The cracks beneath the surface (of society)

Sounds like some sort of epic exposé doesn’t it? Either that or a weird porn movie. Whatever the case, Logan Worsley is best known for a point’n’click adventure game that goes by the name of Emily Enough. Emily Enough features an oddball storyline and a lot of deliciously black humour. For this, it has developed somewhat of a cult following (for those that haven’t played it, I highly that suggest you do). I had the privilege of asking the man a few questions.. and the extra privilige of being answered.

Give us a little bit of background about yourself..

My name is Logan Worsley, I'm 26 years old and I live in Washington, DC. I work as a research analyst here in the district. Most of my spare time these days is spent fixing up my crumbling row-house, growing vegetables, and walking my dog. I used to play in some bands around town but haven't done so much of that lately. Of course, I also design video games for fun.

What systems did you own and what games did you play growing up?

Well, my dad fixed electronics for a living when I was a kid, so our basement resembled a graveyard for early 80s tech machinery. We had some really ancient (and mostly non-functioning) PCs, Ataris and Betamaxes in there. The first working computer I remember using was an IBM PC jr. It actually had a cartridge slot for awesome 16-color games. We also had a Nintendo for the longest time, which I loved. Super Mario 3 has a special place in my heart.

In terms of PC games, I loved adventure games from the start. I think the first one I played was Sierra's The Black Cauldron, which frightened the hell out of me. I loved it. From there it was King's Quest II, Space Quest.. lots of the early Sierra titles. I didn't come across The Secret of Monkey Island till much later, but that was huge. Loom was also a big favorite, and still is.

How did you discover AGS and at what point did you become interested in game development?

I stumbled across AGS sometime towards the end of college. I thought it seemed neat at the time but took a demanding job for a while and forgot all about it. Then I later when I found myself unemployed and living in Berlin, I came back to it and downloaded lots of AGS titles. Games like Permanent Daylight and Pleurghburg were revelations to me. I was like, "one person can do this?" Coming from a background in underground music, and an appreciation for things DIY, I found the AGS community very cool (as dorky as it can be).

I spent months in Berlin trying to learn how to draw on the computer, which took a very long time. Learning how to program was another steep learning curve. Eventually I went back home and got a real job, but I've been hooked on game development every since. I like doing something that combines writing, art and music. It's perfect for me.

Emily Enough involves the story of a girl who murders her parents, her punishment being sent to New York State Asylum, which she has to try and escape from. Where did you draw inspiration for the story?

I'm trying to remember what inspired that game. I think the biggest influence was the place I was living in -East Berlin. I was staying in this freezing old apartment that had a coal oven for heat. It felt like living in a freezer. It was supremely strange and depressing plus it was the middle of winter in northern Germany so I was only getting about four hours of sunlight a day. It was ridiculous.

Plus I'm not the most chipper guy to begin with.

Emily Enough is very dark, almost uncomfortably so at times. Were you ever worried that anyone would be offended by the black humour?

I designed the game to be offensive or at least push the limits. Just about every game in the genre places you in the position of hero. I wanted to do something different--namely to try and make the player uncomfortable during the entire experience. The goal was to have the player know what they needed to do to win, but not want to do the things necessary to win. There's really only one instance in the game where it's that bad, but of course, that one is a little severe.

So, was I worried that anyone would be offended? I kinda wanted people to be offended.. not in a hurtful, mean way but just in a disturbing, creepy way.

Did you ever actually receive any mail from anyone that was offended (maybe even more than you intended)?

Nope, not that I know of. I just got a few emails from people saying they really liked it, which was very nice. I don't think enough people played it to attract the whackos who would actually spend the effort telling me that I'm screwed up in the head.

Was Emily Enough your first AGS creation?

Emily Enough was my first AGS creation. I worked on some backgrounds for different games before that but Emily Enough was the first game I programmed with AGS

How long did Emily Enough take to develop and what was the development schedule like?

I'm embarrassed to say that Emily Enough took something like 2 years to put out. It took so long because I was really starting from scratch in the fields of computer graphics and programming. My initial artwork consisted of stick figures and splotches of color. I'm a real perfectionist, so I kept redoing the artwork again and again until I was satisfied. I'd get to a point where I had most of the rooms finished, then would learn some new techniques and then redo everything. It was ridiculous. Emily Enough doesn't have the greatest artwork but it's not bad considering where I started.

In terms of development schedule - I worked on it non-stop for several months when I was in Germany.. or at least I spent that time learning how to draw and program. When I got back it was much less regular because I got a job and a life.

What is the most enjoyable and least enjoyable parts of game development for you?

Programming for me can be really frustrating since I'm not technically inclined, but when you get something right and can see it in action it's really pleasing. But I'd have to say that character art and animation is currently the bane of my existence. I could spend weeks on a background and love it, but for whatever reason drawing all the animation frames for a character drives me nuts. It's one of the reasons I put down Square John Boy for so long...that and the whole "getting a life" thing.

Not to put AGS or game making down.. I love it but it's not always easy to explain to your girlfriend that you'd rather program than go out with her for a nice dinner.

Personally I feel that Emily Enough is somewhat underrated as a game. Were you happy with the success that it did have?

I'm flattered that you think it was underrated. I've really been happy and surprised with how much attention it got. When I started working on it, my goal was to just get a review in The Underdogs, which was and still is a site I really admire and appreciate. Emily Enough got reviewed and was awarded "top dog" status - which is more than I would have expected.

But look, not everyone would appreciate my sense of humor, so if it didn't receive as much attention as a more accessible game, I understand.

Your WIP project Square John Boy possibly sounds even more extreme than Emily Enough. How is it progressing?

I've been working on Square John Boy for way too long. I dropped it for most of the past year because of a new job, dog and house. Then a couple weeks ago I went back and fired up the working shell in AGS. I was surprised by how good it looked! Then I remembered how much time I spent on it, so I decided to finish it. Right now, all the backgrounds are done. I'm slowly chipping away at the animations. The programming is a whole other ballgame though. It's been a long time since I used AGS, so I feel like I'm starting back at square one. I may try and find someone who'd be willing to help out.. because I'd really like to finish this thing.

I'm not sure that it will be more extreme than Emily Enough but it will be different . It will be more like a classic horror film, whereas I think Emily Enough is more like a comic book turned video game. It will be creepy and disturbing though, that's a given.

Your storylines tend to focus on the darker aspects of life - are any elements of your stories auto-biographical?

No, I can't say anything is autobiographical. I'm not sure why I make these particular kinds of games. If I had a therapist, maybe they could tell me. But I could also be happy making nice fantasy games.. and maybe one day I will.

Are there any boundaries that you think shouldn't be crossed in terms of subject matter in videogames or do you think that it is important for videogames to deal with serious subject matter?

Yeah, there are definitely boundaries you shouldn't cross. I sometimes have a tough time figuring them out though. Having a normal-ish girlfriend can really be helpful. You need someone to bounce ideas off of.. someone to stare at you in disgust and tell you you're sick and that if you make that game, you'll have to move out.

On the second part of the question, I don't know that it's important for games to deal with serious subject matter but video games can be an excellent medium to deal with relevant ideas & concepts and reach people in ways other mediums wouldn't. It's like how people may get more out of The Daily Show than they would the Evening News. So I think there's a lot of potential for video games to deal with important subjects and I don't know that it's been done all that much yet.

Do you have any other concepts that you have planned for development in the future or any WIPS you aren't telling us about?

I've been working on a series of short games, the first of which should be released soon. I don't want to give anything away, but it's science-fiction themed. I started working on it to brush up on my programming, and because I wanted to release games more often than once every three years. But it should be a cool series.