Interview: PJ Games – Developer of The Whims of the Gods

The Whims of the Gods Interview

PJ Games is a video game developer and publisher based in Warsaw, Poland, and is currently busy with the development of their brand-new debut title The Whims of the Gods. The Whims of the Gods is an upcoming strategic, co-op city-builder where you will build an ancient city and protect it from threats. The most unique aspect of The Whims of the Gods is its ability to bring co-op to a genre that is normally considered for only solo play. We recently had an interview opportunity to speak with the development team and decided to ask the minds behind The Whims of the Gods about their studio and the development of their debut title. Answering our questions here is Łukasz Janczuk, the game’s Lead Designer.

Q 1: Tell us a little bit about PJ Games. How long have you guys been working on video games and what sort of video games have you worked on in the past?

LJ: This is the first project for PJ GAMES. However, the team behind has a lot of experience. I worked in the industry for more than 15 years and had a chance to work on games like the Sniper Ghost Warrior series, My Memory of Us, and a dozen other games.

Q 2: The Whims of the Gods is a city-builder at its core. How does it differ from similar titles in this particular genre?

LJ: The game is a nice mix of well-known city builder mechanics with some nice twists added to make it interesting for genre veterans. The inclusion of co-op itself already creates a lot of problems and challenges for the player so we decided that more familiar mechanics will work best.

Q 3: What was the development team’s inspiration behind The Whims of the Gods?

LJ: We started with two initial ideas in mind – demanding gods and the myth of the ark. As it happens, the idea of people building a ship to avoid a great flood can be found in many cultures. At the same time, Aztec culture offers a fascinating pantheon of demanding and whimsy gods. So, we want to mix those two and try to push it further. Think of this as a sort of β€œwhat if?” for Aztecs. What could they achieve if they had access to different resources and technologies? It is not our goal to have a historically accurate depiction of Aztec or any other culture, but we want to use this rich culture as an inspiration and see where it will take us.

PJ Games Interview

Q 4: Is The Whims of the Gods’ gameplay inclined towards a more serious loop or is it inclined towards humor?

LJ: The game offers a lighter mood. If I look for a comparison, I would say it’s closer to good old Populous or Pharaoh.

Q 5: What sort of terrains will be available in The Whims of the Gods?

LJ: The game takes place on a tropical island with a volcano in the center. You can expect the terrain typical for such an environment.

Q 6: What sort of buildings will we be able to construct in the game?

LJ: We have around 70 buildings in the game. There is a wide variety of them. From households, gatherers, and good distribution buildings to factories, energy production, and military units training facilities.

Q 7: What sort of gameplay modes can players expect in The Whims of the Gods? Will there be a campaign of some sort or is the game sandbox only with the co-op?

LJ: The game is not narratively heavy, but there is a goal and a game end. There will be problems and challenges to overcome. You can experience this story in single-player mode and cooperation. There will be a lot of options to set your difficulty. So, you can play it both as a challenging game and more as a sandbox focused on building a great city.

Q 8: How do the battles in The Whims of the Gods take place? Is it more along the lines of city defense or does it change the gameplay loop from a city-builder to an action game because we see that it has player abilities and combat scenarios?

LJ: We think that threats and conflicts are important to create some interesting challenges for our game. To solve our military conflicts, we decided to use auto-battler mechanics because it allows players to make all important strategic decisions before the battle. We wanted to use this. The city produces and supports units. Based on incoming threats, players decide what units to use. All the strategy is made in the rhythm of city builder gameplay. The battle itself is short, automatic and quickly delivers the answer whether you were well prepared or not.

PJ Games Interview

Q 9: How does the co-op element fit into the game? Normally city-builders are solo experiences and what gave you guys the idea of implementing co-op in The Whims of the Gods?

LJ: You are right, city builders are usually solo player experience. There are very few games that tried to introduce co-op to this genre. And even in those games players build separate cities and cooperation is offered e.g. with resources exchange. We want to change it. In The Whims of the Gods, there is ONE city. Both players build it. So it is no longer: β€œYou have too much wood. Can you share it with me?”. Now it’s more like: β€œWe need more wood. Can you build a road here so we can transport resources faster from the forest? I’m cleaning right now”.

Q 10: Do both players get the same amount of control over the game? What happens if one player wants to do one thing, and the other one wants to do another thing? How does the game tackle such conflicts?

LJ: The players are building one city. So, their gameplay is heavily connected. E.g. Let’s say I want to tame more wild animals. I can do this, but the taming process requires maize or pumpkins as a lure. These are the same things that are used in food production for residents. So, I can use whatever we have stored but after this, I have to ask the second player to produce more. The game is full of this type of connection. Players may have their own goals in mind but to achieve them they have to cooperate. Instead of solving conflicts we are trying to avoid creating conflicts. 

Q 11: Is there a PvP mode in the game?

LJ: No, the game was designed with co-op in mind. We feel that for this particular project, PvP wouldn’t sit well.

Q 12: Is the game playable solo or is it meant to be played in co-op?

LJ: There is a single-player mode. The only thing solo players won’t experience is a key decision process. They have to take care of all responsibilities alone which can make a game somehow more difficult. I prefer the challenge of this mode.

