David Martin

David Martin is the game author of Infini an honorable mention of the A MAZE. Awards 2020. Infini challenges your mind in a psychedelic journey full of meaningful encounters with Time, Poetry, Technology, War and Fatality. Enjoy the interview with David.

David Martin

A MAZE.: How would you describe yourself?
David Martin: A curious, (maybe overly) optimistic game developer who likes to do a bit of everything.

A MAZE.: Are you a wild heart? If yes, what makes you think you’re a wild heart?
David Martin: I guess. I'm not that "wild" of a person, but you could say that my ideas are.

A MAZE.: Why did you start making games or playful media works?
David Martin: Because it seemed like the most complete art form, potentially encompassing all the strength of the others in it.

A MAZE.: Who (or what) is your biggest inspiration? Think beyond games too - musicians, writers, filmmakers, artists, scientists, …
David Martin: Music is a big part of it, since I made music before being a game developer. So abstract stuff like Autechre and Oneohtrix Point Never, but also more "videogamey" music like Disasterpeace. In terms of game design, I'd say Michael Brough and Terry Cavanagh's work in general.

A MAZE.: Where can we find this in your work?
David Martin: I think it comes through in the music and the game design.

A MAZE.: What message(s) are you sending out with your works?
David Martin: Explore, ask yourself and the world deep questions, don't be afraid of the unknown, try to look mindfully at problems you're trying to solve.

SCreenshot of Infini

A MAZE.: Is there a repeating pattern in all of your works the players may experience?
David Martin: Infinite loops, massive change in scale, messing with the player's expectations, ah-ha moments, the game morphing into something else. Also all our games are interconnected in terms of narrative.

A MAZE.: What influences your work more: Past (history), present (contemporary) or future (scifi) and what are your sources?
David Martin: Future probably, I love to extrapolate in the wildest of ways.

A MAZE.: What does responsibility towards your players mean to you as an artist?
David Martin: Making games that are an experience they've never had, something "new" they can explore.
A MAZE.: What impact is the current pandemic having on you and your work?
David Martin: Getting visibility is definitely way harder right now. Also, not being able to work in person is a small setback, but we've adjusted and it's going pretty well.

A MAZE.: If there is something wrong in the field of games / playful media, what would you fix first?
David Martin: I have no idea how I would fix it, but getting better visibility on stranger / less conventional games would help the whole field be recognized as the vast structure that it is.

A MAZE.: What are the three games someone who never played a game before should play? Why those?
David Martin:

SCreenshot of Infini

A MAZE.: How do you relax and find balance?
David Martin: Meditation, exercise, reading, listening to music, and of course games.

A MAZE.: What are the main challenges for artists in your country to sustain themselves?
David Martin: I clearly live in one of the easiest places to make games in the world. There are tons of resources, events and funding opportunities in Montréal. The community is also very welcoming. So while game development is inherently hard, I just can't complain.

A MAZE.: How do you see interactive arts in 10 years from now? In 2030! Tell us your vision.
David Martin: Some form of VR will take more and more place and probably develop into its own thing. Even more people will start taking "games" seriously. There will still be a lot of 2D games and entirely new genres will have been born.