Avoiding nuclear disaster with the connectors & pedals of Atomik
The 2023 Game Developers Conference will once again feature Alt.Ctrl.GDC , an exhibition dedicated to games that use alternative control schemes and interactions in new, exciting, and clever ways. Ahead of GDC 2023, Game Developer will be talking to the developers of each of the games that have been selected for the showcase.
Atomik gives players a complex series of buttons, connections, keys, and pedals to keep a nuclear reactor from melting down. Better read the manual quickly.
Game Developer sat down with the game's developers, Jérémy de Frémont and Léo Toulisse, to talk about what thoughts went into designing a control scheme that was meant to feel overwhelming, what sorts of actions create that sense of complexity simply by looking at them, and the appeal of adding a language barrier and manual to the mix.
What’s your name, and what was your role on this project?
de Frémont: I’m Jérémy de Frémont, the main game designer and one of the controller makers.
Toulisse: My name is Léo Toulisse and I am the main programmer for Atomik.
How do you describe your innovative controller to someone who’s completely unfamiliar with it?
de Frémont: The goal of the game is to repair an unstable nuclear power plant. The player must pay attention to what is happening on-screen and read the manual to understand what to do with the control panels.
What's your background in making games?
de Frémont: I am a Year 4 Game design student. I’ve been making games throughout this course, but this is the first physical/alternative controller game I have made and my first participation with GDC.
Toulisse: I have been making games for 4 years as part of my school curriculum, as well as in my free time. I have also participated twice in Games Made
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