Cord Smith on the dreamy world of indie game Always In Mind

Cord Smith, the former director of marketing for Compulsion Games' well-known title We Happy Few, has gone through quite a change since leaving the studio. This is represented by his new indie platformer Always In Mind, which takes players into a bizarre dream world full of fantasies inside the head of a little boy named Teddy. We got the chance to ask the industry veteran a few questions about his inspirations for the game, what he took away from the development of We Happy Few, and what we can actually expect in the future with his new game, after experiencing a demo of Always In Mind.

In the game, the story theme revolves around the relationship between the child Teddy, who is in a coma, and the A.I. implant Proxy that guides him. Could you elaborate on your approach to exploring and developing the dynamics between these two characters?

The main theme of the game is connection, so we are very interested in creating opportunities for Teddy & Proxy to bond in spite of their obvious differences. We draw inspiration from similar relationships seen in film and comics like Hogarth and the Iront Giant, Aladdin and the Genie, and even Calvin & Hobbes. It turns out that Proxy's "dataset" has been Teddy's childhood. And Teddy's "inner voice" has been Proxy's guidance. So even before officially meeting at the start of the game, their experiences are intricately intertwined.

The game's narrative places players inside Teddy's mind during his coma. While playing, we as players relive Teddy's grandfather's memories. Could you elaborate on the significance of incorporating these memories and how they contribute to the overall storytelling about coma?

Allowing Teddy to bring his grandfather's life "to light" is just one mechanic we use to explore Teddy's family history. Without giving away too much, in order for Teddy to return to consciousness, it is imperative that he achieve a level of self realization that only comes from perspective, empathy, and introspection. The experiences of his family not only provide those elements from a narrative standpoint, but also equip Teddy with new abilities he can use throughout his mind in awe-inspiring and creative ways.

Having worked on We Happy Few, what valuable lessons did you bring with you into the development of Always in Mind, and which lesson proved to be the most significant?

My involvement with We Happy Few was primarily marketing-related, but as a director there, I did provide full game evaluation, some very targeted level design supervision, and executive oversight during the early phases of the project. As that project evolved, it leaned heavily into its narrative potential, which informed my work on the trailers and messaging for the game. With Always in Mind, the experience is always driven by the narrative, as opposed to using it as a wrapper. But we also stress moment-to-moment agency and fun. At the heart of this endeavor is a belief that you don't need to sacrifice gameplay to tell a meaningful story--and vice versa.

Following your work on We Happy Few, you transitioned to this smaller project. What inspired this shift, and how does the current project differ in terms of development?

Microsoft's purchase of Compulsion Games afforded me the opportunity to return to the United States and establish Inevitable Studios. My primary goal was to embrace remote development, allowing talented collaborators from anywhere in the world to contribute to projects that represent the full potential of "independent" games. It was less about size, and more about culture. Starting fresh, building a team, and creating a project independent of external agendas and influence.

What games served as inspiration for Always in Mind? The dreamlike atmosphere reminded me of titles like Psychonauts. Were there specific influences you drew upon?

Any game within the mind will likely be compared to Psychonauts, and having played the sequel only recently, I'm humbled by the comparison. We draw influence from so many amazing narrative games for how they inject story into exploration. Life is Strange, What Remains of Edith Finch, Firewatch, Road 96. From a gameplay perspective, we've been compared to Psychonauts, It Takes Two, Mario, and even Inside. Believe it or not, we used Rocket League as a core reference for building our sledding mechanic, and when you consider the combination of on-foot and vehicular gameplay, we might be compared to games like Sable or Tears of the Kingdom or titles as far back as Jak 3.

Your behind-the-scenes posts on Discord about the game's environments caught my eye. Was it creatively challenging to bring the dreamy world of Always In Mind to life?

So glad you've joined us on the discord! We'll be sharing much more in the future. I credit our Art Director Davide Pellino with being the mastermind behind our game's visuals. His ability to interpret Naeim Khavari's early sketches and translate that into a style that resonates with so many is no small feat. He managed to develop a look that bridges a painterly dream-like feel with a very tangible "player can go anywhere" world design. What you've seen in the demo is truly the tip of the iceberg with regards to pushing the boundaries of that aesthetic, and that is amplified by the incredible player abilities we have yet to reveal.

Beyond guiding the player and providing a ball, will the A.I. companion have any additional features?

Proxy's full capabilities include a number of other orb-related abilities as well as world-altering powers that afford us new possibilities for both gameplay and story-telling.

I noticed that the A.I. character is likely voiced by an A.I. voice. Could you share the reasoning behind this choice, considering some players may find it a bit rigid compared to a normal human voice actor?

That's simply a byproduct of our early development. We've actually auditioned multiple voice actors for the role of Proxy, and were in the middle of coaching our favorite candidate at the same time we were polishing up the demo for its inclusion in Next Fest. Our goal is to use human voices for all characters. That said, Proxy poses a very unique challenge in that his AI voice is perfectly deadpan with a charming accent and little emotion. Coaching a voice actor to mimic that delivery has been super challenging because any actor's natural inclination is to inject emotion into every phrase uttered.

The use of a light ball for discovering hidden elements is a captivating aspect of the game. Were there challenges in implementing this mechanic?

Indeed, there were many technical challenges in developing that mechanic, starting with the rendering itself, then collisions, materialization effects, object count limitations, etc. Though small, our team is fortunate to have exceptionally talented programmers who never shy away from daunting technical challenges. Ultimately, the "illumination" mechanic that returns memories to life took on functionality I once thought impossible--which has allowed us to push it much further in the section of the game that directly follows up the content in the demo.

The game features impressive physics for the light ball. Do you have plans to expand on this mechanic, such as allowing players to roll down hills on it for increased speed or to access specific areas?

We've already altered and improved upon the throw & retract functionality seen in the demo, and are developing a mechanic whereby the orb allows the player to interact with all manner of elements in the world. This vastly expands the potential for environmental puzzle-solving, and is also at the heart of a major late-game capability that we'll likely expose during the next major marketing phase. As for rolling down hills, although we omitted it from the demo, Teddy can actively crouch/slide at any time at the press of a button, which creates the scenario you mention, allowing him to build momentum and get the most out of any area that features slopes.

The proxy has a camera function which the player can use to watch the collected collectibles. Are you planning to use this mechanic more in the gameplay, for example in puzzle solving or platforming?

"Proxy Cam" was shown in its infancy within the demo, and will offer more context, info, and guidance in future iterations. Our goal is to establish Proxy as an incredibly helpful companion, providing info, guidance, and even world-altering "help" for players whose focus is more on story than being challenged.

Yellow question marks seem to have a specific significance in the game. Could you shed light on their function and how they contribute to the overall gameplay experience?

They represent the grandfather's "Inner Thoughts", and are exclusive to his section of the game, affording the player insight into reflections he made while suffering from dementia. We don't shy away from the realities of the disease or the incredible toll it took on both Henry and his extended family. But it should be noted that our focus is on the miracle of Teddy being able to re-live his grandfather's life in spite of that disease. We address a good number of hard topics throughout the game, but always try to frame them from the perspective of hope, empathy, and appreciation for the complexities of the human condition.

Finally, in terms of release, do you plan to release the game as Early Access first, or are you aiming for a full release right from the get-go?

As a game driven by its narrative ambitions, we've never felt Early Access was a viable strategy for us, but sharing the demo was a pivotal part of our long-term strategy to show our ambitions, establish our studio's reputation, and build a strong & passionate community. Our ultimate goal is to create a fully-original game that tells a complete and compelling story at full release.