy pictures, We Are Alright (produced by Borys Niespielak) aims to portray the nitty-gritty game development reality.
From worrying about console certification deadlines to assembling home-made press kits in their kitchen and trying to get media attention, the movie follows developers Bartek and Rafal in the last few months up until that critical moment when they get to release their debut into the wilds.
This focus on smaller details shows perfectly how much work releasing a game actually entails – it is not like you make the game and poof, you’re done. There’s a whole lot of other stuff than also needs your attention. This might not be particularly interesting for some people, but I am very much here for this. I am fascinated by those gamedev minutiae.
We Are Alright doesn’t necessarily have a happy ending, but that makes it all the more relevant. In portraying a game that didn’t end up as a breakthrough hit, it feels closer to the actual reality of indie game development than many other, similar documentaries. And this definitely makes it worth a watch.
You can purchase We Are Alright from Steam for $ 9.99. For more information, visit the official website.
