Who is FlubbedMachina
FlubbedMachina is a solo indie game developer creating Condo, an atmospheric simulation game exploring community and connection within a single building. FlubbedMachina blends narrative design and emergent gameplay to craft immersive, player-driven stories.
Games By FlubbedMachina
1. Condo [Read Full Review]
An Interview with FlubbedMachina
GW: What made you choose the game’s main theme of avoidance and slowly moving toward acceptance?
FlubbedMachina: The theme grew organically. I started by building a space and an atmosphere, hoping the story would unfold on its own. I’m not sure I’d recommend this approach to other solo developers, but it works for me.
Over time, I realized the environment lent itself to telling a smaller, more personal story within a broader societal context. In Condo, that became a story about personal avoidance during a moment of gentrification.
Why did you go with the game’s aesthetic choices?
I was born in 1990, and there’s something deeply appealing to me about the 4:3 ratio, TV static, dithering, and other technical qualities of that era. They remind me of a time when digital technology felt more magical and external, rather than comprehensible and woven seamlessly into everyday life.
Even now, I still find 4:3 to be a more immersive ratio than widescreen formats, since it makes guiding the player’s gaze easier without the distraction of unnecessary elements creeping in from the edges.
Maybe I’m wrong, and this is just a simple rationalization of my own nostalgia, but it has nonetheless influenced the design process in one way or another.
What inspired the minimalist approach to interaction (no inventory, UI, or explicit objectives)? What do you think this adds to the player’s experience?
My first real love in gaming was The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind. There was something about the minimal UI combined with a vast, explorable world that immediately grabbed me. Signposts and conversations with NPCs guided the player, instead of way-markers or a compass. It tickled my anxious teenage brain just right.
The badge system is unclear but feels meaningful. What did you want players to get from it?
The goal is to motivate exploration. Badges give subtle visual hints but don’t spell out what to do. As players grow more familiar with their surroundings, the pieces start to fall into place.
Most will likely earn the “Sorry Not Sorry” badge first while just messing around – and from there, the search begins.
Did you hope players would come back to the game more than once? Has any player reaction surprised you?
All of them surprised me and keep surprising me! I didn’t expect much response at all, so seeing so many positive reviews on Steam and engagement on Itch.io has been really heartwarming.
“The game wasn’t designed with replayability in mind, but I’ve seen players return just to hang out, mess around, and hunt for secrets.”
Overall, I think it works best as a short, in-and-out experience – which is why it’s brief and doesn’t include a save function. Still, every playstyle is legitimate!
Do you have any plans for updates or future projects with a similar style or mood?
I just released version 1.0.3 for Condo to add controller support and add a few new content additions. At the same time, I’m prototyping a new game, though it’s still in a very(!) early stage.
There’s no rush on my end. I’m not aiming to become a professional developer. I just want to learn, experiment, have fun, and share stories.
What’s something in Condo that most players might not notice, but that you secretly love or feel proud of?
There are a lot of subcultural references hidden in those hallways. One of them is a shout-out to one of my favorite solo devs, Sad3D. Their work has been a huge inspiration and motivation for me to dive into gamedev myself, and receiving a comment from them saying they’d spotted it (and thus played my game?!) was absolutely fantastic.
Respect each other, speak your mind, and focus on ideas, not individuals.