Description

BigSeed Studio is an independent two-person studio founded by Arnaud Valensi and Jacques-Yves Thomart, two friends who met during their computer science studies. Based in France, they make handcrafted retro games: an engine written from scratch, pixel art drawn entirely by hand, and no generative AI art. Out of Body, a puzzle game where dying is how you solve the level, is their first game.

History

Two friends and a game jam

Jacques-Yves Thomart and Arnaud Valensi met during their computer science studies. At the Global Game Jam 2021 they built a small puzzle prototype about dying on purpose. Streamers picked it up, players asked for more, and they decided to turn it into a real game. What was planned as a one or two year project has taken five, built in the evenings, on weekends, and in months of full-time work whenever possible.

Everything made in-house

The engine is written from scratch in Jai, the programming language created by Jonathan Blow (Braid, The Witness), whose closed beta they were accepted into. Every sprite is drawn by hand, with no generative AI art. Both grew up on the retro games of the 90s, and that is the kind of game they set out to make.

Projects

• Out of Body