Last Updated on Nov 16, 2025 @ 18:44:20 PM.
Recently, an announcement trailer was revealed for the upcoming game Daughter of Voodoo, the third installment of Conrad Stevenson’s Paranormal Investigation series. Within this trailer, players got a small glimpse at the upcoming game in the form of a cinematic trailer that likely left them wanting more.
After this trailer debuted, we had the opportunity to sit down and talk to the developer behind Daughter of Voodoo and the previous games in the Conrad Stevenson universe as we discussed the entities the player will encounter, what their objectives are within Daughter of Voodoo, the main character the players will control, and even the games’ connection to the previous games and so much more.
| EDITOR’S NOTE |
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| Due to this being a spoken interview, names will be provided to indicate what was said and by whom, while some answers have been edited for clarity/brevity, without removing intent or context. |
Very Nice to Meet You; My Name’s Liam. So the First Question We Like to Ask Is so Our Readers Know Who You Are and About the Game Your Developing. Can You Tell Us the Name You Prefer to Go By and What Your Role Is Within the Development of Daughter of Voodoo?
Kip – Nice to meet you, Liam. So I appreciate the chat with me. Yeah, my name is Kip. Just kind of a name that everybody’s called me for years, so that’s just what I go by, and then I’m the sole developer for the game Daughter of Voodoo, and then the sole developer for the previous games I’ve had.
Kip – I do have a few folks, just some friends that do kind of, like, almost act as, like, contractors, you know, if I’ve needed help before, with an animation or maybe a certain UI type of stuff that they’ve helped me out with previously. But, yeah, I’m kind of a one-man show for it.
Obviously, There’s Not Much Information Out There About Daughter of Voodoo. But One Question a Lot of People May Be Wondering Is, Where Is Daughter of Voodoo Set, Like, Both Place and Time, so to Speak?
Kip – So I could probably ramble about this for a very long time, so you just kind of let me know when I’ve answered it or if I’ve gone off the rails somewhere. So, yeah, there are a few different aspects as far as time. So the goal here, I kind of have a vision of maybe these games I’m building being like the independent, standalone Marvel movies, like you have, Iron Man and Captain America and all these, and then they come together to form the Avengers.
Kip – So, kind of like the goal for this is, I was thinking through this, and starting this was like, “Okay, so just building kind of the cast of characters that would be set for this epic ghost investigation game that I kind of got in my mind someday I’d like to do.” And so the character in this, you know, I would like when she meets up with Conrad and Stephanie, all that, that she’s, she’s kind of aged, she’s an older woman. She’s seasoned. She’s seen a few things.
Kip – So with that being said, the game takes place in the early 70s up through maybe the 90s-ish. So a little retro, because you play through her life. So she’s a character that has had a lot of tragedy and personal things, and she has a gift of clairvoyance where she can kind of use, like, psychic powers to see things.
Kip – And so, you know, that coupled with just the loss and things that she’s experienced through her life, she’s got a pretty interesting ghost investigation and just kind of a spiritual viewpoint in her life. And obviously, you know, she comes from a line of voodoo practitioners. So she’s aware of that. So that’s kind of how, from a time standpoint, where it takes place, you start playing as her.
Kip – She has a ghostly experience when she’s awoken in bed, and she’s 11 years old, and the game will start out there as kind of the tutorial, and then it’ll take you on with each experience as she’s growing and aging, and maturing. And so as a player, you get to be a part of that journey.
Liam – Okay, sounds good, so what about, like, the actual, physical location of where Daughter of Voodoo is set?
Kip – So in the beginning, when her life is somewhat normal, she has a paranormal bit when the origins take place in, like, a New Orleans-style kind of town. So that’s where the voodoo influence and everything comes in, and, you know, the architecture of the home and where she grew up is, you know, that kind of shotgun-style home that you would see in New Orleans, and then, you know, unfortunately, tragedy does strike.
Kip – So she moves in with her; she moves in with her uncle, and her uncle lives in the new Eidolon area. So then that’s when she moves up to New Island, where both Stephanie and Conrad are from. In the previous games where they’ve done their ghost investigation. So then, yeah. Then, players will all go to the familiar town in Eidolon to do their investigations. After that point.
In Your Previous Games, You’ve Obviously Worked With Paranormal Investigation Methods, Which a Lot of People Are Familiar With. What Inspired You to Pivot From, Let’s Say, a Standard Version of Investigation to the Voodoo Side of Things?
Kip – Yeah. So, I kind of mentioned, you know, like in the back of my mind, I had kind of this plan at some point to kind of bring all these folks together and have, like, a comprehensive ghost investigation game. So I’ve always been a super huge fan of the paranormal, just as a youth. You know, my parents probably wouldn’t appreciate this very much. I was sneaking into cemeteries at night and different things, just to try to see that stuff. I personally have never experienced anything paranormal, like, I, you know, it’s I’m kind of on the fence, I don’t know if I believe it, but I’m going somewhere with this, by the way.
Kip – I’ve always just been super fascinated with it. And one of the things that, you know, especially in the earlier days, is I was younger, through like the 80s and 90s and stuff. Like a lot of the ghost investigation stuff was just kind of, you know, psychics and mediums or what you felt, and some of this, like, clairvoyant stuff.
