One of EGLX’s main attractions is the Esports tournaments. However, Indy games are also making a big impact on the event. Over the weekend we got to speak to many developers and try out a ton of games. Clan O’Conall was one of the games we saw that had a story that really piqued our interests.

Clan O’Conall is a 2D side-scrolling action game. The game features three main characters all controlled by one player. You have to switch between the three characters to use their special abilities in order to solve puzzles and defeat certain enemies.  We got to speak with Francisco Garcia-Jimenez a member of the Clan O’Conall team.

Art Inspired Art

Clan O’Conall really piqued our interest what was the motive behind the game?

Francisco: The game was based on drawings our art designer showed us in 2007. The drawings were based on Celtic folklore and that is what really got the game started.

So, are those drawings what also inspired the art style of Clan O’Conall?

Yes, the drawings were a big inspiration for the game and we also took inspiration from classic Disney movies such as Sleeping Beauty.

Is the game’s story also based on Celtic lore and mythology?

The story, gameplay elements, enemies, and characters in the game are all inspired by Celtic mythology and folklore.

Have you had to do a lot of research in the mythology for the game?

Our art director has been really great, he actually went to Ireland to do research. He spent a lot of time looking at different locations and runes that had a lot of impact on Clan O’Conall.

I get an old school feels from some of the gameplay. What inspired the gameplay?

Old School Meets New School

Clan O’Conall gets a lot of inspiration on games we grew up playing. A lot of NES era games served as inspiration games, like Castlevania, Mega Man, and TMNT. We also took some inspiration from newer games like Dead Cells and Trine. The game is similar to Trine with the three playable characters.

Trine did have multiplayer is that something that Clan O’Conall will also include?

We aren’t actually planning to include multiplayer in our game.

We noticed that the boss fight and story were separated into different modes for the demo. Will the story mode include boss fights?

The main campaign will include boss fights. The adventure will transition into a boss fight the longer you play. We separated the two modes for the demo so players can have fun trying out a quick boss fight without taking up too much of their time.

We know that three characters in the game have one unique ability each. Will the final game include more abilities?

Each character in Clan O’Conall will have one main ability. But they also have an upgrade tree allowing them to upgrade and enhance their abilities.

How are the characters related?

They’re all siblings.

Are there any extra modes planned for the game?

There won’t be any extra modes due to time restrictions. We might include some extra mini-boss fights though.

Clan O’Conall is set to release next year on consoles and Steam.