Hohokum Developers on Bringing Former PlayStation Exclusive to Steam

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One of the surprise reveals from last week's Annapurna Interactive Showcase was the PC release of Hohokum. GamesBeat spoke with the game's creators, Richard Hogg and Ricky Haggett, about relaunching the game on Steam after so many years.

Previously released in 2014 for PlayStation consoles, Hohokum is a puzzle game where players control a colorful snake-like character who explores various settings. In our review, Evan Killham called it "an odd combination of things that shouldn't work but totally do". It joined other PlayStation-based indie titles, such as Journey and Flower. Now, several years later, it's getting a new lease on life as a Steam release - not the first Sony exclusive to take this journey.

In an interview with GamesBeat, Hogg and Haggett talked about reviving their old console exclusive after eight years. Haggett said it would serve the legacy of the game: "It will live on PC for a very long time. Whereas on PlayStation you might not be able to play it at some point, but hopefully you can play it for a very long time. , a very long time on PC."

Hogg told GamesBeat that Hohokum fans have wanted a PC port for years. “I know there's a bunch of people who will be very excited, because for years people have been asking. There are always people asking when it's coming to PC."

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When asked to describe his rather indescribable game, Hogg said, "Hohokam felt like a game that people who don't really like the game than a lot of people who don't really like the games video might like." He added that one difference between the two releases is that PC audiences might be more receptive to Hohokum's curious nature. "Indie video games have changed and the way people view these kinds of weird ideas in games has definitely changed. So I think it will be greeted with less confusion than it was when it first came out. . Maybe."

Hohokum is about exploration and the thrill of finding your own way - it doesn't give the player much guidance. Haggett says the PC indie scene has seen several games similar to Hohokum. “At the time, there weren't many games that did that. I think people will be a little more open to stuff like that… We need to do less explanation of 'What the hell is this crazy stuff?'"

The mechanics of change, they both added, were simple. Only mouse and keyboard support has been added. There are very few differences between the original version of the game and the PC version, although they have been tempted to modify it before the new version.

Find the PC audience

In addition to the above about the nature of Hohokum as an art-driven game, Hogg said the console exclusivity felt like a barrier. “The kind of people who would buy Hohokum on a PC and play it casually – they're not great gamers. They're not the kind of people who would buy a PlayStation, but Hohokum might resonate with them. It's always been something I've regretted, and I hope now is an opportunity for these folks to get back in the game.

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