Developer Interview - Strummer Games
We did an interview with Paul, the creator of The Phantom Fellows; about the game, game development and games in general. Here's what he said:
1. Hi there, please tell us a bit about you:
I’m a solo dev and a solo dad, and I love being both. Before making The Phantom Fellows, my background was in music and amateur tomfoolery. Growing up, I played Sierra and LucasArts adventure games with my dad, and I’ve kept that tradition alive with my own son, Strummer - who my publishing company is named after. We love getting cozy with a blanket, some snacks (so many snacks), and diving into old-school adventure games together. Since 2018, I’ve also been co-hosting the Classic Gamers Guild Podcast, where we discuss all things adventure games every other week.
2. What were you favorite game or games when growing up?
I started with Sierra AGI games on an Apple IIGS, where Gold Rush!, Space Quest and Police Quest were my favorite. All three of them made me feel as if I was immersed in an entire world, traveling freely around Lytton, through the galaxy or across the country. I still hold these titles dear to me but I also went on to a DOS machine where I played many of the Sierra and LucasArts point and click games - of that era I would say, Gabriel Knight 1, Dagger of Amon Ra, Loom, Fate of Atlantis, Willy Beamish, again Space Quest (3 and 5 my favorites)... Perhaps a shorter list would be the ones I don't consider a favorite!
3. When did you start making games?
The Phantom Fellows is my first game, which I worked on full-time for four years.
4. How did you discover your passion for game dev?
Through making this game - specially the first room. I'm the type that needs to create or I just wither on the vine and game dev is so endlessly stimulating, writing, making the graphic art and music, eve programming requires so much more creativity than I ever would have guessed. It's an extremely fulfilling process at every turn.
5. Why did you decide to make this specific game, what was your inspiration? How did you come up with the idea and story?
When I started development, my son was about five, and I felt this urge to create something that could be a legacy for him. I wanted him to grow up seeing his dad doing something he loved - aiming high and working hard to make it happen - while showing him how his own creativity can bring stories, games, music, and art to life. So, I taught myself coding and pixel art, bringing along my experience in music and writing, plus my arguably unhealthy obsession with adventure games, and committed - full send - to making the best game I could.
I started less from a story point of view and more from a fan of the genre, asking myself "what do I want to play?". That is how I ended up with a ghost - I wanted 2 playable characters, one with an ability the other doesn't have. From there I asked, "what would I do if there was this one ghost who I could see and communicate with" and I figured, well, I'd probably try to pay the bills, let's start a paranormal investigation business together, with the ghost my ethereal ace in the hole.
From there, it was always going to be primarily a comedy, I really enjoy writing observational and situational humor, so all of the (7) cases in the game I approached from a perspective of what might be a funny situation or what environment do I feel inspired to create. Lastly, an over-arcing story was required to weave the cases together and provide a sense of greater purpose so that the characters could grow throughout the game and prevent any risk of novelty the individual cases on their own could create.
6. What are your characters based on in the game? Who would you be in your games?
Many of the non-playable characters are loosely based on people I know or have known, even if by a single humorous quirk. For the main protagonists, Oliver Cobblestone (the breather) and Englebert Picklebender (the floater), well... Oliver is essentially me, or my playful side while Englebert is perhaps my shadow - my more cynical, objective side. This balance gave me a clear sense of their personalities and created a fun dynamic between them.
I didn't want to write tropes caricatures, I was aiming for authentic, sometimes even relatable. Characters you feel like you know as opposed to characters you feel you have seen before.
7. How would you describe the style of the game?
For 6 years now I've been co-hosting an adventure game podcast (CGGpodcast.com), and one takeaway I implemented into The Phantom Fellows was this: Sierra was incredible at encouraging and rewarding exploration, and LucasArts were masters of storytelling. My aim was to do both. Everything in The Phantom Fellows is a hotspot - everything, the sky, the stars, the moon are all individual hotspots with a unique Look At and Interact response from both Oliver and Englebert. It’s also full of hidden treats for the dedicated explorer. Meanwhile the writing always comes first, the story telling is the heart of this game, which combined with LucasArts-like logic and modern lessons learned and applied, you end up with the gameplay style I went for.
8. Did you experience any challenges in the development of it?
Yes! I didn't know how to anything.
I mean, I had a grip on writing and have a background in music composition but I didn't know how to program or create pixel art. I just knew I wanted to use AGS because I've been such a fan of the community and it's games for so long, that it was always going to be in AGS and in pixel art because I just adore chunky pixels. I had a lot to learn, countless 16 hour days where I couldn't sleep until I figured out how to program something or until I fixed what I had broken. It was worth every second.
9. What are you most proud of about your game/what do you like most about it?
I’m especially proud of the game’s map, which unlocks on Day 3. It lets players return to previous locations to find alternate puzzle solutions or enjoy new interactions with familiar characters. I wanted the game to feel like it did for me as a kid, with a sense of freedom to explore and be rewarded for it. Players never have to revisit a location to solve a case, but they can if, for example, they need something for a new case that they saw around town earlier in the game. And even if there’s nothing to pick up, there’s always a fresh interaction or a laugh to be had.
Apart from that, I poured my heart and soul into every line of dialogue, including the descriptive responses - there’s not a single throwaway line. There’s also a dynamic between Englebert (the floater) and Oliver, where Englebert acts as a mentor. As the game progresses, there are moments with real heart, as Englebert gently nudges Oliver toward realizing his potential. It reflects the way I hope to show my own son how to realize his.
10. Is there anything you think could have been better?
Absolutely - there are a few things I’d refine with hindsight. One room in the game feels a bit too long and takes too much time to traverse, but I didn’t realize this until late in development. Another example is one of the days where the dialogue might be a bit too dense. Watching streamers play has been invaluable in seeing how certain pacing adjustments could enhance the experience. These are just a few of the many little things I’ve learned through experience, and I’m excited to apply these insights in my next games.
11. Have you and your way of working (developing games) changed/evolved over time?
Yes and no. After four years, I’ve put in my ‘10,000 hours’ of programming and pixel art, so I’ve learned a lot. But I still work with the same fundamental approach, basing nearly everything I do on feel. If an idea sparks excitement, I chase it. If a line makes me laugh, it stays. Everything - from dialogue to puzzle design - flows naturally. I don’t force ideas; instead, I let them fall into place when the time feels right.
12. Are you planning on making more games in the future? Do you know what your next game will be about in that case?
Yes! I officially began development on The Phantom Fellows 2 this week. I’m planning a trilogy, with the next two games being a bit shorter—three days or cases instead of seven. The Phantom Fellows 1 is a big game - about Thimbleweed Park big, at around 22 hours of playtime. By making the next two entries shorter, I’ll be able to complete them in much less than four years and align more closely with the modern trend of 6–10 hour playtimes.
A big thank you to Paul, for taking the time to answer these questions. It was interesting to know more about him and his game. Looking forward to seeing the sequel!