Hi there everyone!
Like many other projects of this kind, TLR Games was born by a long conversation between two good friends — Edu Verz from Brainwash Gang and I. It was early 2020 and the COVID pandemic had already begun, so we spent a lot of time at home feeling crazy about creating something new. That’s how we started working on the concept that later will turn into The Longest Road on Earth, a deeply personal experimental game where we delve into concepts like routine, boredom, and social classes. I hope you have had the chance to play it!
It was a wonderful journey I wouldn’t change for anything, but after we funded the game on Kickstarter and it was supported by Raw Fury, I started feeling like searching for a new adventure on my own terms. And that desire brought me to IDEA: The Game and all the amazing people that comprise TLR Studio at this moment.
To be honest, it was like exploring the B side of the tape. In The Longest Road on Earth, all the little stories were meant to feel deeply melancholic, with an original soundtrack that seeks to convey the characters' uneasiness through deep and heartfelt lyrics. IDEA: The Game, like its namesake short film by Olli Huttunen, explores more positive concepts linked to the idea of exploring, persevering against adverse circumstances and sharing what’s inside you as a way of becoming eternal.
It’s funny when I think about how I discovered Olli Huttunen’s short film, IDEA. It was during Manuel Gonzales’s TV show -Zoom Net- emission of the short film. The possibility of this project came to my mind immediately while watching it. Manuel and I started to move Heaven and Earth, contacting Olli, writing emails, and having exciting video calls about what will happen next. Gladly, we got a deal of mixing Olli’s short film with my idea of making an app to share anonymous reflections.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7HliKhvDmnU
IDEA is the first game we fully own as TLR Games. After its release in March 2023, we aim to keep developing great games that mix many kinds of mechanics and aesthetics in new, entertaining ways. Doesn't that sound like a plan? For us, it does — after all, that's what keeps moving us as game developers.
Do you dare take a guess on which kind of game will be made next? I’ll read you in the comments section.
Best,
Arturo Monedero, Head of TLR Games
PS: Remember to add IDEA to your wishlist, if you haven’t already!