CD-ROMs were a part of many people’s first experiences with computers. They hold such marvellous creations including The Secret of Monkey Island, Resident Evil and SimCity 3000. Cracking the plastic case and inserting the disk into your beige coloured box that makes clicking and whirring noises was a ritual for many. Monoclelord explores the sights & sounds of this ritual with his own twist: Each CD must be unlocked with a password found in the previous CD, sometimes requiring you to look at all the previous CDs to complete your answer. Have a notepad ready or use the one provided by Monoclelord in the top right of the screen.
I reached out to Monoclelord shortly after trying his game, CD-ROM. It invoked similar feelings to Last Call BBS from the late Zachtronics. I had to know more about its creator.
Please enjoy the following interview with Monoclelord! I will let the interview mostly speak for itself with some small commentary.
What were your inspirations?
My main inspiration for the game is my dad’s CD collection from the early 2000s. I used to look into each one of them to find games or something useful. Minigames, little softwares to customise PC and emulators were the best. Searching them gave me the idea for the game.
How was the game made? What tools or tech did you use?
The game was made with Unity game engine. I drew pixel art using Pro Motion NG. 3D parts were modelled in Blockbench. Photoshop for editing stuff and little softwares to help with textures were used as well.
I did have to do a little research on Pro Motion NG, which was new to me. It bolsters itself as being similar to the Amiga’s Deluxe Paint which is quite interesting.
Were there any challenges you faced while making CD-ROM that weren’t expected?
The most challenging thing was the problem I faced days before the release. The Save & Load system was broken after a technical issue. I had to remake it. That caused unwanted delays which I’m sorry about.
Save file systems are sometimes hard to manage with puzzle games like this one, with lots of possible variables.
What do you do when you’re not making games?
I like playing games with my friends, painting stuff with my watercolour set even though my interest shifted towards digital-art. I also like going outside to see new places. For the last few months I was just developing the game with no extra time to do anything. I want to read a few books and go hiking.
I hope Monoclelord gets to enjoy reading & hiking soon. A well deserved break after making such a game as a solo developer.
What video games do you like to play? With or without friends.
My favourite game that I like to play is Minecraft. I play it both by myself and with my friends. Other than Minecraft, we play Rocket League, Apex Legends and any multiplayer fun to play games. I try to play indie games by myself. I also love some AAA game series like Grand Theft Auto.
Minecraft seems like an eternal home for many of the creative types I speak to. At some stage I might blog about my own experiences with the game.
Do you have a CD-ROM collection yourself? May I see it?
Of course! I have a CD/DVD collection too and I also have a few CD’s from my dad’s collection too!
The CD collection in the background is mine. Things I gathered over the years. And the 2 one in front is from my dad’s collection. I could find only 2 right now. The one on the left was an inspiration for one of the CD’s in the game.
A true treasure trove!
What is your personal favourite CD-ROM in your collection and why?
My favourite one is Play’Em All. It’s actually from my dad’s but I count that as mine right now! 🙂 It had my favourite games in it. (for example : DrainStorm) I would return to that CD after checking everything.
I searched the web for a copy of this specific CD-ROM and found a different one from the same series on Archive.org. I told Monoclelord about this and he led me to Google Drive filled with a whole bunch of Turkish CD-ROMs, gathered and collected on some small Turkish forum. Link
Is this your first game or are there some smaller free projects you made before this?
This is actually my 2nd game. I made another game related to a historical book like a manuscript and players would solve puzzles stylised with illustrations from the book. I made this game while learning game development and it didn’t sell well.
Trying to sell the game you used to learn how to make games rarely goes well. I think not selling many copies is probably a blessing compared to some of the more horrific stories such as Yandere Dev (Although I hear he’s in a better mental space now than he was a few years ago)
Was any AI used for either code, art or conceptualisation? (You can choose not to answer this)
AI was never used during the development of CD-ROM.
All lovingly handmade!
How should players approach your game?
CD-ROM is a pure puzzle game. It has classic types of puzzles, creative and a bunch of novelty stuff. All combined with an immersive little atmosphere brings a unique experience to the players. If one is into this, they should give it a try!
That is the kind of sales pitch that would peak my interest! Lateral thinking is something I needed to engage with on my playthrough.
Is there a tea, coffee or snack that players should enjoy with your title?
Having a coffee with some cookies would go really well with this game! Insert the CD, take a sip/bite from your coffee/cookie and dive into puzzles!
A fellow coffee drinker! I will have to seek some cookies next time I go shopping. (Update, at the time of publishing, we have cookies)
The game is clearly inspired by older versions of Windows. Which is your favourite? XP, 2000, 98, 3.1?
My favourite one is Windows XP! It’s the first OS I experienced when I was just a child. The visuals & sounds alone bring a lot of memories.
I think my first was Windows 98 but using Windows XP all throughout Primary school & my mother’s old Thinkpad is certainly nostalgic.
What words of wisdom would you give to aspiring game devs?
Developing games is hard and time consuming. First you should make sure you’re safe financially from anything that might go wrong with your project. You could start it as a hobby and see where it goes. Try to create something related to you that players can relate too. I believe the way to be unique is to create fun things!
Financial safety is certainly important if you plan to take the approach Monclelord has of going full-time.
Anything else you wish to share?
Thanks for having me for this interview opportunity. It is great to see interest around my game!
I am glad you enjoyed it!
Thanks again to Monoclelord for answering my burning questions. I look forward to what they cook up next after a few hiking trips.
You can find CD-ROM on Steam.
See you next time, I have more to post!
Jackson Murphy