At PC ZONE, we review loads of games. But sometimes we take a step back and ask ourselves, hang on, who the hell’s making these games and why do they keep doing it?
This is where Jaroslav Meloun comes in, offering up a rare insight into the mind of a game developer. In this case, the one-man powerhouse dev studio Rendlike, creator of FixFox.
But don’t worry, we haven’t gone soft. We’re not gonna cry any tears about how hard it is to make games or anything, it’s just interesting to read!
Q: What motivated you to make FixFox?
A: I’ve played games since childhood, starting with the Atari 130 XE in the early nineties. On this console, I experienced awe-inspiring space adventure titles with lots of exploration, cementing my love for the medium. These seminal experiences were utterly magical to me.
Journeying through so many moving stories through games, both grand and intimate in scale, I’ve always felt like I owe games so much.
I’ve always desired to pay it forward, letting other players experience a similar kind of magic. That desire materialized into FixFox.
Q: What were the major challenges of making FixFox as a one-man studio?
A: I struggled for years to find a good publishing partner, as part of my dream to finish and release FixFox.
When I got lucky, suddenly a lot of other things changed in my life – the global pandemic hit, our first child was born, our family suffered a sudden loss.
The best and worst things in my life were happening all at once. In this situation, would most people be happy, sad, anxious, excited? Or a weird mixture of it? That was my modus operandi for FixFox.
As a solo developer, my resources were limited – mostly regarding time. Should I work on this feature? Or refine that aspect more? Due to time constraints, I had to accept that FixFox would not be perfect and be a little rough around the edges.
I knew this could become part of the aesthetic and design of the game. However, the game has its moments of brilliance that the players would connect with. It was important to figure out where my attention was needed, those sections that would make you fall in love with FixFox.
Q: Is the lack of violence an important aspect of FixFox?
A: Ten years ago, I took a personal vow to stop playing and making games that celebrate or feature violence.
I think that games are a wonderful tool for gaining new experience, learning new skills. But training the player in the same skills over and over, like aiming or using combat tactics, felt like wasted potential to me. Most of us don’t need those in our everyday lives.
On the other hand, we may struggle with being empathetic and resolving conflicts peacefully. That’s what I’d love to see more of in games. That’s what I aim for.
Q: Why did you decide on a pixel-art visual style?
A: I’ve always oscillated between technology and art, eventually settling on a programmer career (though a computer graphics major).
At game jams, I often worked solo. Remembering the games of my youth and trying to build on that nostalgia, I discovered I was able to create decent pixel-art graphics.
Pixel art has the potential to be specific, yet also abstract, allowing you to use your imagination, fill in the details, making it your own – similar to reading a book.
I was ready to create most of the content myself, so I went for the visual style in which I was most effective. And more importantly – FixFox is made with old-school nostalgia pumping through its veins.
Collecting retro game cartridges and cassette tapes. Falling through centuries into the past. Feeling like that game you dreamt of playing when you were a kid, even though it never existed.
Q: What informed the humour in the game and why was it important to make the game humorous?
A: Humour is one of the basic analgesics. It makes you feel good, relaxed. Helps you deal with the pain of daily existence.
FixFox is designed as a friendly game that puts a warm blanket over your shoulders and puts a bowl of steaming hot homemade soup into your hands while telling you a quirky story. You’re always welcome.
But as you continue to play FixFox, and open up to it, difficult topics arise and the tension rises. That’s where a humorous perspective is important for balance.
I’m not a big fan of cynical humour – it may be stylish and intense, but it lacks hope. And in the face of tough events, you need every bit of hope you can get – even if it’s just a goofy joke, or a quirky situation.
Q: What inspired the ‘banning of fixing items’ aspects of the story? Is this based on personal experiences?
A: There are multiple influences, but the chief one is based in reality – the right to repair.
Some manufacturers prevent owners from fixing or modifying their devices, forcing them to use an authorized repair service, or buy a new model.
I’m a tinkerer in theory only, but I’m very enthusiastic about re-purposing old things through sustainable means. The manufacturer’s repair prevention policy felt not only incredibly wasteful to me, but also draconian. Straight out of the Spanish inquisition handbook.
Q: How does your geographical and historical background impact the game’s story?
A: FixFox deals with nostalgia and retro themes, but in a very fantastical sense – inspired by a fictional past.
I was born in Czechoslovakia (now Czechia), part of the Eastern Bloc, in a world sealed behind the Iron Curtain. Only after its fall, the influx of western culture and entertainment started.
My family never owned any of the classic consoles. I grew up playing on PC, and only much later learning about the console universe, and becoming instantly fascinated by its rich history.
I always knew I wanted to make games. In the late 90’s, there were no game developer courses and very few game development studios. Therefore, no guidelines existed on how to start a career as a game developer.
But despite all the obstacles, I stuck to my dream. I learned programming from an old handbook and later chose a college major that sounded the closest to making games – Computer Graphics.
Every step I took seemed like moving through the darkness of space, knowing my goal only vaguely, trying to find my way.
Being a socially anxious introvert, what seemed easy for others, felt impossible for me. I was dropped into a world with strange rules, and where there were no solutions, I had to invent them. Much like Vix, the protagonist of FixFox.
Q: What does the future hold for Rendlike?
A: Many things have changed while working on FixFox – I became a father, and a development studio owner. The world is a very different place, compared to just a few years ago. I’m still learning to operate in this new world.
FixFox still has a few cards up it’s sleeve. We’re excited to support our amazing community, seeing if there are new places we could take the game and new players to introduce it to.
But to be honest, my notes are bursting with new project ideas. I’m looking forward to embarking on a new game development journey. And since I’ve made so many new friends along the way, I won’t be making this next journey alone.
Q: Anything else you would like to add?
A: I’m incredibly humbled and grateful for all the heartfelt feedback and warm support from the FixFox community and players.
Player support is essential for any indie developer, to let them know people are playing and enjoying their games. If there’s a game you like, reach out to its developer and let them know!
FixFox is available for £11.39 on Steam.
