Few projects in the world of indie game development have as storied a history as Margin of the Strange. Conceived nearly two decades ago, this mystery-adventure game evolved through various forms, from webcomics to visual novels, before finding its place as a fully realized video game.
We had the privilege of sitting down with Nightmargin, the director and studio lead, to discuss the intricate journey of bringing Margin of the Strange to life, the unique blend of gameplay elements, and the creative inspirations behind this long-anticipated project.
The game has a few weeks to go on Kickstarter, and stretch goals to add new features are in mind. You can Wishlist Margin of the Strange on Steam now.
Azario Lopez: Margin of the Strange has been a concept in development for nearly 20 years. Can you share how the idea evolved over time and what finally led to its realization as a video game?
Nightmargin: I’ve been interested in making characters and writing stories ever since middle school! The same characters have followed me across different stories. I tried getting more serious about making webcomics/character writing during junior year of high school, and discovered indie adventure games in my last year of high school. That was also around the timeframe where the visual aesthetic of Margin began to crystallize (pun intended). Back then, I was most familiar with comics as a storytelling medium, but at some point I realized that games have a lot of narrative potential too–plus, you can reuse most of the assets in a game, making it a lot more efficient as a storytelling medium in many ways.
Azario Lopez: The game features a blend of exploring bizarre landscapes and building a dream world through agriculture. How do these gameplay elements complement each other, and what inspired this combination?
Nightmargin: I like adventure games where you explore weird places that don’t necessarily make sense, and kind of go on an easter egg hunt all over the place in order to make progress (e.g., Yume Nikki, Outer Wilds). I also like farming and life-sim type games where you work towards tangible goals and get the feeling that you’re building up towards something bigger (e.g., Stardew Valley). I also enjoy games with a strong focus on narrative, characters, and worldbuilding. There doesn’t seem to be much overlap between these genres, especially in the indie sphere, which is sad for me because I really want to play more games like that! It’s been an interesting design challenge to consolidate these genres, but that’s what makes it exciting too.
Azario Lopez: Can you tell us more about the protagonist, Ling, and his journey in Margin of the Strange? How does his resurrection and memory loss drive the narrative?
Nightmargin: Ling is supposed to be sort of an audience surrogate character, so we wiped his mind! I say this half-jokingly because the world of Margin is a science fiction world that works a bit differently from our own. Having him start out being sort of lost and confused helps us ease in the introduction of mechanics and story concepts. This is not to say he’s a total blank slate, though! I like writing protagonists that have their own perspective on things, with Niko (OneShot) being an example I have written previously.
Azario Lopez: The dream world, Margin, is described as a place made entirely out of glass. What was the inspiration behind this unique setting, and how does it influence gameplay and story?
Nightmargin: No real reason, just because I think it looks cool! I learned about Salar de Uyuni (the biggest salt flat in the world) sometime back in high school, and that’s been a pretty big visual inspiration. Other inspirations are certain microorganisms such as diatoms that incorporate glass into their shells. As for gameplay, I want it to feel very satisfying when you’re going around smacking crystals with a bludgeoning weapon like some kind of madman.
Azario Lopez: You mentioned that players will meet various characters in both the dream world and the waking world. How do these interactions shape the player’s experience and progression in the game?
Nightmargin: Characters shape progression in a big way! This is a mystery game after all, and getting to know different people will give you access to more information that will help you towards your goal. They will also give you access to friendship, the ultimate superpower.
Azario Lopez: Margin of the Strange incorporates a mix of mystery-adventure and resource management. How do players collect and use materials in the game, and what role does agriculture play in their journey?
Nightmargin: You explore different dream realms to find new plants/resources, then multiply those resources by growing smaller versions of the plants in your home base. You then use those resources to open up new pathways to find new realms to explore. In the process, you will also collect information that helps you solve the overarching mysteries of the game.
Thematically, it’s less of a farm and more of a butterfly garden.
Azario Lopez: The concept of “liminal spaces” seems central to the game’s design. How have you incorporated this idea into the game’s environments and atmosphere?
Nightmargin: Liminal spaces are best conveyed in a more immersive 3D space. In order to bring those vibes into a birds-eye view pixel game, I need to rely a lot more on color, contrast, and shading. Having fitting audio also helps to set the mood!
Azario Lopez: Music plays a significant role in creating the game’s mood. How has your experience from writing the OneShot soundtrack influenced the music for Margin of the Strange?
Nightmargin: Actually, it’s the other way around! I’ve been writing music for Margin since 2009, and the experience I gained from that allowed me to write the soundtrack for OneShot as quickly as I did. I’ve gotten a bit better at writing music since OneShot, and I hope to remaster my old Margin music to use for the game.
Azario Lopez: With the Kickstarter campaign already meeting its base goal, what are some of the exciting stretch goals you hope to achieve, and how will they enhance the game?
Nightmargin: Right now we are working towards the 150k stretch goal, which will add a major sidequest/alternate route to the game. At 180k we can make endless mode, and I’ll buy myself some music instrument upgrades so that I’m no longer limited to basic free VSTs. (This goal is set so high because most of the money raised on the Kickstarter will not go towards me, but so that I can pay other team members)
Azario Lopez: What challenges did you face in bringing such a long-gestating project to life, and how has the support from fans and backers impacted the development process?
Nightmargin: The support we got so far was overwhelming in the best way, and I couldn’t been more grateful! We’ve been working on this project as a team for almost 3 years, so it’s been reassuring to see that at least some people are looking forward to it now.