Kip – And then it seemed like, you know, when the ghost hunter crew came around, you know, like in the early 2000s, and more of those TV shows that were about ghost adventures came a little later. They introduced all the technology and stuff, and I think that’s what people are more associated with or, you know, like, comfortable with, because of just, because the media has just made them more popular.
Kip – But there’s been, like, you know, prior to that, investigating ghosts, you know, there’s, seance stuff and a lot of psychic medium stuff, and, you know, and voodoo is, communicating with spirits and helping them guide you or do something, you know, so, yeah, there’s that element of ghost investigation I felt, really hasn’t been explored in games or things like that. And it was something that I wanted to bring together.
Kip – So, as far as being like a huge RPG fan, like, if you’re a dungeon crawler, you can be a sword swinger or you can be a magic wielder, and kind of have different ways to go about your adventure. And I think that’s a really cool aspect of ghost investigation, where you can be like, your sword swinger, or maybe you got your K2 meter and your recorder and all that, but you can also be like your mage or your casting spells where you’re using maybe, you know, like voodoo arts or science or different things, your medium skills to kind of perceive the world of the dead.
Kip – So I kind of look at it that way, giving some diversity to the investigation. And, you know, you can kind of eventually get up, and you could build a character and investigate in kind of the way, the way that suits you best. So that’s ultimately the goal. And then having been to New Orleans a few times and being a part of, just, you know, that culture, experiencing that I’m super fascinated with, with voodoo and, yeah. So I just think that I really want to, you know, share that with others, you know, for this next project.
Like You Say, the Character of This Game Is Going to Be Meeting up With, Conrad and Stephanie, That You Said From the Previous Games. Is There Any Plan for Maybe in the Future, to Have a Game That Focuses on All Three of Them Potentially Working Together, or Is This Something That’s Already Coming Together in This Game?
Kip – Yeah. So this game here is really focused on Marie, who is the protagonist. Yeah, it’s her story and how she meets up and, you know, I may drop an Easter egg in there at some point, kind of like with Conrad or whatever. And I guess I don’t want to put the cart before the horse too much, per se, because I want to really focus on this game and, you know, just game development in general.
Kip – Like, for me anyway, it just seems like it’s a very intensive process. It takes a lot of time. But when I’m jotting down in my notebook and I’m like, okay, future projects and plans, yeah. I would like for them to, kind of have, you know, like a working relationship with these different NPCs, you know, they’re all different players, they’re all from the same town, so they kind of, you know, know each other. They’ve been in the same social circles.
Kip – So they’re familiar. They may have asked each other for help with different cases and collaborated. I think there’s a lot of room to kind of explore that and open it up to the community when the time gets there. Like, you know, how would they want the interactions to be? I guess in my notebook, you know, where I’m jotting stuff down. I kind of look at them like this game, in the future, you know, would be like, maybe you make your own character and these people would be like the sages that you could communicate with to help teach you things, learn things from, you know, maybe they can hang out with you on an investigation and kind of get their own aspect on things.
Kip – But yeah, I think that that’s more like, I don’t want to make a strong commitment at this point to how this is because, you know, it’s just like I said, it’s just kind of my notebook stuff. And right now it’s just really trying to focus through, the current one with the Daughter of Voodoo, but did that answer kind of what you’re looking for?
Liam – Yeah, yeah. That’s perfect. That’s exactly what I was looking for.
During the Announcement or Teaser Trailer, We Can See That That’s the Main Character That You’ve Now Said Is Marie. You’ve Talked About Her a Little Bit, but Is There Any Further Information That You Can Provide Regarding Her?
Kip – Yeah. So actually, in the trailer, that is her mother who’s doing the voodoo, so she’s very well established. She knows voodoo, you know, and she’s in her, in her house, in her little voodoo room, and she uses it; it’s a religion for her. So she just kind of uses it to help throughout her daily life, but she kind of got this vibe that this house that she moved into has some extra activities going on, so she’s just kind of, kind of going through the motions, kind of communicating.
Kip – And then what she ends up communicating with maybe is a little more, more aggressive and upset than what, than what maybe she thought was normal. So they got kind of a, you know, a rough spirit in the house. And then, you know, the mother knows that that’s there and is kind of working through that.
Kip – And then Marie, being a young child at 11, you know, she really doesn’t expose her too much to some of the details of the ritual because she doesn’t want her to get too caught up in it. But obviously, with their mother practicing as a religion, she understands some of the concepts and is there. But she had been getting into it.
Kip – So then basically, Marie, being a, you know, an 11-year-old child at the time, she’s woken up from a fright, you know, like the shadow ghost is in her room and scares her, and she’s kind of, like, there’s something in my room, you know? And so that’s kind of the moment that when the mother has the talk with the daughter, like, growing up saying, like, hey, this is voodoo, this is what I do, you know, these are just lost souls. You know, they’re people at one time and kind of shares with her like, hey, here’s what I found so far. Here are some of the research I’ve done about the house. Who it could be, and so you have some clues that you research, you know, and you’ll learn.
