‘This Little Car Of Mine’ is a relaxing and cosy driving game by indie developer Sam Claydon that explores the theme of grief as you, the player, are on a journey to scatter the ashes of a loved one. I recently interviewed Sam about his game and being a one man development team!
I love indie game development, especially having full creative control on a project. It can sometimes feel like a daunting task but by taking every element of the game and breaking it into smaller pieces it is more manageable for myself. I really enjoy creating games so if I ever feel overworked, I take a break and come back to the project with fresh eyes. I also use an online planner to keep all of my tasks confined in one place.
How long have you been working on 'This Little Car of Mine'?
This Little Car Of Mine started as my final module for my MA at Falmouth University. I loved making the game and wanted to pursue it to see it completed. I started prototyping back in January 2024 and started to develop demo versions for in-person events in April. It is now coming up to 8 months of development since I started prototyping.
The game is based in Cornwall, what impression do you hope to give of Cornwall to those who have never been, and do you think people who live there will get something more out of it?
I have always loved Cornwall, so much so that I decided to go to University there. It is a beautiful place to go to and if I could recreate the same feeling in a game I would be really happy. This game centers around a relaxing drive that will give players an escape from everyday life. Even though my game has a voxel based art style, I aim to create the same sense of escapism that I feel when exploring Cornwall.
From what I understand this game is about grief, but focuses more on the nostalgia and positive side of remembering someone's life and your memories with them. Is there a specific message you are trying to get across about grief?
The main premise of This Little Car Of Mine is exploring those memories you shared with someone who has passed away. So the message I want to convey is treasuring the moments you share with people in your life. Life is short and you should enjoy every second you have with the people around you. This game does take some inspiration from my own life but the overall theme is sharing the memories with your loved ones.
What obstacles will the car face when driving between the different locations?
The main gameplay element of the game are black and white bubbles found in the levels called Memory Pockets. These are key areas in the game that resonate with the driver and will be explained at the end of each level. You will be traversing through different areas of Cornwall inspired by the past the driver has gone through. Each area will have interact-able elements in the game such as meeting a fisherman from the past as you revisit the area.
What elements of 'This Little Car of Mine' will people find the most surprising?
For a game about grief, I am creating this game to be as wholesome and charming as possible. I don’t think it will be a surprise as such but the expectations of games that feature loss can be darker than This Little Car Of Mine. I think players will find the story interesting and will be intrigued about how the game will play out.
Talk a little about the music in the game.
The music of This Little Car Of Mine takes influence from jazz and relaxing piano pieces. I am developing the music alongside the game and elements of the game world affect the music such as entering Memory Pockets.
What video games influenced you when making 'This Little Car of Mine'?
‘To The Moon’ was a big inspiration as it takes a deep and meaningful story and adds comedic elements without affecting the story in a negative way. The game has a beautiful story and is a brilliant game to play if you haven't already. For the art style, I have been creating voxel art for many years now but some stand out games at the moment I would say ‘Pine Hearts’ and I also take inspiration from the environments of ‘Pokemon’.
You have been documenting the progress via vlogs throughout development. Has involving the community helped motivate you?
You have been documenting the progress via vlogs throughout development. Has involving the community helped motivate you?
I love chatting about what I am working on, especially when it comes to devlogs. I am currently creating a new video that delves into the entire development of my game up until now. I want to create a game that people would enjoy playing and can have their say during the development process. I would say that having a kind and caring community has ‘driven’ me to create the games I make and keeps me focused on each project.
When/Where will we be able to play it!?
As this game is still a University project I can’t say yet but I will be releasing more information at the start of September. I can say that the game is currently being developed for PC/Mac and a demo/prototype build will be available at the end of my degree next month.
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