G4TV

To kick off X-Play's unprecedented coverage of the 2008 Penny Arcade Expo, we've asked each of the PAX 10, the Expo's top ten highest rated indie games of the last year, to answer some questions for us.

Ryan Clark, one of the two creators of The Amazing Brain Train answered our questions and filled us in with what's like to design games the whole family can play.

G4: How long was the game in development?

RC: About 1 year.

G4: Where did you get the idea/inspiration for the game?

RC: I am a huge fan of (good) brain games like Brain Age and Big Brain Academy, and I also love mini-games in general (Mario Party, WarioWare), so I've always had the urge to make something along those lines. But I've also felt that existing brain games lacked visual flair and longer-term goals, so I saw an opportunity to bring something new to the genre.

G4: What's your all-time favorite game?

RC: Dwarf Fortress!! It's free, so check it out if you haven't already. However, I warn you that it's not the easiest game to get into, but it's well worth the effort. Greatest game ever made, in my opinion.

G4: If you could have dinner with any one developer, who would it be and what would you eat?

RC: Sid Meier. I'd like him to explain where my childhood went. (Civ!) We would eat something from my granary.

G4: With unlimited resources, what kind of game would you make?

RC: Something web/Flash-based, with physics... oh wait, we're working on it now!

G4: Which existing franchise would you like to work on?

RC: The Adventures of Lolo.

G4: Where do you see indie gaming going in the future?

RC: Online! Web games are only going to get more awesome.

G4: What piece of advice would you give to someone looking to develop their own indie game?

RC: Learn Flash, make small-ish games, and (hopefully!) live off of ad revenue + donations. Ramp up to bigger games when you can afford the risk.

G4: What was the biggest lesson learned from your development process?

RC: Making fun brainy mini games is harder than I thought! And I thought it'd be hard to begin with!

G4: Besides the obvious—making games—what are some of your hobbies?

RC: I play console games, PC games, board games, and pen+paper RPGs. Sometimes I read books. (Mostly RPG rule books! Or sci-fi.) For exercise I ride my bike to work and play ice hockey. I also enjoy hanging out with my wife, drinking beers + BBQing stuff!

G4: Favorite movie, food, sports team, video game character, and actor/actress?

RC: Movie: Kung-Fu Panda (seriously! I didn't think I'd like it when I went to the theatre, but I loved it!) ; Food: Pasta or sushi or pretty much anything starchy ; Sports team: Vancouver Canucks! Hopefully they'll win the cup before I buy the farm. ; Game Character: Quote, from Cave Story ; Actor: Christopher Walken