Kip – And then, Marie will then start using the voodoo to help communicate and help guide that spirit to rest. So that’s kind of the introduction. And so, you know, Marie’s 11 at that point. And then, you know, events happen, and then she grows up into, you know, later teenage years and, you know, stumbles on to, you know, another thing to kind of help with.
Kip – And then ultimately you get to where, you know, you play as an adult and she’s competent and she’s an investigator kind of got her own thing going on with with the investigation and then, you know, work very similar to, like how in my previous game CSPI like Conrad my first game as far as having a hub in different, locations that you investigate.
Liam – Okay. So this so sort of trailer is like like a teaser of the introduction mission, so to speak.
Kip – Yeah, yeah.
You Did Mention Earlier That Marie Is a Clairvoyant. What, Sort of Is This in the Voodoo World? And Can You Explain It to Viewers Who May Not Know, This Sort of Lingo?
Kip – Yeah, yeah. So, you know, to me, a clairvoyant is one who just has some kind of sight, like a special gift with, say, whether it’s like seeing spirits, maybe, seeing a little bit into, like, the future or something, it has different angles. But for this, I think it really deals with just seeing, seeing spirits and seeing, you know, the dead.
Kip – So if you visited the Steam store page, there were a few screenshots where it looked like, you know, you’re looking through kind of a view, like your peripherals were kind of all like, swishy with clouds. And then the center kind of had, you know, looks like almost a different world. And that’s my artistic vision of kind of what this clairvoyant skill looks like.
Kip – So when maybe you’ve watched some of your favorite ghost investigation shows, they’ve had mediums in there and they’re like, oh, I see, maybe, you know, there’s a boy in the corner and he’s squatting down playing with a ball or something. You know, it’s like, well, what is that person who has that gift to see those things, as a clairvoyant?
Kip – Like, what does that really look like? How is that vision portrayed? So that’s part of this for the game is kind of establishing that and what it would look like for the universe that I’m developing over, you know, this is my third game now, what does that aspect of investigation look like? So it’s really like a gift where you can peer into the realm where the spirits that are trapped in, they’re just kind of wandering around aimlessly, and they’re lost.
Kip – They’re carrying this grudge of what happened before. They have maybe, like, just unresolved business that keeps them trapped. So as an investigator, as a gift, you can you can see into this and you can see how they look and appear and view themselves in this, this realm of the between kind of thing.
Liam – I have seen the pictures. Yeah. It does look really interesting, the way you’ve portrayed this method of being a clairvoyant, and I’m quite excited to see how it plays out when it comes out. Because not many paranormal sort of games do that. So it definitely is like a unique thing that’s definitely going to get people’s attention.
Kip – Yeah. I appreciate the kind words. Thank you.
It Was Also Mentioned in the Steam Description That Players Will Be Able To Use Different Items and Ceremonies During their Investigations, Things Like Mojo Bags and Stuff Like That. Is There Anything You Can Tell Us About These Items, and Like the Way You Sort of Incorporated Them and Created Them Within Daughter of Voodoo?
Kip – Yeah. So, a lot of the same/similar mechanics that have been in my other games will be in this game too. So, you’ll have, you know, ghost performing with traditional scares, like moving objects, flipping lights on. Doing kind of their little shenanigans they do. So you’ll be able to see that, observe it, the provocation system that I implemented in the last game, I’ll carry that over into this as well. So, Marie will be able to ask the spirit questions.
Kip – So you do have this part of just normal investigating, where you can observe ghosts and see the ghost. And you’ll still be able to get those hints and clues there. But with her being a Voodoo priestess in practice, she has that element of investigation, too.
Kip – So it’s kind of like it’s supplemental, like a way of investigating, although it’s going to be a very large part of the game. It’s like a key, you know, that’s the Daughter of Voodoo. That’s like how she goes about investigations. Yeah. And so to do that, you know, in, in like the voodoo religion, whenever, you know, a practitioner wants to talk to a Loa, which is like their, their god, like their voodoo, it’s a god in the religion to set up an altar to help communicate and pray to that being.
Kip – And then they’ll ask them for guidance. So there’s usually key criteria, you’ll make a sigil on the ground, which they call a veve, which is, you know, made with various types of materials, whether it’s like cornmeal or salt or coffee, red brick, there are different things that they’ll they’ll scribe the sigil with.
Kip – And so that will be one step toward making the altar. And then, you know, players will need to determine what type of materials are best for what type of situation they’re dealing with. So, there’ll be a little bit of lore that they’ll have to research and look at. And then, the candles are very important. So the candles will be dedicated to a particular Loa as well, which is asking for help and guidance, you know, and again, it will relate to what is this trapped souls issue is like, why are they here? What type of spirit are they? Why are they haunting? Maybe what their regret was in life, or how they died.
Kip – So then you’ll have to pick, kind of, the spirit that you want to guide you. And then there are other things, too, that you can add, like anointing oils. Which will, help the overall process of the altar, and then the mojo bags and different offerings kind of help align to the spirit. So maybe the ghost that’s trapped, you know, really liked a particular thing in life, like, they were a builder or something, you know? And so then you would have objects that you could put in your mojo bag, maybe use some steel, like little nails, and you put in there because, like, they’re builder steel, you know, it’s strong.
