At PAX East 2023, I had the opportunity to sit down with Mackly Férère Antoine, co-founder of MadLife Games, at the Freedom Games booth to discuss their latest indie creation, Sugar Shack.
We’re about to play his game, Sugar Shack. I can’t wait. How has PAX been for you so far?
It’s been really great. We’ve been going on the floor and checking all the games. It’s really nice. There’s a lot of space, a lot of people, a lot of things to see.
Is this your first PAX or you’ve been here… It’s my first PAX. It’s your first PAX?
Yes, it is.
Welcome to your first PAX! Mackly is about to walk me through and I’m about to play. What is Sugar Shack about?
Sugar Shack is a maple syrup management game and world crafter set in a cozy, magical forest inspired by Quebec lore and art. Hungry villagers with endless sweet tooths make their way to this legendary shack. Grab some friends, fire up the boiler, and let the syrup flow!
You mentioned how you wanted to express a lot of the folklore of Quebec and wanted to share that.
Yes. That’s what we’re doing. There’s a lot of characters from Quebec’s folklore, from Quebec’s legends, like the Devil, La Corriveau, La Chasse-galerie. It’s really a window for you guys to discover what it’s like through a management game that you’re going to do management.
One thing that is really nice about this game is that you can customize everything. You see the tiles right here? The world is separated in the tiles. You can go to the map. That’s what you’re going to learn real soon. Go to the map and you can place tiles and change the world the way you want it.
How did you get into game development or in the gaming industry?
I studied programming, software engineering. And then I went to work for Ubisoft. I worked for three or four years. Another founder of the company worked for Ubisoft, too. We won the competition at Ubisoft when we were at university. Oh, nice. That’s what made us start our own company. About the first game that made us won the competition.
What made you stay in gaming?
I guess what makes us stay is the passion. But what saves us, I’d say, is the ups. Because sometimes we were really close to closing down and then we had the deal for this project. Then we’re like, okay, we’re back. Starting over, making this game and everything. So, yeah, that’s what it is.
What would you tell a lot of people who don’t understand that there’s a lot of black game developers ?
They’re not unicorns. They’re not in the shadows. There’s a lot of Black game developers.
For the youth that would want to get into gaming, what’s two tips you would tell them?
Study the market doesn’t have to be something really complicated like going to check what video games work. Sometimes it’s just having people test your game.
Okay, one, you have to study the market. Study the market doesn’t have to be something really complicated like going to check what video games work. Sometimes it’s just having people test your game. See what they like and iterate on this. That’s really important because one of the biggest mistakes that we do in the beginning is that we work on the game. Then we come to show it and we didn’t test if people like it. And then we realize, oh, we have to fix this. Oh, we have to do this. So, that would be one tip.
And another tip that I would have. Marketing! Marketing is so important. Like coming to this event, coming to events like this. It’s good to make a great product, but take the time to sell it. Show it to people. Come to events like this (PAX East). Stuff like that. That’s important because you’ll get so wrapped up in your art and you forget the business side of it. If you don’t have the business side, who’s going to know about your game? At all. Today, social media, use this. Every tool that you have to market your game.
Dope. Anything else you want to share about Sugar Shack before we close out? Come and play it. Customize the world.
And when does it come out?
It’s coming out summer, late summer this year (2023). So, a nice, cool, laid-back game to play for the summer. School is out. Jobs is not always out. You still got to work, but to relax during that time. Even when you’re working. You can be able to play it.
What platforms will it be on?
I see we have PC right now. Would it be on the Switch? No, it’s only on Steam for now. Only on Steam for now. Wishlist it was on Steam! The demo is going to be available around June.
You can play it on the Steam Deck. Alright. Thank you so much. I appreciate you. Everyone, make sure you check out the game. We’re going to have all the details down below. It’s REDInFamy – You’re MasterGeektress Stay Tuned for more PAX EAST 2023 coverage.
Sugar Shack simulation game invites players into a cozy, magical forest inspired by Quebec’s rich folklore and art. In Sugar Shack, players manage a maple syrup business, harvesting sap, cooking homemade products, and building a thriving community. The game offers both single-player and co-op modes, allowing up to four friends to collaborate in crafting and customizing their world. With its relaxing gameplay and charming aesthetic, Sugar Shack aims to provide a unique and heartwarming experience for players seeking a tranquil escape.