In the midst of the Covid pandemic in 2020, Guillaume Broche took a leap from his job at Ubisoft and embarked on a journey to create a dream role-playing game inspired by the classic Final Fantasy series. This initiative led to the birth of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, which, after five years, has taken the gaming world by storm, selling a million copies in just three days and garnering attention from influential figures, including French President Emmanuel Macron.
Set in the intriguing world of Lumiere, where players face a mysterious entity known as The Paintress, the game blends turn-based battles with a rich 19th-century French aesthetic. Despite initial doubts from industry veterans about the game's potential appeal, Guillaume leveraged social media platforms, particularly Reddit, to connect with aspiring talents.
One of these individuals was Jennifer Svedberg-Yen, an Australian voice actor who stumbled upon Guillaume's query about free demo recordings. Initially cast in a character role, she became the lead writer as the project evolved. When Guillaume founded Sandfall Interactive, they received funding from Kepler Interactive and built a core team of about 30 passionate developers gathered through similar outreach strategies.
Guillaume, known for his talent in spotting creative individuals, credits his success and the inspiring community formed during the pandemic as key factors in the game's development. The team included composer Lorien Testard, who had no prior gaming experience. With the game praised for its high production values—often rivaling those produced by larger studios—Guillaume noted that advances in game development tools significantly aided the team.
While the core group took on multiple roles within the project, they remained dedicated and enthusiastic throughout the process. Their hard work has paid off, creating an environment where talent flourishes, resulting in a game that has captivated audiences worldwide and remains a talking point within the industry.
Set in the intriguing world of Lumiere, where players face a mysterious entity known as The Paintress, the game blends turn-based battles with a rich 19th-century French aesthetic. Despite initial doubts from industry veterans about the game's potential appeal, Guillaume leveraged social media platforms, particularly Reddit, to connect with aspiring talents.
One of these individuals was Jennifer Svedberg-Yen, an Australian voice actor who stumbled upon Guillaume's query about free demo recordings. Initially cast in a character role, she became the lead writer as the project evolved. When Guillaume founded Sandfall Interactive, they received funding from Kepler Interactive and built a core team of about 30 passionate developers gathered through similar outreach strategies.
Guillaume, known for his talent in spotting creative individuals, credits his success and the inspiring community formed during the pandemic as key factors in the game's development. The team included composer Lorien Testard, who had no prior gaming experience. With the game praised for its high production values—often rivaling those produced by larger studios—Guillaume noted that advances in game development tools significantly aided the team.
While the core group took on multiple roles within the project, they remained dedicated and enthusiastic throughout the process. Their hard work has paid off, creating an environment where talent flourishes, resulting in a game that has captivated audiences worldwide and remains a talking point within the industry.
