Mixtvision at gamescom 2020 – FAR: Lone Sails Goes Mobile

Why did you decide to participate virtually this year?

Alexandra Palme: We believe a virtual event will allow visitors who would generally not attend due to distance or other constraints to finally partake in it. We see it as a great opportunity to reach even more people interested in all different areas of gaming. It’s also important for us to support the organizers in this current situation, particularly if they’ve been given such a short amount of time, as they have been here, to set up a virtual replacement event with top-class media partners and a potentially high entertainment value.

What will be different this year?

Palme: We will certainly have to wait and see how the event develops in concrete terms. There probably won’t be direct discussions with the audience during Gamescom this year. However, the Indie Arena Booth Online is a kind of multiplayer game where visitors and exhibitors can chat with each other. Since written communication is always a bit more complicated, conversations may not be as deep as usual and the brief exchanges that happen when visitors stop by regular trade fair stands will be missing. However, the developers and our team will basically always be available, even via various social media channels and outside of the gamescom event.

What are you hoping that people get out of the event?

Palme: We hope that visitors continue to feel like they are part of a global event. This connection amongst fans of the gaming industry can now be created and conveyed digitally. And of course, we would be delighted if the discovery of the many new games to be launched in the coming months find their way onto the audience's wish lists.

The mobile version of the game FAR: Lone Sails will be presented at Gamescom 2020. What is it about?

Palme: FAR: Lone Sails is a post-apocalyptic adventure game on wheels. The player travels through a dried up ocean in a strange vehicle which is sort of part train, part sailboat, in search of a once-flourishing society. Along the way, the vehicle must keep running as it braves challenges such as bad weather and all kinds of obstacles. But the main question is where is the player going, and what will this journey lead to at the end?

How did the idea for the game come about?

Palme: FAR: Lone Sails began in 2015 as a project for a Bachelor thesis by Don Schmocker at the Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK) in Switzerland. When the game got positive feedback and several awards in its early phase, Don decided to develop it further. He was still doing his Master‘s degree in Game Design at ZHdK when he teamed up with the publisher Mixtvision and gathered a team of fellow students around him to develop a full-fledged game based on his prototype.

What is special about FAR: Lone Sails?

Palme: FAR: Lone Sails is about being on the road. A tiny figure drives in a huge vehicle through barren but beautiful landscapes. Relaxing moments alternate with more stressful situations. The fuel supply must be secured, the condition of the vehicle requires attention, and obstacles have to be overcome. Along the way, additional equipment can be found to upgrade and add new functions to the vehicle. The interdependence between the main character and the vehicle plays an important role. Without the machine, all hope of finding the right answers will be lost. It feels almost natural to take care of the vehicle and its needs – even if it can be a little moody from time to time!

Are players better equipped to survive in extraordinary situations when they have played the game?

Palme: Certainly not when it comes down to concrete “survival skills”. But it can perhaps contribute to a better ability to handle extraordinary situations, such as dealing with loneliness throughout the journey, the need for resourcefulness when confronted with challenges, or the feeling of serenity when the player travels on and is surrounded by atmospheric music.

It seems quite gloomy. Is it a good or rather unfavorable coincidence that the game is published in times of Corona?

Palme: Since the game was created long before the pandemic and has already been released on various platforms, it is indeed pure coincidence. It has nothing to do with the fact that we will begin a new chapter this year by introducing FAR: Lone Sails for mobile devices.