The Drifter is an upcoming adventure game, that will be released by Powerhoof. Powerhoof, an Australia studio you may know from local multiplayer games like Crawl or Regular Human Basketball are releasing a fast paced point and click adventure. With stunningly animated pixel art, optimised both for mouse and gamepad with unique twin-stick controls, The Drifter is an engrossing roller-coaster of a story, drawing on King, Crichton and Carpenter. Read on to find out more about the game from Dave Lloyd, co-founder of Powerhoof.
IIG: Please could you introduce yourself and your studio?
I’m Dave Lloyd, half of an indie game dev duo called Powerhoof. Fellow game dev Barney Cumming and I started Powerhoof about a decade ago, and we’ve released a couple of commercial games (Crawl, Regular Human Basketball) as well as a bunch of free games and dev tools. We’re happy to say we’re self funded by our own titles! Among other projects we’re currently we’re making The Drifter!
IIG: What can you tell us about The Drifter?
The Drifter is a fast paced take on the point ‘n click adventure genre, inspired by tech thriller novels and 70s Ozploitation and B grade horror movies. I wanted to try taking a traditionally slow-paced genre and ramp up the excitement, turn it into a roller-coaster thrill ride that’ll keep players on the edge of their seat until the final click!
IIG: Can you tell us about the game’s conception?
I’ve been making adventure games as a hobby for over 20 years, and always wanted to do a full scale one. I’d always imagined doing a comedy, but we’ve always loved horror and thriller stuff, and so Barney and I, along with voice actor friend Adrian Vaughan tried out making a short thriller for a game jam, and it just clicked! We made a short game called Peridium, and people really loved it. So I immediately started thinking about a larger story that’d fit the same style, and The Drifter was born!
IIG: Can you tell us about the gameplay?
The Drifter is a modern take on the traditional point ‘n click genre. I really wanted to keep it true to that genre, while turning up the intensity to 11. The focus is on story, with puzzle solving being more the glue that holds it together. I didn’t want the player to be stumped wandering around trying to solve a puzzle, but instead be using their brain to think about the story as Mick’s thrown from situation to situation while trying to investigate what’s going on.
While you can play the game with just a mouse, there’s also a fairly unique control scheme if you have a Steam Deck or want to sit on the couch with a controller- basically making it a twin stick point ‘n clicker.
IIG: Can you tell us about the game’s narrative?
You play as Mick Carter, who’s jumped a box car back to his home town when he witnesses a violent murder, is pursued by hi-tech soldiers, thrown in a reservoir, and drowned… But that’s just the start of his problems! He somehow finds himself alive again, seconds before his death, with just a lungful of air. You have to help him escape, and untangle a mad web of conspiracy, while being haunted by shadowy organization and the feeling that something followed him back from the other side.
IIG: What appeals to you about making games in this genre? Is it grind house!?
A big influence is pulp thriller novels like those from Michael Crichton and Steven King, and the films and music of John Carpenter, with a bit of Ozploitation thrown in (think the Mad Max era of Aussie films). I can’t get enough of all that stuff, there’s so much great stuff out there to draw inspiration from, and the genre has such iconic visuals, audio and stories there’s just so much to draw inspiration from.
IIG: Is your aim to get the audience to laugh, cry, be horrified? A little bit of all three?
I want people to do all three at different times. My goal is to have people be really engaged in what’s happening the whole time, keeping things moving at a good clip, and varying the tone from edge-of-your-seat thriller, to mystery, drama, horror. I think the best books and films have a bit of it all, and if I can get a bit of that vibe I’ll be happy!
IIG: What’s your ambition for the game?
The point ‘n click genre is one I’m very passionate about, but one that’s sadly fallen by the wayside, there’s so much potential for amazing stories in adventure games though and I’d love to bring it to a new audience.
IIG: What’s next in the game’s journey?
There’s still a ways to go getting the game done, but it’s coming along slow and steady. The story and gameplay are locked in, sound and art’s about 75% complete, and we’re starting to record voices for the rest of the game. Not ready to announce a release date yet though!
IIG: How can be people stay up-to-date on the latest from your studio and The Drifter?
