The making of 'The Archipelago Promise': insights from student Dennis Butijn

Could you tell us about the game you worked on?

Dennis: ‘Sure! "The Archipelago Promise" is a 3D open world survival game in which players assume the role of Ethan, a sailor embarking on a perilous quest to locate his missing twin brother Thomas, a botanist. The game is set in Alaska and features numerous islands that players can sail to. Along the way, you must protect yourself against hazardous creatures and wildlife with an axe, while also crafting, cooking, and uncovering the mystery of Thomas's disappearance.’

‘The game was built using Unreal Engine 5, and we encountered difficulties with performance and loading all of the assets. However, we were able to release our demo on Steam in January.’

What was your role in the game's development, and how did you collaborate with your team?

Dennis: ‘I was the producer for the project, which meant that I was in charge of ensuring that our planning was accurate and that we reached our milestones. The team consisted of over twenty individuals, including the design lead, visual art lead, and programming lead. We worked together in a team environment, holding weekly meetings to align and plan. It was critical that everyone was on the same page, and I made sure that everyone was aware of which assets needed to be completed and when.’

Can you tell us about the development process?

Dennis: ‘We spent the entire year working on the game. In block A, we focused on the concept phase, during which we brainstormed ideas as a group. In retrospect, it might have been preferable to form smaller teams to work on idea concepting. It was a difficult phase, but we picked ourselves up after block A and remained motivated throughout the process. In block B, we progressed to the pre-production phase, using tools to work and creating a benchmark demo.’

‘I was pleased with how we collaborated as a team. We released our demo on time and submitted it to Steam Next Fest in February.’

Find the demo of The Archipelago Promise on Steam!

What other games have you worked on, and what is your dream game to work on?

Dennis: ‘In year 2, I worked on a game called "Duckside of the Moon," which was nominated for the Dutch Game Awards.’

‘My dream games company to work for later would be Naughty Dog, known for games such as "The Last of Us," and my personal favourite, “Crash Bandicoot”.’