Kip – So you could put that in there. It could relate to the spirit, help build that connection with them. You can also use some of these mojo bags for protection, too, because viewing in the world of the dead, you know, it takes a strain on you. You can only view it for so long. So maybe sometimes you might need to ask these, the different Loa off for extra strength to view into it longer.
Kip – So you’ve got a few different elements. Ultimately, you’re trying to build an altar for the particular voodoo deity that will help you and guide you. And then also some things that relate to that spirit whose past you can kind of help attract them to the altar. And then the, you know, the little helps guide them, and then they’ll be able to give you some of the information.
Kip – And through provocation, you can you can have maybe a little bit of a dialog with them. So they can they can give you some of the information that you need so you can help bring closure to them in a more concise, direct way. So when you’re investigating ghosts, in some of the previous games they had, like when you’re listening to you know, maybe they’ll give you a disembodied voice and you’ll catch on the recorder, you know, you’ll listen to and listen to it, it’s just so abstract.
Kip – And you know, you know, it’s an EVP. It’s hard to interpret. But when you look in the world of the dead and you view them and you have that connection, the connections will be much clearer and much more concise. So then it, you know, it’s a little bit of work and research to find out what ingredients you need and what, but once you have that connection, then, then the information is just much more powerful and direct.
You Mentioned There Will Be the Provocation System Coming Back In, and Seeing, Like, Through the Veil, to a Degree Is, Quite Straining on the Character and Things. What Sort Of, Let’s Say, Issues Will a Player Come Across, or Will Things Like the Spirits get, Angry, Will They Retaliate, or Is It Very Much Just Trying to Make Sure You Get the Right Information?
Kip – Yeah, so I appreciate that question for sure. I think my fans, I think for sure, will also appreciate it, especially those who would, you know, be interested to hear this interview. Because my two previous games, Conrad Stevenson’s Paranormal PI, and then Among the Whispers, there’s a difference in there for sure.
Kip – From an investigating style and just overall, just the mood of the game is different, from the risk and impact to what the ghosts do, and it seem like, overwhelmingly large amount of feedback was that players enjoy, having a scare, you know, like, so the ghost be scary, maybe even like, is the more you’re investigating, they’re charging up and they’re getting angry and they’re getting more energy and they’re able to do more things.
Kip – But I don’t think they’re really fans of being chased around, being, you know, murdered, and, you know, all of the things by the ghosts. I think most of the players who play my games want, just kind of a good investigative story. And, the spooks and kind of fear and terror associated with the ghost investigation.
Kip – But, you know, there are so many games out there that the ghost is trying to haunt you and hunt you down and kill you and all that stuff that. I think they’re looking, you know, for something different. So, I think based on the information and feedback that I’ve gotten, it’ll be scary, atmospheric and and all this stuff, but ultimately, it’s more of a puzzle game and more of a detective game.
Kip – And so those are the areas that I’m trying to really amp up from the previous games is like with, you know, you’ll have sets of clues. You’ll have to do some research, archive information. And then, you know, I create a kind of structure where there’s a gap, and then you need to use, you know, the paranormal investigation methods to close those gaps.
Kip – And then you just kind of problem-solve it, figure it out. So the ghosts, you know, will be, kind of just like, a big barking dog, but, you know, it’s not gonna bite you or hurt you. You know, it just could be loud and scary. But when you get close, you know, it’s not just gonna sit on your lap and cuddle with you.
Kip – Yeah. It’s not going to. They’re not necessarily going to hurt you. I don’t think players, you know, as I’m listening to the feedback for you know in previous games and stuff, is that they don’t want anything that’s going to impact the investigation or set it back. They want something a little more, more cozy. And I can respect that too.
Kip – I mean, I’m trying to develop things that are authentic or have an authentic paranormal feel. And, you know, I don’t know if too many people that are really getting injured out investigating ghosts, you know, and again, I guess kind of take that with a grain of salt because, is the ghost investigation thing like how, how real is that?
Kip – And some of the stuff you see on TV sometimes, or your favorite YouTube channel, you know, you kind of wonder how sensationalized some of that stuff is. But so obviously there’s some artistic interpretation that I’m doing with stuff, and especially more so than this one than some of the other games. But, you know, you know, all that being said.
Liam – Well, yeah, it makes sense. A lot of the time, when you hear about games like that, like you say, fear is probably one of the biggest things people are looking for. It’s not just about survival; it’s about figuring out and actually having your hand shake while you’re playing it. It’s probably a big, enticing thing for a game like this. So I feel like if, you know, a lot of people will enjoy that, if you know, when you’ve catered more to that, rather than run away and hide.
So, One of the Things That has Been Said About Daughter of Voodoo Is That You’ve Tried to Keep It as Realistic to the Voodoo Practices as You Possibly Can. How Were You Able to, Like, Research, That Sort of Thing? Did You Just Rely on Like, Online Sources, and What Were the Challenges That You Came Across, Actually Putting Pen to Paper, so to Speak?
