Swift Mobile, Android game

0 comments by Sefinova on Jul 15th, 2012

Earlier this year, the new independent game company Phanatix Interactive, LLC was founded in Bellevue, Washington by game designer Andrea Borchardt with help from artist Jennifer Hoffman. Andrea is a game development generalist who formerly worked on Nintendo DS games as the lead game designer and artist at Webfoot Technologies, Inc. Jennifer previously worked with Andrea at Webfoot Technologies doing low resolution game graphics but also has a background in CG animation. Together the two of them set out to make their first independent game for Android and iOS platforms simply titled Swift.

The project originally began as an effort to gain additional skills in the midst of a long job hunt after being laid off from Webfoot Technologies. Development progressed slowly as Andrea learned to master programming--one of the few roles in game development she had never done before. It soon became obvious that she would need help to finish the game in a timely manner, so she enlisted Jennifer to help with the game’s art direction. As months of part-time production went by, the experiment in code was shaping up into a full fledged game. What started as an experimental portfolio project soon evolved into the flagship title for a new game studio.

Swift is an artistic 2d side-scrolling shooter in which the player becomes a glowing spirit orb sent to purify the heavens. The theme of Swift is a loose interpretation of the old saying "there’s a light at the end of the tunnel." Andrea dreamed up the idea for the game she was making to keep herself sane in between the lengthy and often discouraging job hunting sessions. The game itself was the metaphorical light at the end of the tunnel, and the result was a stylistic mobile game.

In true indie spirit, the Phanatix Interactive team are working hard between their day jobs to finish Swift for Android and iOS without publisher funding. They are also accepting donations on their company website. They hope to have an estimated release date available soon.

*This article was originally posted here on the Phanatix Interactive website.