We continue to wrap up the year 2024 with gaming (or game industry-related) teams and experts. Up next is an interview with Rikani Koyoko, the CEO and Art Director of RIK ANIMATION. Joining her in the responses is Vitaliy Terletski, founder of Terletski Games.
How did the year turn out for the studios? What achievements would you like to highlight?
This year was significant for our studios. For both RIK ANIMATION and Terletski Games, it was our first year working on games, and it turned out to be very successful. Our debut game, "Altushka for Skuf," quickly gained popularity, spreading across Runet and amassing a large number of fans. We not only fulfilled all our planned goals but exceeded even our own expectations!
"Altushka for Skuf"
Terletski Games managed to release another game, "Gnomes and Knights," for which a meta-ironic expansion is due in December (perhaps it has already been released by the time you're reading this material).
"Gnomes and Knights"
This year proved that we are not only capable of setting ambitious goals but also effectively achieving them, expanding our possibilities both as studios and creators.
How has the situation in the gaming market changed from your perspective?
Indie developers and small studios like RIK ANIMATION and Terletski Games are getting more and more attention thanks to the simplification of development tools and the increasing popularity of unique independent creative ideas. Players are tired of the monotony of major AAA projects and eagerly support independent teams that can offer a fresh perspective on gaming experiences and storytelling.
The success of a game today is largely determined by its presence in the streaming and online community. Games that are easy to stream or capture the interest of viewers have a clear advantage. "Altushka for Skuf," for instance, fits perfectly into this trend thanks to its virality.
What was the year like for the genre in which you work?
Our first collaborative game falls into the "memes" genre (is there even such a genre? shooters, horror, memes? haha) and "parodies."
This year showed that games can also harness memes.
It’s no surprise that our game quickly spawned copycat games that also tried to capitalize on the "skufs" and "altushkas" theme.
Other memes also developed as games this year. Noteworthy are the infamous “Lizards,” which will see a continuation, the game “Real Turmoil” (much better than just "Turmoil") and the greatest game "Goooal!".
"Real Turmoil"
Going forward, we personally would like to delve more into original content and try our hand at different genres, rather than being tied to just one.
What trend strengthening or emergence in your niche do you expect in 2025?
We hope that many developers will follow our example and start creating interesting indie games for our market, where not that many games are released each year.
What are the studios' plans for the coming year?
We plan to release several more games in 2025.
For example, RIK ANIMATION has already announced that it is working on its new game Doomer’s Life Escape based on the "doomer" meme. Importantly, the game will feature a completely original story unrelated to the meme’s lore.
Terletski Games traditionally does not disclose its plans until the project enters the post-production stage. Keep an eye out for announcements in our official communities.