Kip – Yeah. So, I’ve been to New Orleans a few times, you know, they’ve got voodoo museums and stuff down there. And that’s where I guess, you know, from a research standpoint, like really tried to familiarize myself with it from those experiences there. Then, you know, just some of the people that work at that place, having those discussions there with them just to learn more about it and understanding, you know, New Orleans style voodoo, I just get a better understanding of it.
Kip – And then, obviously, as I’m going through things and designing games like so, I have this ghost investigation game, and it’s, so I’m kind of trying to align, you know, the voodoo religion into the game. So there’s obviously, well, I shouldn’t say obviously, that there are some liberties that I try to take and be as respectful as possible.
Kip – Like, have the overall essence of what, you know, voodoo is how it’s used. But I still have to kind of make it fit my paranormal investigation game. So just try to be as respectful as I can. And then, yeah. So so there are some things that maybe or not, you know, 100% accurate, but maybe that creates like a little gateway for folks to, you know, who want to look into it to kind of start doing their own, their own research.
Kip – So I think maybe the best way to look at it is just try to be as respectful as I can about the culture and the religious side of it, and then just try to adopt it, because ultimately in the game, it’s a tool to try to help these, these spirits, these people who are lost souls are lost.
Kip – And I think Hollywood has really made voodoo something kind of kind of scary and sinister curses and all this stuff. So, I think my, my scares are more geared towards, the ghost behaviors in their activities and kind of the, oscillation of just the unnerving feeling and vibe you get then some of this dread that appears from the ghost in, you know, whereas, as the player starts playing, they start figuring out it’s like, oh yeah, voodoo uses tool that helps me. So even though sometimes it can be really scary because of some of the things that happen, it’s like this. It’s this cool tool that I can use.
When It Comes to the Actual Spirits Within, Daughter of Voodoo, During the Trailer, We Get Like a Glimpse of That One Spirit, Like You Say, From the Introductory Sort Of Moments of the Game. Have All the Spirits Got, Like, a Very Similar Design to Them, or Are They More Designed to Correlate With What Their Story Is About?
Kip – So, that was something that was, you know, the feedback was pretty strong. So in CSPI, my first game, I designed and modeled all the ghosts very specifically. They were each unique models of the ghost stories. And then, Among the Whispers, you know, I had, like, ten different ghost models that I made, and they were just kind of procedurally generated. And then the story that you found one was more about the house and the dark past and kind of figuring that out, and the feedback was very clear.
Kip – So in this one, all the ghosts are specifically modeled for their story. They’re very specific. And they have so the models, how they look, you know, represents like the moments before they passed, it’s all there now, what, what is going to be different about this is just kind of as I get the feedback on what the players really like and what they want.
Kip – So, you know, what I’ve ended up doing is so let’s say, a house maybe has, you know, ten previous owners. And in those previous owners, like, each owner had somebody who could have been a particular ghost. Maybe they, you know, they fell sick and passed away. Maybe, you know, they had a loved one who passed away.
Kip – You know, there are all kinds of different circumstances, but once you start your game, the ghost will be locked in. But maybe this house might only have three of those ten. That could be a potential ghost. But those three will be locked in on that playthrough. And so you’ll do the research and find the information, and kind of figure out who, you know, who lived there, what their stories were.
Kip – So then you can kind of start deducing who these ghosts may be, but then you’ve got to go there and actually research and get the information from all, to close that gap. So each playthrough does offer a little bit of difference, and then what type of ghost they are. I’ve coded this to where, you know, if, if maybe how you died and what you liked in life kind of starts to influence what type of ghost you could be.
Kip – So, shadows usually have more vile regrets or something that was just a little darker. Residuals may not necessarily have like a strong regret. They really love their life. But maybe something just happened very abruptly, and they’re just, like, trapped in this loop. So the different ghost types, you know, so each playthrough you may get a different ghost type, or a different, a different ghost, but it’s all locked in that story, and then once you start playing, that ghost is locked in. So it doesn’t change for that playthrough. So it’s, did I am I articulating that clear enough?
Liam – Yeah. You are, yeah. So it’s basically once you start, that’s the ghost you’ve got, isn’t it? With this, it does allow some replayability, doesn’t it? So even if they complete that story, they can go back and start a new one. Is that right?
Kip – Yeah. So, so once you do a playthrough, yeah. All the ghosts are locked in. But if you decide to, like, reset your save file and start again, you could get a different ghost. Yeah. But, once you start, it’s locked in. Now, some of that, you know, it’s definitely open, you know what the community wants on how that safe file works and how they start a new game.
Kip – Certainly don’t want to do anything that’s going to be offputting or awkward for players, but I do want them to if you know, there’s players that really love, you know, Conrad, the first one in the different ghost stories, that’s like they just wish they’re more and maybe have a little bit, you know, because that fear and dread feeling kind of will only go on so long.
Kip – And if you know the ghost, you know their behaviors, then it kind of starts to diminish. Well, this way, you know, if you have a larger cast of characters, then I think you can kind of keep that uneasiness and dread maybe up a little higher as you’re, you know, wandering through some of these haunted locations.
