Campo Santo's First Game Is Firewatch

name sounds dumb

I believe this quote found on the Campo Santo dev blog says it all:

"LIKE A SUPERGROUP OF MUSICIANS FROM ALL THE BANDS YOU DON’T LIKE. AND NOT EVEN THE BEST MUSICIANS FROM THOSE BANDS."

I'm pretty damn excited.

Holy shit they are making a Ranger Gord game!

What time is it on the Firewatch?

Fahrenheit 4:51!

It's a small crew with a strong rapport and some really interesting ideas about game design and narrative - not a guaranteed win, but worthy of optimism for sure.

I get the sense they're like an even smaller Supergiant - focused, tight knit, but with a range of talent that could lead to something quite special.

Total Kentucky Route Zero vibe with the art. Looks interesting.

@bisonhero said:

I thought it's not so much an "indie dream team" as it is the "Idle Thumbs dream team" (minus Steve Gaynor and Nick Breckon).

@pants said:

I know they worked at TellTale for a while, I just mean that everything pre-Walking Dead was kinda ho-hum in terms of sales and critical reception (Poker Night, Jurassic Park, Back to the Future, Tales of Monkey Island, the later Sam & Max stuff).

The Walking Dead is the only really big success story the studio has had in recent memory, and it seems like as soon as Rodkin and Vanaman got their names out there by doing a bunch of press interviews related to The Walking Dead, they couldn't wait to get out of there and do their own thing. So I don't know if that speaks more to them not being at all interested in making a bunch of Walking Dead clones at TellTale, or they just had some game they've been wanting to make on their own for a long time, but I still think it seems kind of sudden to immediately leave a company after just finishing the most critically acclaimed game you've worked on.

Anyone who creates anything for a living doesn't always have the luxury of working on something that is personal and/or meaningful to them. While Vanaman and Rodkin both probably put a lot of themselves into the Walking Dead, it doesn't necessarily mean that more Walking Dead was something they wanted to do. They were fortunate that TWD earned them the recognition and clout to be able to forge their own path away from Telltale and now they get to make the games that THEY want to make, not something that's licensed from existing media.

There's nothing wrong with taking what you've earned and creating something new with it. For both of them, the safe decision would probably have been to remain at Telltale and work on the all-but-guaranteed hit that would be TWD Season 2. The fact that they decided to take the risk and leave to do their own thing is pretty respectable to me.

Guys, this is obviously Frog Fractions 2. Too easy!

Dammit beat me too it!

This is going to be good! Far Cry 2 without shooting..... right?

Hope it turns out good. I loved The Walking Dead and Gone Home, both of which this remind me of, but I kind of hope they manage to include some interesting gameplay here as well.

Actually, I'd also take Far Cry 2/3 with shooting, as long as it would be in a different type of forest, instead of those damned jungles...but I'll be happy without it as well, hopefully.

Expected this to be the only game set in Wyoming in existence but there are 4 other games also set in Wyoming. Wyoming's Game Setting Per Population as a percentage is extremely high, too greedy, they should leave some games for the rest of the states.

Sure looks preddy.