Walking Into The Surreal: An Interview Behind The Upcoming Game Greenfield

There are some atmospheric games that can instantly spark your attention, captivate you, and draw you in for the long haul. What I love about some of these games is that they can still trigger immersive experiences without relying on the intense level of photorealistic graphics. Take, for example, the works by Playdead. Limbo and Inside have become iconic, with a dreary world that easily catches your attention while being rather minimalistic. So when Greenfield popped up on my radar, I was hooked and had to learn more. 

If you haven’t heard about Greenfield, it’s an upcoming indie game by Six Foot Giraffe. The team consists of Six Foot Giraffe’s Kyle Smith. Yep, we’re getting a project from a solo developer, and I recently spoke with Kyle about his upcoming game. Here’s everything you might want to know about this surreal puzzle platformer. 

Gameranx: What’s the elevator pitch for Greenfield? How would you describe this game to someone that is just seeing it for the first time?

Kyle Smith: Greenfield is a puzzle-platformer that features an emotional story and surreal visuals that aspire to make every frame a masterpiece. Gameplay can be considered as “INSIDE meets Shadow of the Colossus,” where you’ll solve environmental puzzles and topple giants in a side-scrolling perspective.

Gameranx: What are some of the inspirations behind the game? It certainly has the Inside and Somerville kind of vibes.

Kyle Smith: Greenfield draws inspiration from a lot of sources for one reason or another, whether it be for gameplay, story, or art direction. While some are more apparent than others, I think of a few key sources to be INSIDE, Control, Kentucky Route Zero, Shadow of the Colossus, True Detective, Metroid, and as distant as it might seem even Donkey Kong Country.

Specifically in regard to art direction, I’ve drawn a lot of inspiration from the minimalistic but awe inspiring set pieces of games like Kentucky Route Zero and INSIDE. Above all else though, I’ve been immensely inspired by Playdead’s GDC talk “Low Complexity, High Fidelity”. I’ve since come to adopt the title of the talk as a bit of a mantra through development. It really solidifies the idea in me that you can do more with less, and you don’t need cutting edge photorealism or a team of hundreds to create a beautiful experience. It’s a powerful concept to believe in, especially as a solo dev. 

Gameranx: I understand that this is a solo development project. Is that still the case, and how long has the game been in development?

Kyle Smith: Greenfield has been a solo effort and still remains one for now. I have an extensive background as a visual artist which has really helped get things where they are, but as the project grows and aspects of development exceed my reach, I do imagine enlisting help to close any gaps. I also think it’s important to note that I license tools and assets made by what I can only imagine to be a collective army of individuals. Ranging from sound libraries, 3d models, and of course an entire game engine paired with an ocean of free educational content. I think this shines a light on the fact that no one really ever does it alone, and that solo game dev can be an ambiguous term.

How long Greenfield has been in development is a little bit blurry to be honest, mainly because I’ve only worked on it in a part-time capacity. My best guess is that Greenfield has been in active development since the middle of 2022, but with the pretty big caveat that it’s been entirely a part-time effort. So again, the actual development time is a bit blurry.

Gameranx: We don’t hear any dialogue in the announcement trailer. Is there voicing in the game?

Kyle Smith: Aside from visual storytelling, Greenfield does use dialogue to tell its story. That said, I’m still experimenting with the inclusion of voice acting. Hesitation sparks from the added complexity to development, as well as the consideration that some of my favorite games feature dialogue without any voicing at all, and how it’s hard to imagine those experiences being any other way. Ultimately though, whatever feels best for the project is what will be pursued.

Gameranx: Could you offer an insight into where development is right now? 

Kyle Smith: Greenfield’s announcement trailer was largely representative of a pre-production phase. This is where scope was defined, art direction was dialed in, mechanics were prototyped, and the foundation of key plot points were set in stone.

Greenfield is now in the thick of production, where all the dots are being connected and the project is actively moving towards becoming a cohesive experience. There is still a long road ahead, especially through the lens of a solo effort, but I’m encouraged by the progress made day after day, as well as the overall response Greenfield has received from the gaming community.

Gameranx: Currently, the game is only planned for PC, correct? Are we potentially looking at other platforms, too?

Kyle Smith: Greenfield is currently planned for initial release on PC and Mac through Steam, and that’s mostly a function of being a one man team. However, I absolutely aspire to have the game accessible on as many platforms as possible. The vast majority of my own gaming experiences have taken place on console, starting all the way back to the Super Nintendo days. Bringing Greenfield to consoles feels like a natural trajectory of my personal arc of gamer to game developer, so I’m absolutely looking forward to a broader release somewhere down the line.

There you have it. This interview might have piqued your interest if Greenfield wasn’t already on your radar. While we eagerly await its release, you can still keep tabs on the game through Six Foot Giraffe on X or watch out for updates that might come on the official Steam page. In the meantime, check out the announcement trailer for Greenfield below.