Studio Clump’s funny, one-month office VN Someone Stole My Lunch!
The Queer Games Bundle is a collection of nearly 600 items by LGBTQ+ creators and teams, nearly 400 of which are independent video games, all sold for just $60. I’m talking with creators from the bundle about their games and their making habits. Visit the bundle and consider buying it.
At the publisher where I used to work, someone once had a public meltdown about their stolen Lean Cuisine from the freezer. They left the company shortly after!! Lunch is a big deal. Studio Clump’s game Someone Stole My Lunch! is a funny, twisty little visual novel about a rapscallion who won’t stop stealing your lunch. Ota, z04, anri, and sasa answered my questions.
How long have you been making games?
z04: On and off as a teen, but I took it more seriously after meeting my teammates.
Ota: Not until recently with my teammates.
anri: Same! I didn’t really make games until I made one with my teammates.
sasa: I also only started making games when we became a game dev team! It’s been almost a year now since we formed Studio Clump and developed our first release, Stillwater.
[Editor’s note: Stillwater is also in the Queer Games Bundle.]
What tools do you like to use?
z04: Unity, Ren’Py, Clip Studio Paint
Ota: Clip Studio Paint, Photoshop, After Effects, Premiere
anri: Google Docs, Word, Clip Studio Paint
sasa: Clip Studio Paint, Photoshop, Blender
What themes or genres do you like to explore?
z04: Cliches and subversions.
Ota: Character-driven stories about love! Whether it be romantic, platonic, and self-love.
anri: I love some angsty, slow-burn, and psychological horror stories.
sasa: I mostly enjoy stories that make me cry or make me laugh so hard that I cry.
What are your favorite and least favorite aspects of making games?
z04: Fav — Planning; Least Fav — Crunch
Ota: I really like pre-production stuff like: planning, sketching, and visualizing the game in broad strokes. Least favorite though is definitely crunch time where I’m the most creative but in turn the most stressed.
anri: I like diving into the characters and knowing what they’re like. What I don’t like is the anxiety of making things perfect.
sasa: I really love seeing when all the pieces fall into place in the later stages of production! It really hypes me up seeing everyone’s work sync together. My least favorite part of making games is probably when we have to scratch off the more ambitious ideas for the final product.
Is there a game that has affected you recently?
z04: FF14 Endwalker.
Ota: Recently? Well have you heard about the critically acclaimed MMORPG Final Fantasy XIV?
anri: Definitely FFXIV and FGO.
Sasa: Ensemble Stars is changing my brain chemistry for the worst.
Someone Stole My Lunch! is a disturbingly accurate office sim. What inspired you to make it?
z04: I got let go from a toxic workplace so I began to read some office horror stories.
The food is so lovingly illustrated and described. How did you decide what to include?
z04: I chose food that’s a bit unconventional for homemade office lunch but that meant it hurt more to lose it. Sasa did the heavy lifting with the gorgeous food art.
You have really leaned into chaos and humor here. What was it like planning all the endings?
z04: I like situational comedy so I wrote the endings first and came up with ways to get there.
The length is just right. Did you scope the game when you started or did it work out this way?
z04: We scoped it small since it was for a game jam. All our schedules were also misaligned so it’s a miracle the game was released on time.
And most importantly . . . What’s your ideal lunch at work??
z04: Go Go Curry: World Champion Curry! I probably wouldn’t be able to eat it all but it’s fun when people stare.
Ota: Oh I like a good egg salad sandwich with some chips on the side, hehe.
sasa: Kimbap!
