Hi everyone! We'll be starting a new blog series that highlights our wonderful team! Today we're starting with Deana Galbraith.
This interview is conducted by Steven Seidman, a Narrative Designer at Captilight.
Steven: Deana, I’m so glad you were able to make time for us, and the community to get to know you and your passion behind this project. Deana: No problem Steven, we have a lot of time right now, haha.
Steven: Haha, we’ve got to have a little bit of fun. So why don’t you start by telling us, who you are?
Deana: For starters I’m Deana and I’m the CEO and Creative Director at Captilight. My background in game design comes from working with a variety of indie studios and freelancing. I also studied Game Design at the University of Central Florida. On another note, I’ve had the chance to work with game publishers and learn a lot about marketing and building communities. Along with hanging out with my awesome pitbull, Boots. I enjoy traveling and reading, also watching lots of anime.
Steven: So, you’re the boss literally and figuratively?
Deana: Haha, I guess you could say that. I originally created Captilight in 2017 while I was at University. It wasn’t an official studio then, just friends getting together to make a game. It ended up not working out, as we were full-time students focused on finishing our degrees. Last year I started working on a new game and wanted to create my own studio, so I brought the brand “Captilight” back and officially made it a studio! Excited to see how far we’ve come and work with such a talented and amazing team!!
Steven: I’m happy to hear that! So, tell us about this new game we’re working on, what’s it called again?
Deana: Whoa Steven! You forgot?! Haha. Where to start!? It’s called, “Path of Kami” and it’s a game I personally would love to play. I love the idea of the story with Akatsu (the main character) and his friends (Sano, Kairo, and Zoua). It’s beautiful, serene, and the puzzles make you explore. I love just roaming around and checking different areas out. I can’t wait to see how the “Path of Kami” develops over the course of this year.
Steven: There are five characters in this game, which character do you feel the most for?
Deana: Hmm, other than Akatsu… I’d say Sano! She has a special relationship with Akatsu, without revealing too much, she sacrifices a lot for him and I admire that.
Steven: This won’t be the first game that is worked on by Captilight, what’s your thought process working on a new title?
Deana: I normally first think about an emotion I want to covey and a theme around it. In this case for Path of Kami, I was thinking about the concept of death and how other cultures perceive it. One thing that helps in trying times is family. Going deeper I thought about the overall closeness of friends and family. How a relationship can be really tight bonds with each other. So, the theme for Path of Kami is Relationships. I then work on game mechanics/story that tie into that. In our case, wolf friends that Akatsu meet are able to help each other by borrowing abilities and spirit fire. The Wisp also helps guide Akatsu throughout his journey.
Steven: I think we’re running out of time, so what’s getting you up in the morning?
Deana: Other then my dog whining to wake me up, I get excited thinking about what I’m going to be working on for the day. I wear many hats in Captilight, one day I may be focused more on design while others it’ll be marketing or production. Either way, it’s exciting to see what I’ll be working on next.