Jonas Fisch, PRIM – Classic adventuring with the daughter of Death

• Interviews by Jack Allin
• Published:

PRIM stunned us all with its gorgeous goth graphics when it was first teased years ago, so it was no surprise when the game was successfully Kickstarted soon after that. But as with all ambitious indie adventures, it’s taken a while to fully percolate, so it may have slipped off your radar ever since. Now, however, it’s time for that radar to start blipping furiously, as the first commercial game from Common Colors is not only back in the spotlight, it’s nearly done and ready for launch. I encourage everyone to check out the playable demo, but there’s much more to this whimsical black-and-white adventure about the daughter of Death than the first couple rooms offered there. With only a short time left before the full game is available, I caught up with the game’s writer/designer Jonas Fisch for a proper chat about PRIM.

Hi, Jonas! Welcome to the Adventure Game Hotspot. It’s always great talking to you, but even better this time, knowing that your highly anticipated first game is almost here! 

Jonas: Hi Jack! I can say the same! It’s always a pleasure chatting with you. I’m really happy you invited me back!

Your game may have flown under some people’s radar, so what can you tell us about PRIM?

Jonas: The elevator pitch? Alright, let’s do it: PRIM is a classic 2D adventure with hand-drawn graphics. Players take on the role of Death’s daughter. After her mother dies, she discovers who her father is and that she now has to live with her strict dad in the land of the dead. Naturally, she’s not thrilled about it, so she tries to escape. But when she finally does, things spiral out of control... I won’t spoil more—people will have to find out for themselves!

The “creepy but cute” graphics, as you’ve called them, are absolutely gorgeous. And I couldn’t help but notice, being as observant as I am, that they’re also in black and white. Interesting choice, especially for a team called Common Colors! 

Jonas: Thank you! I’ll gladly pass that compliment on to our artists! We chose this look and created it together with the Mexican comic artist Oskar Alvarado because it really makes the game stand out visually in today’s crowded market. Plus, it fits perfectly with the setting we’ve created—it creates an atmosphere that’s both eerie and cozy, a world you feel safe in but that can still send a chill down your spine. That’s what fascinated me about this project from the start.

Here’s a random question that has absolutely nothing to do with PRIM: What’s your favorite Tim Burton movie? 

Jonas: Not just a random question, but a tough one! Hmm... The biggest inspiration for PRIM’s look was definitely Burton’s remake of his own short film, Frankenweenie, which is also in black and white. But my personal favorites are more his live-action films, especially his second Batman, Edward Scissorhands... and I’m also a big fan of Sweeney Todd and Sleepy Hollow!

Okay, I guess that DOES have something to do with PRIM, since the whole look and style of the game has a very Burton-esque feel. And with Burton reviving Beetlejuice this year, the timing couldn’t be better for a living/dead crossover adventure. Safe to say you’re big fans?

Jonas: Of “classic” Tim Burton, definitely! His newer stuff doesn’t always hit the mark for me, but I actually liked the new Beetlejuice.

Totally agree with you on his earlier work being best. Even the Beetlejuice sequel was a big step down for me. (Of course, the original Beetlejuice is my own personal fave of his.) A key element in classic Burton films is the quirky humor running through even the darkest themes. That seems to be true for PRIM too. Why did you decide to go for comedy instead of playing it straight?

Jonas: I think the best stories always balance drama and lighthearted moments, and that’s exactly what we’re aiming for with PRIM. The characters Prim meets on her journey are often quite eccentric, which gave us the opportunity to really let our humor loose in the dialogue. I’ll apologize in advance for the terrible puns, but hey, they make me laugh! Plus, when tackling heavy, sensitive themes like death, it’s important to have moments of comic relief to break the tension.

Another major influence you’ve mentioned, though not as obvious, is Greek mythology. How did that factor into your design?

Jonas: The whole underworld in PRIM is inspired by Greek mythology, but we took a lot of creative liberties in how we portrayed its myths and characters. For example, Cerberus, the three-headed guard dog of the underworld, is more of a lovable pet with a bit of a bladder issue in our game.

While the game features a grand adventure, at its heart it’s a coming-of-age story for Prim. But she’s not exactly a typical teenager. How do the very unusual challenges faced by Prim reflect those that all of us can relate to from our formative teen years?

Jonas: Losing a parent and having to live with the other is a harsh reality for many teens, and that alone is scary. But we, of course, take this idea to the extreme. Prim is ripped from her world and has to find her place in a new, strange, and unfamiliar one. I think that works well as a metaphor for the struggles of growing up. Thanatos (Death) also goes through his own development—after all, being a father is new for him too.

Right, that’s the other major dramatic layer to Prim’s growing up, which is her relationship with dear ol’ Dad. It can’t be easy growing up in the shadow of the Grim Reaper, but it’s also a tough adjustment for him as a parent. How do you tackle the father-daughter relationship in the game?

Jonas: That’s really at the heart of the story. Prim and Thanatos are two very different characters who are forced to form a bond. So, we made sure to include plenty of scenes that develop their relationship and give it room to grow. Our voice actors really brought these moments to life with their amazing performances!

Were you drawing from personal experience here? Any daughters of your own?

Jonas: Actually, yes! I became a father to a daughter just after I started working on PRIM in 2018. Coincidence? Who knows! And while Thanatos’s parenting style is definitely not mine, there’s no doubt that some of my own experiences and feelings as a dad have found their way into the game. By the way, we’re expecting our second child in early November—right around the game’s release!