Once You Go Into a Level, Like a Story, There Is One Set Ghost And So On, But Will Players Be Able to Sort of Go Into That Adventure and Then if They Need a Breather, Leave and Go Back? Or Will It Be Once You Go In and Do It in One Run and Then You Thats It?
Kip – No. So I envision that so it yeah, I am having more of a research kind of part. So yeah, you definitely would need to go back multiple times to close the case. So, each time you go in, there’ll be progress, you know, maybe you’ll get some information about the location that you’re at. And so you start piecing things together. Then you’ll need to go to the house and get some clues, and then you still don’t really know what’s going on. You’ll go back to the clues and then reference the clues with the research that you’ve done, you kind of put the pieces together a little more, and then go back, so there’ll be a little bit of back and forth.
Kip – Yes, progress will save along the way. And that was something that was spoken about with Among the Whispers, where, you know, some folks just like to kind of take their time a little more, explore through the house and kind of and, you know, and Among the Whispers, I didn’t have that intermittent save file like I did in Conrad.
Kip – But my expectation, kind of as the developer with that, is that people would go in maybe 2 to 5 minutes, you know, be able to resolve the ghosts come out, and, you know, it’s a kind of a quicker run, maybe a more arcade feel with that. But I was wrong. So, yeah, you know, from feedback, I got. I listened, and so this game will be much more aligned with, like, Conrad was than Among the Whispers in that aspect.
With There Being Multiple Stories, Is It Safe to Say That, Like, You Can Only Sort of Tackle One at a Time, so, You Know, One Player’s Gonna Go Into One House and Then Go Into a Different House and Take On Too Much at Once?
Kip – So I think there definitely will be locations that have multiple ghosts, and so some of that will just kind of, you know, with the game launching, it’ll be an early access. I think that part can be pretty, kind of organic. I have something in my head, you know, on how what I’m thinking, you know, like in Conrad.
Kip – You know, each of the ghosts kind of has zones. So really, both my games are the same way, you know, multiple ghosts would spawn, but they would have kind of zones where they haunted. And I think this would be the same thing. So you wouldn’t necessarily cross-contaminate certain, you know, evidence you get or whatnot.
Kip – But I do think that kind of helps a little bit with just the detective investigation side is you know, trying to help narrow it down. So, again, I do have a kind of thought in my head on what I think works, but, you know, based on community feedback and stuff, I’m certainly open to massaging some of that.
Kip – But, yeah, be consistent with the other, where you’ll have, you know, particular zones where that ghost will be at within one location. So even if you have multiple, you know, to try to minimize or reduce as much ghost overlap as possible.
You Have Mentioned in the Past That You May Have Thoughts in the Future to Add Sort of Nods to the Rest of Your Other Games. But Is There Like a Specific Thing That You’d Like to Sort of Bring In as a Nod, Maybe Like, Past Locations or Anything Like That?
Kip – Yes, absolutely. So in the previous two games, and the different archives and things you would pick up, there are references to different characters that were ghosts in the other games, and different locations, different locations that were on the map.
Kip – So, yeah, I continue to do that. I think just as part is like just world-building and kind of developing the lore around it. I think just having that interconnected world is just really cool. And I think for players, even even be as the dev like, you know, when I go through and I play testing Among the Whisperers and I pick up a newspaper article and it references the factory that William Carter worked at when he was the, you know, one of the first ghosts you meet in the first game.
Kip – It just kind of like is kind of a cool experience. Even I like just reading through some of that stuff, like, and I know, you know, some of the fans have mentioned it, so. Yeah, absolutely. And I think it’s kind of a unique experience with this, too. So with Marie starting decades earlier than Stephanie did, and then, you know, when Conrad was pretty young in there.
Kip – So some of these different locations, you know, they’re, you know, a few decades before. So, you know, like, what’s going on. You had this, like, serial killer that was at the lighthouse that, Michelle, she was, you know, one of the, the young teens that were murdered and her ghost haunts the the playground area, you know, it’s like, well, some of that stuff was going on when, you know, Marie is up and coming, so, you know, there could be connections there and different things.
Kip – So, yeah, I think just having those references and stuff, I enjoy doing that, and I feel like the fans enjoy it when they make some of those connections and they see that stuff.
Liam – Yeah. I’m sure a lot of people will be really hyped up, like you say, to see stuff like that. I know I will be looking out for stuff like that.
When It Comes to the Paranormal Investigation Genre, There Are a Lot of Games That Have Already Come Out. That’ll Do Things Differently Than How You’ve Done It. So, Can You Tell Us What You Think Makes Daughter Voodoo Stand Out Against Those of the Games?
Kip – So for Daughter of Voodoo, I think the main thing, the main play aspects of it are, you know, it is a horror game, but it’s got the detective elements to it and kind of the mystery problem-solving elements that are much stronger. Well, I don’t know. I want to say I feel like there’s just a more robust system in it, to where, you know, you get your clues and kind of lay them out on a board and kind of make deductions and figure things out.
