The creator of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 will make “drastic decisions” for Sandfall Interactive’s next game.
During an interview with Jeux Video, Sandfall Interactive CEO and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 creator Guilhaume Broche indicated that he wants to avoid playing it safe for the studio’s next project. He mentioned that him and his team have no intention of chasing mass appeal simply because its first RPG became a hit. Instead, he believes the game’s success came mainly because the studio focused on making something it personally believed in rather than trying to satisfy market trends.
“It’s weird to say, but we didn’t make the first game to please anyone,” Broche said. “And I think that’s why it worked.” This philosophy extends to Sandfall Interactive’s next project, as him and his team intend to continue taking creative risks. “So for the next game, we’ll make some drastic decisions too, and maybe people won’t like it. That’s life. Whether people follow us or not is their decision.”
Broche acknowledged that expectations naturally rise after a successful release, but he believes that’s exactly when studios risk losing their identity. He wants to avoid falling into the trap of constantly expanding and producing increasingly bigger games simply because audiences expect it. Instead, Sandfall Interactive will continue making games the team genuinely wants to play. “We’re going to stick to making games that we love,” he stated. “If people like them, great. If it doesn’t, oh well.”
The Sandfall Interactive CEO isn’t bothered by the commercial viability of his next game, as that isn’t driving the development team’s creative decisions. He believes maintaining this mindset is essential if the studio wants to avoid being overwhelmed by the pressure that often follows a breakout hit. While he jokingly said that selling “zero copies” would create problems, he argued that prioritizing creativity over mass market appeal is ultimately the healthier long-term approach.
