Gwen Frey is back with a bang, bringing us something extraordinary yet again! After leaving her mark on massive titles like BioShock Infinite and The Flame in the Flood, she’s now unveiling her latest creation, Lab Rat, on Xbox. This satirical sci-fi puzzle game throws players into the clutches of S.A.R.A., an overconfident AI that’s as sharp as it is quirky.
The game boasts an impressive collection of over 100 meticulously designed puzzles, merging clever storytelling with unexpected emotional depth. I had a chance to sit down with Gwen to chat about what it takes to construct these puzzles, her solo work on the game, and the unique experience of providing the voices for nearly all the characters.
Corey: Gwen, S.A.R.A. is a major character in Lab Rat. As an AI obsessed with numbers and metrics, she adds layers of humor and tension, making players feel like they’re constantly under the microscope. Was S.A.R.A. conceived as part of the puzzles, or did her character shape the game’s direction?
Gwen: S.A.R.A. came about during the development of the game’s core mechanics. At the start, my puzzle designer and I were feeling the effects of working alone during lockdown—much like rats in a cage, really. This sense of isolation was infused into every part of the game, from the puzzles themselves to animations that capture anxiety, and even to obstacles that jolt you if not handled correctly, reminding us of errant science experiments.
In terms of visuals, my own dual-monitor station during lockdown days inspired me. It evolved into S.A.R.A.—an omnipresent algorithm eyeing your every move, capturing that eerie disconnectedness we were all feeling. Once we saw S.A.R.A. in the game, everything else seemed to fall into place.
Corey: You’ve said Lab Rat aims to challenge minds and tickle funny bones. Which aspect proved harder to nail down?
Gwen: Making players think comes naturally to puzzle games. When someone tackles a puzzle, they’re already in the mindset to engage in deep thinking. But comedy? That’s a whole different animal. It’s tricky because humor can be so subjective, and weaving it seamlessly into a puzzle game is a real art. Let me tell you, comedy is no walk in the park!
Corey: The game rhythm in Lab Rat is particularly well-crafted. How did you approach pacing the puzzle difficulty?
Gwen: I think of it in two phases: discovery and mastery. Discovery comes with seeing something new and puzzling out how it works. Mastery is when you leverage that understanding to tackle the real challenges. I try to introduce new elements every few puzzles so that players stay intrigued. The solutions need to feel earned, never just handed to you.
Block-pushing puzzles have a notorious pitfall—you can easily make them unwinnable without realizing it, which discourages players. So, in Lab Rat, you can undo moves, pull blocks from walls—freedom to experiment without the fear of getting stuck. It keeps the game accessible, particularly for first-timers, while retaining that rewarding challenge.
Corey: Wearing so many hats on a small team must be challenging. Which role felt most natural, and which one caught you off guard?
Gwen: Programming, art, animation—those are my everyday tools, familiar territory. I’m using the Unreal engine, which I know inside out. But voice acting? That was the shocker! I’ve never done it before Lab Rat. It was truly something new and quite a challenge to bring diverse voices to life.
Corey: We know the credits list got quite a laugh in our office—exactly how many voices did you handle in the game?
Gwen: Oh, that credit list was a bit of a joke by my programmer, putting my name in there a hundred times! I might scale it back before launch, but yes, I did voice every character in Lab Rat. Almost every. For one line, we needed a male voice, and my husband was kind enough to step up to the mic. Otherwise, it was all me, having heated conversations with myself. Then I leaned a lot on the engine’s sound effects to give each character a distinct feel.
Corey: Is there a particular moment in the game you’d wait eagerly for someone to reach while playing for the first time on Xbox?
Gwen: Absolutely! There are countless moments I’m excited for. I set out to make it so that every half-hour feels richer and more surprising than the last. I can’t wait to see players’ reactions and find out if we succeeded.
Corey: Big thanks to you, Gwen, for diving deep into Lab Rat, sharing insights on indie game development, and your adventures in voice acting!
Lab Rat is ready to play now, fully optimized for Xbox Series X|S. If you’re up for a challenge packed with humor and some heartfelt moments, give it a go.
**Congratulations! You’re about to embark on a special journey to test out a brand new kind of game with Lab Rat, crafted by none other than the world’s most advanced machine learning algorithm—me. Your feedback is invaluable, helping us fine-tune this experience.
Key Features:
- Tackle over 100 genre-bending puzzles involving object maneuvering, laser diversion, and electricity manipulation.
- Outsmart a cheeky AI, relentless in poking fun at your human quirks.
- Engage in satirical analytics that evolve in real-time with fellow players’ input.
Remember, while Lab Rat may mock algorithm-driven designs, it’s the loving creation of skilled human developers, led by the vision of talented individuals from various prestigious gaming backgrounds. So, ready for this interactive rollercoaster? Enjoy the ride, powered by incredible human creativity!
