Amanda Fitch (aka Amanda Fae), the mastermind behind the Aveyond and Ahrimon’s Prophecy RPGs was kind enough to talk to us about adventure games in the casual market, developing an RPG, and her vivacious forum community. We also got a bit of info about the upcoming Grimm’s hatchery! Read on.

CR: Why don’t you begin by telling us a bit about your background and how you got your start as a game developer.

Amanda: I graduated college with an English B.A. and became a technical writer. One day, I decided to play a game. When I went to the game shop, however, I couldn’t find anything that looked interesting, so I decided to make the game that I wanted to play. My first games were pretty bad, but I kept at it and eventually I made a game that resonated with other gamers. The game was Ahriman’s Prophecy, and it was free for all to download. I got lots of emails from players who told me I could make games for a living, and after a while I listened to them and decided to make a shareware game.

CR: So, Amaranth focuses primarily on making fantasy adventure and role-playing games. Why did you decide to go that route?

Amanda: I absolutely loooooove adventure and role-playing games! It’s as simple as that!

CR: Why, in your opinion, aren’t there more casual or independent studios making fantasy adventure games out there? Compared to the number of match three games, it seems like RPG fans are left out in the cold.

Amanda: I think this is because role-playing games and adventure games are resource-intensive. It’s easy to crank out a match three game in a couple of months because you don’t need that many backgrounds, sprites (the little guys that run around on screen), and writing. Most of the work comes from coding. On the other hand, role-playing and adventure games can require hundreds of graphics and hundreds of pages of writing. Coding is a much smaller portion of the project.

CR: Let’s talk about Aveyond for a bit. Amazing game. Classic RPG feel, over 50 hours of gameplay, massive story, tons to do… What goes into making such a huge project? Would you tell us a bit about the process and your role in the development cycle?

Amanda: The first thing I did was get my hands on an engine that was specifically built to create RPGs. This immediately saved me hundreds of hours of development and testing. A large project requires a decent roadmap to get you from point A to point Z. For me, the process is similar to writing a novel. I build a skeleton and slowly add layers, one by one.

CR: We noticed that you’re brave enough to host forums on your site, and they’re quite active. How has the community influenced Amaranth and the development of your games?

Amanda: The community has had a huge impact on my company. I owe everything I’ve earned to the gamers who have supported me. They are very outspoken about what they do and don’t like, and when I have difficult decisions to make, I like to take it to them. In many ways, I see them as the stockholders of my company. They play an active role in shaping the future of Amaranth Games, and their opinions are very important to me.

CR: So what’s next for Amaranth? Can you tell us anything about the mysterious “Grimm’s Hatchery” due out in December? Any plans for an Aveyond sequel or prequel?

Amanda: I’m very excited about Grimm’s Hatchery! In the game, you get to buy magical pets, raise them, and hatch new pets. Along the way, you get to solve puzzles, create new species of pets, and keep your pets safe from danger. I’ve also inserted a twist of humor into the game. Once you’ve played it, you may think that the characters are positively insane! (In a funny way, of course!)

As I’ve already told the players in my community, Aveyond II: Ean’s Quest will begin development in January and finish around September. I *seriously* think this game is going to blast Aveyond I out of the pond. The story for the next game is very compelling, and now that I have some money in the coffers, I can afford professional art.

CR: Anything else you’d like to mention to our readers?

Amanda: Play Grimm’s Hatchery! Play Aveyond! Visit Amaranth Games and join the community!

CR: Well, thank you so much for talking to us today, Amanda! We’re excited to see all these upcoming games.

You can download Amaranth’s games and see more about their upcoming projects at their website, www.amaranthia.com. Check back soon for more interviews, reviews, and features!