Hello, everyone!

We’re Fatih and Arda, the two-person team behind Save The Village, and as members of a small indie game studio, we wear many hats. Every aspect of game development—coding, art, sound design, marketing, and everything in between—is on us. It’s an exciting journey, but also one filled with challenges that constantly push us to learn and grow.

While working on Save The Village, we’ve realized that being part of an indie studio doesn’t just mean making a game; it means becoming better developers, artists, and creators every single day. And when we’re not directly working on the game, we’re sharpening our skills to bring even more to the table for future projects.

Exploring Sound Design with Unity and FMOD

Let me, Fatih, start by sharing a recent adventure. One of the areas I’ve been diving into is sound design and how integrating a middleware like FMOD Studio can enhance the audio experience in games. Working on Save The Village taught us the importance of immersive soundscapes. From the crunch of skeleton bones underfoot to the ominous growl of a troll in the shadows, sound can elevate gameplay to a whole new level.

For example, our initial approach to sound effects and background music was straightforward, but as we progressed, we discovered how dynamic sound systems could create a richer and more engaging environment. This realization led me to spend time learning Unity FMOD integration. It’s been a rewarding process that opens up endless possibilities for both Save The Village and future games we plan to create.

Here’s a sneak peek of my current setup as I explore FMOD Studio, experimenting with real-time audio manipulation and adaptive music (see photo below!).

Arda’s World of Concept Art

Meanwhile, Arda, our concept artist, has been hard at work refining his craft. Character creation and world-building are the heart of Save The Village, and Arda’s art brings those elements to life. Whether it’s designing menacing new enemies or crafting detailed environments, his work ensures that every visual detail fits seamlessly into our medieval-themed universe.

Arda’s days are filled with sketching, iterating, and exploring new techniques. He’s not just creating for Save The Village—he’s also preparing for the visual demands of our next game title. Concept art isn’t just about drawing; it’s about storytelling. Each character and setting must evoke emotion and convey the narrative we’re building.

One of Arda’s current goals is mastering anatomy and lighting to push his characters and environments to the next level. Here’s a photo of him in action, working on a new character concept.

Lessons and Challenges

As we explore these areas, we’ve learned a lot—not just technical skills, but also patience, resilience, and the value of iteration. There have been moments when things didn’t work out: sound effects that felt flat, character designs that didn’t quite capture the essence of our story, and hours spent troubleshooting bugs. But each challenge teaches us something new, and we carry those lessons forward.

Being indie developers means we don’t have the luxury of dedicated departments for sound, art, or programming. But it also means we have the freedom to explore, make mistakes, and improve in every area. It’s a constant balancing act of creating, learning, and adapting.

Looking Ahead

Save The Village is our first major project, but it’s only the beginning. Every new skill we learn and every challenge we overcome is a step towards creating even better games in the future. Whether it’s mastering FMOD, designing compelling characters, or simply learning to work smarter as a small team, we’re always moving forward.

Thank you for following along with our journey. We hope you’ll continue to support us as we grow, learn, and share our passion for game development. And if you’re working on your own creative projects, remember: every challenge is an opportunity to learn and improve.

Until next time,
Fatih & Arda

(Photos: Fatih exploring FMOD integration for Unity, and Arda creating a new character concept for our NEXT TITLE?!.)