Kip – So, you know, you go places to do research. And so there’s this whole, like, lore and history background that, and some of this could be just my limit to how many games I play, but I just don’t see that in other games that are of a similar nature, the ghost investigation game. So I think just the robust history associated with the locations and the amount of information you can get, and then some of the other games really just try to make deductions on the types of ghosts based on their behaviors.
Kip – But I think in the deduction here is that you’ve got to like the ghost isn’t a monster, it’s a person. So I think being able to do a more robust problem-solving research, there’s like its own game kind of in that, you know, you’re kind of like a detective figuring things out. So I think that that is, that is key. I do want to really enhance in this one, like player progression a little better, like the types of ingredients that you’re using here, and what you learn.
Kip – I have coded, I probably, maybe too mature, premature to really mention too much about this, but a lot of these stats, like I mentioned, like, you know, how well, you see, in the view of the dead, how much information you can obtain from certain items, are governed by background stats. And I kind of alluded to like the RPG thing. So maybe, mirrors going forward, like how I still need to develop, like how you do that. But I think the progression system is not only like purchasing different gear and obtaining different gear to facilitate your investigation, but also having the personal development of Marie, where she’s getting stronger, better at using this vision, like she can see longer.
Kip – And so there’s like that RPG kind of esque elements with it. You know, she, you know, she’s maybe has her bravery increased so she can kind of stand and face these spirits a little better and get stronger information with them. So, I think those elements differ. The other thing, too, is outside of just the mechanics, but just having like, Louisiana Voodoo in it as well is something that I just haven’t seen, you know, being able to, like, create, you know, you’ve kind of got an almost a little like, alchemy, setup with you.
Kip – Like in one of the screenshots I share on Steam, you know, it shows us, kind of a smorgasbord of different things. So these would be all the different items and things you can collect to make it practice your own for yourself, too. And so I think that’s just a unique element where you’re kind of making your own little recipes for things.
Kip – And experimenting with what works the best, strongest, and has those effects. So I think, yeah, that the Voodoo mechanic is really a neat thing. And I think the view to the spirit world is kind of a unique, unique take on things. I think players will find that kind of interesting as well.
Liam – So yeah, definitely will be, something that will keep people’s attention. It’s one of the key things that I’m looking forward to.
Kip – Yeah. Because interestingly enough, I spent a lot of time with it. Maybe I am more proud of it than I should be, but, you know, I guess that’s the life of a developer, you know? Yeah. Like, hey, this is cool, guys, but nobody else really thinks it is, that’s all right.
Kip – But, yeah, so I spent a lot of time on, like, the shaders with it, so, like, you know, the ghost will show up and maybe, you know, it’s a particular shadow and you just see a shadow on the wall through your normal eye. But, you know, when you go into your spirit view, you see that person, like, is a tangible person, the moments before they passed.
Kip – And it’s like as you go over the vision, and not, you know, it’s still shadow, then it’s that person. So there’s a distinct, different view, what you see in the spirit world versus what you see just as a normal person, without using your clairvoyant vision. So, if that shadow shows up in front of you and you think it’s a shadow and you’re like, oh, I’m pretty sure you know that. And then you all of a sudden use your clairvoyant vision. If it is really a shadow person, you’ll see how they look moments before death, like, you know, right in front of your face. So it’s gotta kind of be prepared to deal with it, I guess, if you’re going to do that.
Liam – Definitely. I feel like a lot of people will be really interested in that because, like you say, a lot of games, like they don’t really show off, like the way that you’re showing it. I feel like being able to see that ghost or spirit or whatever you’d prefer to define it by, seeing it before it’s death, is definitely one of the more interesting things that haven’t been done in a while. I think a lot of people would be really interested in that one.
One Question We Like to Ask For, Anyone We Sort of Like to Interview, With Our Site, Is: What Is a Misconception That Just the General Public Has Regarding Video Game Development That Particularly Annoys or Irritates You?
Kip – Oh man, this is tough. Because I am like perpetually optimistic to a fault, and every day is awesome. I know that sounds so terrible, and I probably irritate so many people because, like, dude, I make video games. It’s like, for me, it’s a dream job. I don’t know, it’s really so I guess maybe just speak to it like, I mean, I work a lot.
Kip – I’m coding away, probably 12 hours a day. Like, if I don’t put in at least ten, I’m like, “Oh, man, I didn’t do a good job.” So I guess it’s something maybe more just to like, let you know, share with people is, you know, it’s not, it’s a lot of work, there’s a lot of it’s very detailed.
Kip – I have an education engineer by trade. I think just being good at numbers and math and all that stuff really helps out a lot. You know, but it’s very detail-oriented. Yeah, just, I mean, you know, the silliest things, the smallest things can just create a complete disaster and can take some time to work through.
Kip – It’s just’s very time-consuming job and effort. But I mean, man, it’s awesome. It’s like, it doesn’t get any cooler than that. You know, when I wake up in the morning, I’m like, “All right, let’s go. Yeah. Making games today.” You know, I mean like, as I get done and it’s like, oh man, I gotta stop today.
Kip – Like, I don’t know, it’s, I mean, yeah, it’s just I could be grinding stuff out at a desk in a cube farm somewhere, you know. Or doing engineering work, but I am not. Yeah, it’s tough to say. I don’t know, like I said, I am probably overly optimistic to a fault, almost, but yeah. No, it’s pretty awesome.
