Managing a small diner can turn out to be an extremely complex and exhausting job. Especially when the patrons who approach the counter, waiting for a drink and a hamburger, are eager to tell their stories, completely indifferent to the impending end of the world unfolding outside the diner.
This is the unique premise behind While We Wait Here, the latest creation by the tireless development studio Bad Vices Games. A psychological horror set to release on October 23rd (the day after tomorrow) on PC and consoles, available on the digital shelves of major stores. An introspective title that places great emphasis on the narrative aspect, entrusting the player with managing a diner in the desolate American countryside. One of those familiar establishments often portrayed by Hollywood, frequented by slightly eccentric characters ready to ask difficult questions. The atmosphere brings to mind various works such as the Coen brothers’ film ‘No Country for Old Men‘ or the video game ‘Fears to Fathom‘ by Mukul Negi, known by the pseudonym Rayll.
“The intention has always been to create a thriller set in a confined space, where the protagonist performs an ordinary job while something extraordinary is happening outside” say the minds behind Bad Vices Games, Cristian Gambadori and Eleonora Vecchi, in an interview with Excaliber. “This element allowed us to create the tension and narrative development necessary to make the game engaging. The initial concept gave us a lot of freedom in writing the characters the player would encounter.” The story of While We Wait Here is built around the customers who enter the diner, bringing with them complex existential questions that they are eager to ask the player. Questions that cannot be answered with clear-cut right or wrong responses, but rather by offering opinions that venture into the realm of nuance, giving rise to narratives that lead to different endings. The impending apocalypse, in turn, is relegated to almost a secondary role.“Despite everything coming to an end, the people the player encounters have much bigger problems to deal with. Almost ironically, the end of the world is the last thing on their minds” continues Cristian. “The hope and goal of While We Wait Here is that the players can see themselves in the problems faced by the people they talk to. Because most of the dilemmas they will hear about are common issues, ones that any of us might have experienced at least once in our lives. ”
We aimed to make the dialogues with the game’s characters as divisive as possible, in order to blur the lines between what can be considered right or wrong.
Within this narrative structure, which plays a pivotal role in the production, the management aspect of the game also has a chance to shine. Because we must not forget that the player is tasked with running a diner and preparing the meals ordered by the customers. This element, in some way, ties While We Wait Here to Bad Vices Games’ previous production, Ravenous Devils, which achieved exceptional sales and brought the studio to fame. But it also connects to another project conceived just before, one that was never discussed because it was abandoned in favor of developing While We Wait Here.
“Initially, While We Wait Here was supposed to be set not in a diner, but in a bar where cocktails were mainly served” explains Eleonora. At the time, the main source of inspiration, staying within the realm of cinema, was none other than ‘The Shining‘, one of Kubrick’s most iconic works. “Unlike Ravenous Devils, While We Wait Here was conceived from the beginning with the idea of having a more measured pace and offering greater interaction with the characters. The idea of cooking, rather than just serving drinks, fit perfectly with both this goal and the first-person perspective adopted to tell the story. ”
With a script full of twists and a unique setting, While We Wait Here grew and became an increasingly ambitious project. Thanks to its qualities and originality, it garnered several accolades for the studio even before its release. Among these are the Epic Games’ MegaGrants and the Jury Prize at the 2023 edition of Red Bull Indie Forge. ‘When Eleonora and I started our journey as developers, we were just two students‘ Cristian recalls, reflecting on their past.“Our first game, Hippocampus, didn’t bring great results. It was a project born out of passion, but it was more of a testing ground to assess our abilities. Meanwhile, the second title, Sexual Void, released in the same year as Hippocampus, turned out to be a financial success, allowing us to invest in more structured projects, Ravenous Devils being the first among them.” ”
These results convinced Bad Vices Games not to seek any publishers for their productions but to proceed with self-publishing. A path that, if not approached correctly, can be risky and fraught with obstacles, but at the same time, can offer great benefits.“I believe that always thinking in terms of the potential failure of one’s project is a healthy attitude for a studio like ours, as risk must always be calculated beforehand and not left to chance. If a title’s launch doesn’t go well, but the risks were taken consciously, it is still possible to continue investing in other projects. On the other hand, failing to calculate properly can lead to the premature death of a studio if faced with an unexpected failure. ”
And so, four years after the studio’s inception, Bad Vices Games is ready to launch its fourth video game, While We Wait Here. “Depending on how it goes, we’ll decide which path to take with the next project” conclude Cristian and Eleonora.“We always remain open to experimenting with new solutions. Because in the end, it’s not ideas that limit us, but the technical possibilities and the time we have available. Yet, we believe that these limits are not just a source of difficulty but, in fact, are essential. Having limitations pushes us to get creative and find solutions that, with more resources or greater freedom, we might never have considered. ”
And perhaps, in the end, this is the true strength of Bad Vices Games. Because Cristian and Eleonora don’t focus so much on the problems they encounter but on finding possible solutions. This way, they can continue on their path to creating successful titles.
