Dan Paladin, Co-Founder and Art Director at The Behemoth, answered some of our questions about the independent console game developer from how it all began to what they look for in new team members. 

Let’s start at the beginning, how did The Behemoth happen? Where did it all start?

Tom Fulp and I worked on the original Alien Hominid Flash game on Tom’s site, Newgrounds. Around that time, John Baez and I worked together at a game studio and were about to be laid off because of consolidation in the video game industry.

When we saw the end was near, we decided it would be better to start our own company than to look for a job and work for someone else again.  I was passing by John in the hall on those last days and heard John playing Alien Hominid.  When he heard I had worked on it he said he was just about to reach out to whoever made it and ask if they’d be interested in creating a company.  I emailed to ask Tom, who replied with “OK,” and the rest is Behemoth history!

What were the biggest obstacles you had to overcome?

Well, on the financial side, it is always hard to self fund a game. It might take years for a game to be developed but everyone still needs to eat and pay rent every month. And there is no guarantee that your game will make back the money that was invested. We were lucky to have loved ones who believed in us and agree to remortgage our homes to start up the company back in 2003.

On the technical side, the increasing complexity of online multiplayer game play greatly increases development time. We make our own engines from scratch and that is a very big undertaking as well, as well as trying to meet the demands of being on all the platforms people request of us.

Is the goal to keep a smaller more intimate team or grow into something much bigger?

We actively try to stay rather small.  There’s a lot of creative strengths in keeping the team a very manageable size.  Part of the reason we’re probably still around is our nimbleness we gain from not getting too large.

How many artists do you have in each area? Can you take us through the process of a project?

I tend to cover direction, UI, characters, and FX artwork in Pit People.  Patrick covers backgrounds, props, and awesomely supports anything I’m needing help with. Stamper has been on cinematics the whole way with Tina coming in to help out once we got a little crazy with it all.  

The process is kind of like cement.  It starts out soft and malleable, anything goes.  As we get near the end the mold begins to harden and there’s not so much room for shifting things around anymore.  

I feel it’s fairly important to tackle the core gameplay loop first and expand out from there.

Do you have a favorite game that you developed? What makes it your favorite?

We take everything we’ve learned and apply it to our newest project.  Each time we’re a little more streamlined as a team and our tools get updated, too. I think because of all that, whatever project we’re working on currently is usually the one I feel is our current best. In this case, that would be Pit People!

What does your on-boarding process look like for new employees?

Chaos.  Here’s a plank, here’s how it works, now navigate the waters.  Everyone will help cheer you on but most people self-manage and self-motivate around here!  Most everyone I’ve asked about their first week has said it was “weird”, but I guess it must be alright since people stick around for years and years.

When new artists apply to work for you what tends to catch your eye the most?

A good portfolio, indication that they’re self motivated, and has the ability to work with others in a positive and progressive manner.  Portfolio doesn’t need to be heavy, just needs a couple examples of being awesome or showing the potential to be awesome.

What are some common interview deal-breakers/red flags applicants should be careful about?

Too much negativity raises a red flag for most of us.  We’re all going to have to work closely with you on the project for years, and it’s important to keep the mood neutral or happy.  We want to inspire one another!

It’s a little strange when someone applies but doesn’t know much anything about what we stand for or our games.  Doing your research the night before goes a long way and shows that you plan in advance - a very important skill in game development!

There are so many successful artists without a formal education out there, what is the real importance of a degree or certificate when it comes to hiring at a studio like The Behemoth? Is there any or is a good portfolio all you need?

We don’t really ever ask about formal education.  What you’re able to produce is much more important.  Normally we just ask you to briefly walk us through your life from graduating high school to see why you’re interested in working with us, and if college comes up we ask a little about it.  Having a secondary skill that isn’t necessarily art related is very helpful since we sometimes shift around to different jobs to cover all the bases.

Could you take us through an average day in the life of an artist working at The Behemoth?

We joke about this sort of question sometimes.  It can really differ.  As we’re making the project come together we check and re-check what things are clear or fun or working - this usually means a random epiphany will arise and we’ll be working on an area of the game that might not have been planned.  

We keep our meetings to once a week, and the rest of the week is trusting in one another to finish whatever the goal was for that week.  You’re left to your own devices on whatever was asked of you, and you’re welcome to reconsult or ask for help.

Do you have any advice for ambitious artists out there looking to make it in the game industry?

Practice when you don’t have to.  Experiment when you’re still allowed to make mistakes.  Try to understand the fields related to what you’re doing.  An artist that understands texture memory is a lot easier to work with for both artists and programmers alike than one who does not.

If you want to get a headstart on actual experience, start modding games.  Make small mods and work with others because it simulates game development almost 1:1.  I’m always overjoyed when we run into someone who has done any sort of development before that was on their own time.

Any exciting projects you can share details about?

We’re currently working on Pit People, which is our fast-paced, turn-based, co-op adventure out now on Xbox One Game Preview and Steam Early Access! It’s our fourth title and we’re looking forward to releasing the full version sometime this year. We hope you’ll check it out at pitpeople.com and follow us on Twitter or Facebook to get the latest updates on our games!