Kip – It is a lot of work. And I guess like, if folks, you know, are looking into it and want to do it, maybe as a passion project and stuff, I would say, for me, maybe, you know, maybe I’m just not very, very smart. But it was very challenging to learn how to do it. It took a lot of time.
Kip – And then even once I feel like I’m like, okay, I can do this pretty easy, you know? I know what I’m doing. It still just takes a lot of time. So, however much time you think it’s going to take you to get your time done, I probably, you know, double that and then maybe double it again. And, you know, that’s how long the project would probably take you, and yeah, it’s just very time-consuming.
Liam – Well, if you love what you do, you don’t work a day in your life, do you? So that’s yeah, that’s definitely one of the more optimistic answers I’ve had for that one.
Kip – I mean, there are so many other things you could be doing, you know, like yeah, I don’t know. Yeah. Making games. Yeah. It’s awesome.
At the Current Time, You’ve Only Just Put Out the Trailer to Announce Daughter of Voodoo, and This Is Probably Quite a Complicated Question. But Right Now, it has been announced that Daughter of Voodoo Is Coming to PC On Its Own. Is There Any Sort of Hope That Further Down the Line You Could Potentially Bring It to Consoles as Well?
Kip – Yeah, absolutely. I guess to be as straightforward as possible with it. I look at this as a business, you know, this is how I’m making money, and as much passion as I have for the game. So I got to be mindful of the cost and the impact. So if I sell, you know, a reasonable amount of copies, that makes a reasonable amount of profit, then I can look at pursuing those options. But if that effort’s not going to produce the revenue to generate it, then, then I just can’t afford to do it.
Kip – So kind of the same thing, you know, with the previous games, like Conrad‘s on the Epic Store, it’s not fanatical. Been working through, trying to get it on a port, for console as well. It’s a bit, you know, it’s been out a few years now. But it’s just, it hasn’t sold, you know, like, gone bonkers with it.
Kip – So, I can’t justify putting a tremendous amount of resources into it to make it happen. So, yeah, really, it’s just, I’d love for it to be on console, but it really has to do with, you know, the success of the game. Same with, like, localization, all that stuff. When I look at the metrics for stuff, overwhelming, like over 95% of all the sales for my game have been in the United States.
Kip – And the United States, an overwhelmingly large percentage of its population is English-speaking. So for me to localize it in other languages, for you know, like 2% of the sales or whatever, or 5% of sales, it’s very challenging. So, yeah, localization consoles all kinds of the same thing. It’s all based on how successful the game is.
Kip – I’d love to be able to provide it for, you know, its accessibility for every person on the planet. But it’s just trying to run a profitable business so I can continue making games. I just have to think that stuff through.
Liam – Yeah, entirely. It makes sense. You know, like you say, you’ve got to keep it reasonable for yourself, haven’t you? There’s always the future.
Is There Anything That We Haven’t Really Gone Over That You Feel, You Know, Our Readers, or Your Fan Base Would Really Want to Know Regarding Daughter of Voodoo? Is There Anything, You Know, Mechanic Wise, Story Wise, Anything Like That You Think People Will Be Interested In?
Kip – I think maybe the main thing for the fans. So, you know, I put out Among the Whispers because, technically, I was in a position where I was like, okay, I feel confident in my skills, this is how I want the game to work, and this is what I want to do. So I execute that plan.
Kip – And it was really kind of like a personal, just kind of challenge for myself, like, you know, where my limit was more my creativity than my technical skills. And maybe I underestimated what I thought fans were wanting. Or maybe just didn’t. It didn’t resonate very well, but the message was pretty clear between the two games, and what you know, the fan base, that community wants.
Kip – So I’m trying to really just blend the best of the two worlds. You know, I got two different data points with the two different games that definitely have differences. And so I’m trying to merge those the best I can. I would say, as far as how this game will play, it’s much closer to Conrad, my first game.
Kip – But some of the negative feedback with Conrad was that, at times, it was just too slow. It’s like simulated ghost investigating, maybe a little too closely, where there was, you know, a little bit of waiting and stuff. So, you know, that can be mitigated through the provocation system, which I intend on, you know, adding in here.
Kip – So, yeah, I guess really it is that, you know, I know fans prefer Conrad over my second game. You know, they feel like it adds just more lore, more heart, more soul, kind of in it. And so I want to go back in that direction, but then take some of the more, you know, engaging, maybe exciting elements of Among the Whispers, added to it. So hopefully we get a really super awesome hybrid out of the two or out of this third one.
For more Thumb Wars Gaming coverage, check out our review of Dragon Front: Adventures, or check out our article talking about how gamers are shocked at Rockstar’s recent choice to bring Red Dead Redemption to current-gen consoles.
Liam is a Senior Editor, Writer, and Critic for Thumb Wars and has been working with the team since day one. Liam is a big fan of all things gaming, as you will catch him playing all of the new releases from every genre you can imagine. Whether you find Liam gaming just for fun or spending his free time streaming, you will always find a smile on his face when it comes to all things gaming.