Congratulations! (And good luck when they’re teenagers.) When Prim inevitably defies her dad and goes off on her own, what challenges does she face as a fish out of water in the land of the dead, having grown up in the world of the living to that point?

Jonas: Prim has to get her bearings in this radically different world, where magical and supernatural things happen. She’ll meet new friends, but also face dangers that she has to overcome to complete her journey. 

To give us a better sense of the world, how do the lands of the living and the dead differ from one another (aside from heartbeats)?

Jonas: Visually, they’re not actually all that different. We could have gone with full color for the land of the living, but we decided to stick with a gloomy, gothic look to make the whole game more atmospheric. That said, Prim spends most of her time in the underworld, though some of the key story moments do happen on Earth...

How do Prim’s growing powers as the daughter of Death factor into the gameplay?

Jonas: Without giving too much away, I’ll mention one gameplay aspect that’s pretty important (and no spoilers, since you can see it in the demo). Early on, Prim encounters a spider-legged eyeball in the underworld. Once she catches it, it climbs onto her head, pops out her eye, and takes its place in her eye socket. Players can use this eye in two ways: they can remove it to access places Prim can’t reach herself, and there are even parts where you’ll play as the eye! Or, they can use its second ability: seeing the hidden secrets of others!

I loved that scene, and Prim’s immediate reaction. So some special powers and an unusual “sidekick,” but otherwise the game is very much a traditional point-and-click?

Jonas: Absolutely—it’s mostly inventory and dialogue-based puzzles, but we’ve tried to keep things varied. The gameplay is also broken up with some mini-games. You can play with just a mouse or a gamepad. We’ve also aimed for a modern adventure feel, with all the quality-of-life features players are used to nowadays: a one-click interface, optional hotspot highlights, an in-game hint system, fast travel, and more.

It’s clearly inspired by genre classics, but unlike many games, you’re not going for a “retro” vibe.

Jonas: Exactly!

Were there any games in particular that influenced you as a designer, or just as a fan?

Jonas: Many, and each in different ways. The Curse of Monkey Island was a big inspiration for the art style. The hand-drawn 2D look is timeless. We hope PRIM will still look great years from now, just like MI3 does. Atmosphere-wise, A Vampyre Story by Bill Tiller is a big reference point. Gameplay-wise, we were heavily inspired by the Daedalic games, especially modern classics like The Whispered World and Harvey’s New Eyes.

I called PRIM your “first” game earlier, but that’s not technically true, since you cut your teeth on some well-regarded freeware games. How did that experience prepare you for the much bigger task of creating a commercial game?

Jonas: Well, the advantage was that I’d already gone through the full production cycle three times with The Diary of a Roadie, Sidekick High, and door. I learned a lot about what’s important to me as a designer and writer along the way.

I know it’s taken you longer than expected to finish PRIM – not suprisingly, as that’s true of literally every developer I know. What kind of unexpected challenges did you face along the way?

Jonas: I realized that making a full game is WAY more work than making a short freeware game. I didn’t expect it to be such a big leap. And personally, balancing family, my full-time job (I’m a teacher), and PRIM was a huge challenge. I couldn’t have done it without my amazing team.

Tell us a little about yourself and your team. I know you’re based in Germany, but you have team members from all over, right?

Jonas: Exactly. During development, the core team was:

• Alexander Leps, our Unity developer
• Steffi Kick, our background artist
• Lukasz Rusinek, our animation artist
• Susanne Hardt, our composer
• And myself – I’m the writer and designer of the game

But there were many other contributors throughout the development process. Just to name a few: Tristan Berger (sound effects), Liam Creighton (director for the English voice-overs), Tim Hennemann (director for the German voice-overs), Volker Ritzhaupt and the whole team at Application Systems Heidelberg. Bryan Atkinson (our second composer), Ellen Benkart (who drew the inventory items), Jess Haskins (editor), and Sascha "Ptomaine Art" Schneider, who illustrated the first two backgrounds. And, of course, all of our amazing voice actors! I’m sure I’m forgetting a lot of people, but they were all essential to the project’s success.

How did you all meet and decide you were the right fit to start making games together?

Jonas: It happened in different ways. Some I found through online research and just reached out to them. Others were already friends before PRIM. And some joined the team through our publisher.

For a while, Germany was a central hub for adventure games, but that seems to have spread out a bit. Is there still a thriving adventure game community in Germany? 

Jonas: Definitely! Actually, most of our Kickstarter backers came from Germany, so we can definitely see interest in the genre, even though it’s admittedly a niche compared to the broader gaming market. What’s great, though, is that the community is incredibly passionate!

Well, we’re certainly glad you’re still carrying the torch for German adventure game developers, and we can’t wait to check out PRIM when it arrives. When can we expect it, and where can people go to find it? 

Jonas: PRIM is launching on October 24th on Steam and GOG!

Until the release, wishlist entries really help us out. So, if anyone wants to support us, feel free to add our game to your wishlist!

Thanks so much for doing this, Jonas. I asked more questions than I intended, but it’s such an interesting game! I wish you all the best with PRIM’s launch, and I’ll turn the floor over to you for any last thoughts to leave with our readers. 

Jonas: Thank you so much for the great interview and the well-researched questions! I’m really excited to see how the world reacts to PRIM! We’ve poured so much love into it, and we can’t wait to share that with all of you!

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