Q 13: How much of a role does combat play in the main gameplay loop? Is it a main element of gameplay or it serves as a side role with only a few combat scenarios in a general game session?

LJ: City building is a focus of the game. Battles are here to offer variety and some additional challenges. They won’t take away your focus from the city. However, the city must be managed well enough to deliver enough military strength to protect it.

Q 14: Can we build armies in the game and attack other settlements? If yes, what sort of armies can be built in the game?

LJ: The battle portion of the game is focused on protecting the city. We are not attacking anyone. You will be able to create some classic units like warriors, cavalry, and ranged units. With progression, you will also get access to some more fancy war machines.

Q 15: What sort of surprises can players expect in the game while building their city? Are there any natural disasters or any other similar challenges that could hinder progression?

LJ: At a certain point of the game, the player will get access to the Calendar. It will show incoming events – both good and bad. Those events are designed to offer some interesting challenges, e.g. there is an event that will make city residents refuse meat-based meals. This means that suddenly for the duration of the event all the work to ensure city survival is on the player taking care of plants. Because players know what’s coming they can start stockpiling plant-based food. Maybe even by stopping residents from eating plant-based food before the event to stockpile it faster.

Q 16: Does the volcano act as a timer for the game and does it have to end the game at all costs? How much does trading actually benefit the player with respect to time?

PJ Games Interview

LJ: Volcano is your ultimate test in the game. The explosion is a constant threat to the city. You will have to find a way to deal with this threat. One way is to try to delay the volcano. To do this you can sacrifice resources in the temple. To have something to sacrifice you need a strong economy in your city. However, this is not a permanent solution, and you will have to find one to win the game.

We disguised the trade system as an interaction with Gods. There are always situations where a player is missing some resources or needs to get something fast. In a lot of games, traders are introduced to help players in those moments. This wasn’t the case for us, so we decided to use Gods as a solution. You can perform rituals and sacrifices and get something in return. Different Gods offer different rewards, but they will also ask for different things in return. One will ask for food offerings. Another will ask for human sacrifice. It’s up to the player to decide if he is willing to pay that price.

Q 17: The time limit for the Early Access period is currently planned for three months. How much will the final release differ from the Early Access version? Will it include new content as well or is this period exclusively for game optimization?

LJ: We are planning to have a road map with all the stuff that will be added during the EA. Those are things that are already in the pipeline, and we will make them available when they are ready. However, we also consider that feedback from EA may have an impact on our plans and we will have to work on features we are not expecting right now.

Q 18: What was the biggest challenge in the development of The Whims of the Gods?

LJ: In creating the game, it is always a big help to look at other titles in search of inspiration and solutions for the problems. With the decision to make a co-op city builder, we set ourselves on the path to finding answers to the issues no one ever faced.

In the very early stages of development, we were struggling with a decision on how to define players’ responsibilities when it comes to managing the city. In our first idea, one player was taking care of buildings and the economy. The other was taking care of the army and battles. However, we quickly encountered the problem. The city-building process is long and requires constant attention. The battles are quick and far between. No matter what we tried we couldn’t find a way to balance player engagement in the game. So, to fix it we had to change our thinking. We changed the line on which the responsibilities are separated. Instead of building and defending we engaged players in both areas. They will both build and defend but will take care of different aspects of this, e.g. they will both take care of food production but one will get it from plant farming and the other from animal husbandry.

Q 19: Can you reveal a confirmed release date? πŸ˜‰

LJ: Not yet. You will have to wait with the rest of the world for final date confirmation.

PJ Games Interview

Q 20: What feature of The Whims of the Gods is the development team most proud of?

LJ: I think the key decision system. There are 3 decisions players will have to make during the game that will define their responsibilities in city development. Those decisions create asymmetrical cooperation in our game. The players have the same goal – to create a strong prospering city. However, they will have different tools to do this. E.g. the first decision between plant farming and animal husbandry. If you pick plants, you will get access to buildings, resources, and technology trees that will allow you to farm and process plant products. You still, however, need to cooperate with the second player who is taking care of animals so you can both succeed.

Q 21: What can we expect from PJ Games in the future? Are there additional projects in the pipeline at this point?

LJ: We are a rather small team. We can tackle one project at a time. We have a bunch of ideas about what to do next but for now, we are fully focused on Whims of the Gods.

Q 22: If you guys could switch genres and create a brand-new IP, what genre would you guys love to tackle?

LJ: I’m a designer. I always have a head full of ideas for new games. I’m always open to new challenges. Never worked on survival games so that would be nice. Maybe some genres mix with for example city builder πŸ™‚

The Whims of the Gods is slated for an Early Access release in Q1 2025. The developers will soon announce a release date for the game however you can head over to the game’s Steam page and add it to your wishlist right now.

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Would you be interested in playing The Whims of the Gods when it comes out? Let us know in the comments section below.

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About the Author: Umair Khalid

Founder of GamesHedge, Umair enjoys a wide variety of video games ranging from RPGs to racing games. Currently busy with The Crew Motorfest and Kingdom Rush 5: Alliance.

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