Crushed In Time is one of those indie games that immediately stands out with its unusual concept, only to reveal that it offers much more than a traditional puzzle adventure. Blending humor, mystery, time travel, and familiar characters like Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, Draw Me A Pixel once again showcases its passion for unconventional game design and creative storytelling.
We had the opportunity to speak with Freddi Malavasi, Associate Producer and Communication Manager at Draw Me A Pixel, about the game's development, the challenges the team faced, the importance of surprising players, the inspirations behind the project, and the current state of the indie gaming industry. Read on to discover what he had to say about the world of Crushed In Time and the creative philosophy behind it.
Buffgaming: For readers hearing about Crushed In Time for the first time, how would you describe the game in a single sentence?
Freddi Malavasi (Associate Producer / Communication Manager) Draw Me A Pixel :
It's a puzzle game with a story about love, time travel, and… video games!
Buffgaming: Draw Me A Pixel is known for creative and unconventional game design. How has your previous experience influenced this project?
Freddi Malavasi (Associate Producer / Communication Manager) Draw Me A Pixel :
Since Crushed In Time is a spin-off of There Is No Game, its influence on our new project is undeniable. We could talk for hours about our desire to create games that always offer something fresh and new, or about our constant drive to explore the world of video games through our productions.
But in practical terms, There Is No Game primarily influences Crushed In Time through its universe (it’s a spin-off featuring Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson, whom we met in Chapter 2 of TING). It’s not a sequel to the story of There Is No Game, but the events do take place after its story, so we see familiar characters and nods to the original…
Secondly, There Is No Game taught us, as developers and game designers, how to create unconventional puzzles. Finding a key and dragging and dropping it onto a door to open it is a bit boring, isn’t it? Whereas stretching it to send it toward the lock…
Buffgaming: Crushed In Time appears to play with player expectations in interesting ways. How important is surprise as a design tool when creating puzzles and narrative moments?
Freddi Malavasi (Associate Producer / Communication Manager) Draw Me A Pixel :
Surprising the player is undoubtedly the most important thing when creating a video game. In my opinion, there’s nothing worse than a game that feels like déjà vu or like you’ve “played it before.”
No matter the moment, we need to be able to regularly snap the player out of their lethargy. And for a developer, there’s nothing more rewarding than seeing players experience that “wow effect” while playing our game!
Buffgaming: The game mixes mystery, humor, and time manipulation. Which of these elements was the most challenging to balance?
Freddi Malavasi (Associate Producer / Communication Manager) Draw Me A Pixel :
Definitely humor.
You wouldn’t think so, but humor is a very serious subject. First, you have to set the tone for the whole thing: different types of humor naturally appeal to different types of people, and trying to please everyone is a surefire way to please no one.
Ultimately, humor—in video games as in movies—is above all a matter of timing. It’s not enough to tell a good joke to be funny: you have to deliver it at the right moment, with the right pauses in the rhythm.
And given how hard it is to be funny in a video game, I hope people won’t remember Crushed In Time as a painful experience. Mind you, if that happens, it’ll mean you remember us. That’s something, at least.
Buffgaming: During development, was there a particular feature or mechanic that evolved significantly from its original concept?
Freddi Malavasi (Associate Producer / Communication Manager) Draw Me A Pixel :
I don't think so. But our real regret, like that of many developers, is that we weren't able to include everything we wanted in the game, whether it was puzzles or storytelling.
Buffgaming: How do you approach designing puzzles that are challenging without becoming frustrating?
Freddi Malavasi (Associate Producer / Communication Manager) Draw Me A Pixel :
With a lot of playtesting.
As developers, it’s very difficult for us to get a clear sense of how difficult a puzzle is. Sometimes we think a section will be easy, but playtesting shows us that it’s actually very complicated, and sometimes it’s the other way around. Playtesting therefore allows us to fine-tune the experience and ensure that the game is as easy or as difficult as we intend it to be.
Buffgaming: Many modern games focus on scale and spectacle. As developers, do you believe there is still strong demand for smaller, more focused experiences?
Freddi Malavasi (Associate Producer / Communication Manager) Draw Me A Pixel :
We’ve sold over a million copies of There Is No Game, even though the game was developed by a very small team with very limited resources. So I’d be in no position to tell you that such a market doesn’t exist.
However, we have to be realistic: these markets are incomparable to those of more popular genres like roguelikes, for example. We’re primarily targeting a niche audience, even though I think the story of Crushed In Time—which is about video games—can appeal to a very large number of players.
But if shotguns and explosions are your thing, sorry, our game doesn't have anything to offer you.
Buffgaming: What role does player feedback play in shaping the final version of the game?
Freddi Malavasi (Associate Producer / Communication Manager) Draw Me A Pixel :
In reality, feedback often comes from unexpected places.
Let me give you a very simple example: a while back, we announced Mr. Wilhelm’s return in Crushed In Time. He was a minor character in There Is No Game, and for us, the announcement was just meant to please our biggest fans. Instead, we received an avalanche of positive comments—there were tons of players happy to see him back.
But overall, yes, feedback matters when it becomes consistent. If three people over six months tell you that a certain part of the game is too difficult, you probably won’t do anything about it. However, if you receive that same comment 10 times every week…
Buffgaming: Are there any games, books, films, or other works that served as major inspirations during development?
Freddi Malavasi (Associate Producer / Communication Manager) Draw Me A Pixel :
The original Sherlock Holmes stories. I feel compelled to point this out because, by using this character, we’re bound to run up against the “popular” perception of what he represents. For example, right at the beginning of the game, Sherlock Holmes asks for coffee, and lots of people have asked us, “He’s English—why doesn’t he want tea?” And the answer is simple: Sherlock Holmes, in the original works, is a heavy coffee drinker.
Buffgaming: What has been the biggest challenge the team faced while developing Crushed In Time?
Freddi Malavasi (Associate Producer / Communication Manager) Draw Me A Pixel :
Definitely the physics system.
In the game, everything is elastic and deforms accordingly. This caused us to run into a ton of bugs during development, and we had to iterate extensively to get the mechanics right.
We should have just made a brick-breaker game instead of going to all that trouble.
Buffgaming: Looking back at the project's development, is there anything you would do differently if you started over today?
Freddi Malavasi (Associate Producer / Communication Manager) Draw Me A Pixel :
Absolutely not. What's done is done. Now we're eager to see how the community will receive our work!
Buffgaming: What do you think is currently the biggest challenge facing indie developers in the gaming industry?
Freddi Malavasi (Associate Producer / Communication Manager) Draw Me A Pixel :
Today, the biggest challenge for an indie dev is simply proving that their game exists, especially on PC.
Just look at the releases on Steam: every week, there are about fifteen games that deserve your attention. Just letting players know you’re out there is a huge challenge.
Buffgaming: If you could give one piece of advice to aspiring game developers, what would it be?
Freddi Malavasi (Associate Producer / Communication Manager) Draw Me A Pixel :
Stay true to yourself, keep a close eye on your finances, and cut sugar out of your daily routine.
Buffgaming: If Crushed In Time is successful, would you be interested in expanding this universe further through a sequel, spin-off, or another game with similar ideas?
Freddi Malavasi (Associate Producer / Communication Manager) Draw Me A Pixel :
We don't have a clear idea yet of what the future holds, but *There Is No Game* and Crushed In Time are packed with material we could use for a sequel or another spin-off. So who knows—maybe *Game* will make a comeback? Or maybe we'll do something else? Who knows?
You can check out our review of their latest game here.
