Feature: Interview - Martin Blomkvist, ilomilo Level designer

Swedish developer Southend Interactive may be most know for their remakes of Lode Runner and Tecmo Bowl, but the small studio is hard at work on an original IP for XBLA which looks to be the studios biggest game yet. 

ilomilo is Southend’s newest title, exclusively for XBLA and one of the most creative looking puzzlers around. Featuring gorgeous graphics and a delightful soundtrack, ilomilo is one of those stand out artsy titles that Microsoft has been slowly bringing to XBLA.

ilomilo Level Designer,  Martin Blomkvist was kind enough to give us some new info on the studios title as well as some of the benefits of going the digital delivery route for smaller studios. 

GND: ilomilo looks incredibly cute. Where did you guys get the inspiration for the characters ilo and milo and the dreamlike world they inhabit?

Martin: The visual inspiration for ilomilo came from many everyday things but was mainly inspired by artists such as Hundertwasser and Klimt. We also took inspiration from russian animation such as Cheburashka, Hedgehog in the fog and the russian version of Winnie the pooh.

GND: ilomilo is a puzzle game, that’s obvious but what isn’t are the goals of the game. What’s ilo and milo’s goals for each level and do specific cubes have special properties?

Martin: The goal for each level is to bring ilo and Milo together. It doesn’t matter where on the level they meet up, but they need to be on the same side and on connecting cubes. In order to bring ilo and Milo together the player needs to make use of special cubes that can be picked up and placed down almost anywhere on the level. Some cubes have special abilities that activates when they are put down on the ground or placed in a hole. One cube for example stretches out so that it becomes three cubes lenght. Another cube has a hole in it that ilo or milo can fall through and end up on the opposing side.

GND: Featured in one of the trailers we saw for the game were what looked like some flying creatures, will we be able to ride them?

Martin: If you mean the flying grey cubes then yes, you will be able to ride them. They are a key part in many of the tricky puzzles.

GND: When we first got a look at ilomilo our first thought was, “OMG a co-op puzzle game, that’s brilliant!” Please tell us that ilomilo can be played with a friend.

Martin: Yes, you will be able to team up with your best friend (or your worst enemy for that matter) and solve puzzles together. The gameplay is essentially the same, but in two player mode you work as a tag team where one player controls ilo and the other controls Milo. Only one character can be active at a time, but the player who isn’t active controls a fly which can be used to mark out cubes to help out the active player. Also, if you don’t feel so helpful you can choose to annoy your fellow player instead by using the buttons on the controller to play instruments.

GND: In the past few years XBLA has matured quite a bit from the retro fueled games that it began with, to now fuller and more experimental experiences like Braid. With so many different genres like shooters and side scrollers making a comeback on XBLA, what inspired Southend to go with a puzzle game and what do you think differentiates ilomilo from anything else out there?

Martin: The visual style is probably what makes ilomilo stand out of the crowd the most, but the 3D-labyrinth gameplay isn’t exactly overly done either. The reason we choose the puzzle genre was simply because we like puzzlers and felt like doing a fully fledged puzzle game. Next time it could be a pirate-brawler, a fantasy space marine RTS or a dark epic dinosaur MMORPG. You never know! :)

GND: What are some of the benefits of going the downloadable digital route for a new IP like ilomilo versus the more traditional brick and mortar route?

Martin: Games distributed online are usually smaller and doesn’t have the budget of a retail title. Since online distribution isn’t as expensive it makes it possible for smaller companies like us to get our games on the market without taking too great risks. Without digital distribution smaller and more niched games such as ilomilo, Braid and tower of goo probably would not have been possible.

GND: Will Southend be supporting ilomilo with perhaps some DLC after release?

Martin:There is always a possibility.

GND: When can gamers expect to get their hands on ilomilo and do you guys have any idea on a price point?

Martin: ilomilo will be out this year at some point. The price has not been set yet.

A big thank you to the folks at Southend for letting us know more about ilomilo, we can’t wait to play it! You can keep up to date on the game at ilomilo’s official facebook page, and we’ll let you know when Southend announces a release date for ilomilo.