SEASON: A Letter to the Future

#49: An interview with Director Kevin Sullivan

January 27, 2023

I like to take every chance I get to champion indies here at The Week in Games, and one of the first of the year comes in the form of SEASON: A Letter to the Future from Montreal-based Scavengers Studio. SEASON was first revealed at The Game Awards back in 2020 and (following a short delay from Autumn 2022) became one of the most eagerly anticipated games of 2023.

I’m delighted to say that SEASON’s Narrative and Creative Director Kevin Sullivan agreed to answer some questions about it for The Week in Games before its release next week.

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Could you please give a quick overview of the game?

In SEASON: A letter to the future, you play a young woman exploring a mysterious world for the first time, collecting memories before a cataclysm washes everything away. You meet a variety of interesting characters and record life as it is, while it’s still there, for the future.

What is your background in games and what led you to working at Scavengers Studio and on SEASON?

This is my first game. I previously worked on films and comics and poems and was basically hitchhiking around when my friend asked me to write something for his art.

SEASON has a very unique style and looks beautiful. Was inspiration taken from elsewhere for the game and its art style?

Thank you! Some inspiration was taken from Japanese woodblock prints and an artist named Norman Wilkinson.

What came first; the gameplay idea, the narrative themes, or the look and visual style?

The two things that solidified first, in my opinion, were the world and the mood. Earlier versions were more brightly coloured visually and the story was more in the fantasy genre. My very first conception of the story was tonally close to what we ended up with, a bit darker but it also had a lot to do with memory. It was loosely inspired by the documentary The Act of Killing, strange as that might sound. We had a long conception time before even opening the game engine.

What were the biggest challenges you faced during the game's development?

We not only had to build the game but we also had to build the team that could make it. For many of the creative leads, it was our first time making a game. We were doing something ambitious scope wise for us and also tried to create a pretty specific emotion. It feels like in retrospect everything was as difficult as possible. But we had the blessing of a series of incredible people who joined the team and added their brilliance to it and kept the project alive. It’s amazing it exists and it’s closer to the original ambition than I ever thought possible.

What are you most proud of with regards to the game?

I’m most proud of the team. Everyone’s ideas were essential. For each person on the team, I can imagine what it would have been like without them and it’s painful to picture. I also knew from earlier versions of the project what it would be like without the full team. My appreciation for their work is visceral. I’m proud but also deeply grateful. I’ll never get over it.

With the ‘new’ console generation now well and truly underway, do you think indie games are in a healthy place generally, and are there any upcoming indies from other studios you’re particularly looking forward to?

Creatively I think so. I’m curious about what will be next from Cardboard Computer, Porpentine Charity Heartscape, David Kanaga, Die Gute Fabrik, Blendo Games, Geography of Robots, and Infinite Fall.

Finally, what are your hopes for SEASON after it’s released? Is there anything specific that you hope players get out of it?

It’s a game full of memories and many of them are real. The second thing I can remember of my life is there. I also think about family and friends who passed away in the last years. They made their way in too. I find it beautiful when someone connects to the game on that level. But I think what people will get out of it will be their own creation, based on what they remember.

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With the relentless march of technology showing no signs of slowing down and games seemingly getting bigger and more expensive by the day, it’s wonderful to see the industry remains a place where indies can thrive. From its glorious trailers, a 9/10 review from Edge and outlets like Vice calling it "A masterful meditation on history and memory", SEASON looks set to become one of the first big indie success stories of 2023, a year that - thrillingly - promises no shortage of them.

A huge thank you to Kevin for agreeing to answer my questions.

SEASON: A Letter to the Future is released on Tuesday 31st January for PS4, PS5 and PC. You can find out more about the game here, and check out the wonderful new Story Trailer here.

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I hope you enjoy the rest of the newsletter and have a great weekend.

Thanks for reading,

Jeff

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