Indie game developer Fang’s Lab has released a first-person conspiracy action game called I Want to Believe. The game features professional Ukrainian voice acting and AI-generated country songs.
Indie game developer Fang’s Lab has released a first-person conspiracy action game called I Want to Believe. The game features professional Ukrainian voice acting and AI-generated country songs.
«In a small town in the north of the USA, several aliens are hiding among the local residents, imitating humans. Your task is to find out who is who and destroy the spacemen. An old pickup truck and a camera will help you in this dangerous business», — the project description on Steam says.
Developer Pylyp Bazdyryev describes I Want to Believe as a first-person action game with elements of detective, simulation, stealth, freedom of action, and driving. On the Gamedev DOU forum, he said that he worked on the project for a year and a half and quit his main job to do so.
«My journey with this project began with an important decision — I quit my job, without significant savings, and decided to completely switch to solo development. The reason was severe burnout. I took an unpaid leave for two months, and after returning, I couldn’t stand even one working day — the next day I informed the management that I was leaving for good,» the developer said.
Pylyp Bazdyryev noted that he does not strive to make «trendy» or secondary projects and primarily develops what interests him. Previously, he created a non-linear pirate action-quest about time travel Timeloop: Sink Again Beach and worked with his brother Artem Bazdyryev on the successful card roguelite Menace from the Deep .
A significant part of the gameplay in I Want to Believe is car trips, so the developer decided to add a radio to entertain players.
«I accidentally discovered Udio and Suno, and when I generated the first country tracks, I couldn’t believe my ears. They sounded perfect. That’s when the idea of an in-game country radio that would entertain the player while traveling was born. I made the songs with hidden jokes and hints at the game’s mechanics — so that you could laugh,» noted Pylyp Bazdyryev.
He added that AI was not suitable for voice acting of the characters, because the generated voices sounded terrible. I Want to Believe, like Timeloop: Sink Again Beach, boasts professional Ukrainian dubbing, which is a rarity for indie projects. According to the developer, this is a matter of principle for him, but not out of a sense of responsibility, but because he likes this feature.
«Again, returning to Timeloop, I can say that professional Ukrainian voice acting is a 100% seller feature. Especially considering our realities. The Ukrainian gaming market has been separated from the foreign one. The Ukrainian audience is very loyal to everything Ukrainian,» says Bazdyrev.
According to Pylyp Bazdyrev, the development of I Want to Believe was an exhausting marathon, during which he experienced many emotions.
«Over the past year and a half, I’ve experienced the end of a long-term relationship, the death of a loved one, my first real depression in my life, and existential crises. It was a hell of a lot. I was surviving on the money from selling an apartment, pennies from selling Timeloop, and the support of family, friends, colleagues, and just the nice people who surrounded me,» the developer admitted.
Currently, I Want to Believe is available for purchase on Steam for 309 UAH.
Pylyp said that he is already actively working with his brother on the next project. He did not reveal details, but noted that it is a «small interesting game», not in the horror genre. Its announcement may take place during the Halloween video game festival on Steam in October.
