Constructing Lab Rat: Gwen Frey on Logic, Laughter, and Laser Grids

Gwen Frey isn’t any stranger to massive concepts—or massive video games. After engaged on titles like BioShock Infinite and The Flame within the Flood, she’s again with a brand new recreation! Lab Rat, a satirical Sci-Fi puzzle recreation launching on Xbox that pits gamers towards a very assured AI named S.A.R.A.

With over 100 handcrafted puzzles, sharp writing, and a shocking quantity of coronary heart, Lab Rat is as a lot about logic as it’s about being noticed. I sat down with Gwen to speak puzzle design, working solo (and not-so-solo), and what it’s prefer to voice practically each character in your individual recreation.

Corey: S.A.R.A. performs a central position in Lab Rat—a hyper-intelligent, metrics-obsessed AI who observes and reacts to the whole lot the participant does. Impressed partly by your expertise working alone throughout lockdown, she brings humor, rigidity, and a way of being always evaluated.

Did the idea for S.A.R.A. form the gameplay, or did the puzzles come first?

Gwen: The thought for S.A.R.A. developed naturally alongside the sport’s core mechanics. Early on, my puzzle designer and I have been exploring a brand new system, however thematically we each felt like rats in a cage—trapped inside, remoted. We constructed that feeling into the whole lot: puzzles that evoke confinement, jittery character animations, and even blocks that electrocute you when misused, like a science experiment gone improper.

Visually, I used to be impressed by my very own dual-monitor setup throughout lockdown, when most of my interplay was by means of screens. That advanced into the idea of S.A.R.A.—an overbearing algorithm watching your each transfer, constructed to mirror the eerie, disconnected temper we have been residing by means of. As soon as I noticed the sport world by means of that lens, the whole lot began to click on.

Corey: You’ve described Lab Rat as a recreation that “makes folks assume and snicker.” Which of these two was tougher to design for?

Gwen: Positively making folks snicker! When an individual sits down to finish a puzzle recreation they’re ready to assume deeply and clear up issues – they’re within the right mindset for that. Thought-provoking commentary is usually a welcome addition to that have. Nonetheless, comedy is sudden, very tough to do effectively, and totally different sorts of humor enchantment to totally different folks. Significantly – comedy is difficult.

Corey: There’s a very intelligent rhythm to how puzzles unfold in Lab Rat. What was your strategy to pacing the problem curve?

Gwen: There are two methods I prefer to hold puzzle gamers engaged: discovery and mastery. Discovery is while you encounter one thing new and work out the way it works; mastery is utilizing that understanding to unravel a more durable problem. I attempt to introduce one thing new each few puzzles to maintain issues recent, and I goal for options that really feel earned—clear sufficient to understand with some thought, however by no means apparent.

Block-pushing video games include a singular drawback: it’s simple to finish up in an unwinnable state with out realizing it. That form of factor kills motivation. So in Lab Rat, we allow you to undo strikes, pull blocks off partitions—principally provide you with room to experiment with out worry of getting caught. It makes the sport extra accessible, particularly for gamers new to the style, with out making it any much less satisfying.

Corey: Engaged on a recreation in a small crew means carrying loads of hats—designer, author, programmer. Which a part of that course of felt most pure to you, and which one shocked you probably the most?

Gwen: Programming, artwork, and animation all got here very naturally to me. These are issues I’ve accomplished for years, and I’m working within the Unreal engine, which I’ve used my complete profession, so there was nothing new to be taught. By far probably the most shocking factor I needed to be taught for this undertaking was voice performing. I’m not a performer and I’ve by no means accomplished voice work earlier than Lab Rat. It was fairly difficult.

Corey:  We’ve been lucky sufficient to have performed by means of the sport, so we’ve seen the tip credit.  Precisely what number of characters did you personally voice within the recreation? Have you ever counted?

Gwen: This query made me snicker. My programmer put my title within the credit about 100 occasions as a type of joke. I would change that earlier than launch… however it’s true that I voiced each character in Lab Rat. There was one line the place we completely wanted a male voice and my husband stepped as much as the mic for it, however apart from that each one the characters have been voiced by me personally. I spent loads of time recording arguments with myself, after which made in depth use of sound results within the engine to make every character sound distinctive.

Corey: When you may sit subsequent to somebody enjoying Lab Rat on Xbox for the primary time— with out spoiling it, is there a specific second you’ll be ready for them to succeed in?

Gwen: There are numerous, many moments I hope they attain! I wished each half-hour of Lab Rat to really feel extra attention-grabbing and sudden than the earlier half-hour. I’m excited to see if we achieved this.

Corey: Enormous because of you, Gwen, for taking the time to talk about Lab Rat, indie recreation improvement, and what it’s prefer to argue with your self in a recording sales space!

Lab Rat is obtainable now on Xbox One optimized for Xbox Collection X|S.