THE MAKING OF CREAKS

How a Czech art-school project became an eight-year labour of love

- Ewan Wilson

Format iOS, PC, PS4, Switch, Xbox One

Developer/publisher Amanita Design

Origin Czech Republic

Release 2020

One thing you’re pretty much guaranteed when playing a game from Amanita Design is an abundance of artistry. The Czech studio has spent the past 18 years straddling the divide between videogame design and traditional art techniques. And Creaks is no exception. It’s a puzzle platformer about things that go bump in the night – or simply when the lights flicker off and on. However, what really stands out is the way its ornate world is brought to life with a combination of oil painting and puppetry.

That’s no surprise, perhaps, given how the project began. “The concept and basic design came from my diploma work at the Academy Of Arts, Architecture And Design in Prague,” lead designer and artist Radim Jurda tells us. “A lot of Amanita’s games originate from this same animation studio.” Samorost, the studio’s first release, was the diploma project of founder Jakub Dvorský, while Botanicula was created by fellow alumnus Jaromír Plachý.

There aren’t many art schools in the Czech Republic, Creaks co-creator Jan Chlup explains, meaning that many projects are naturally interconnected thanks to students working with each other, as well as creators sharing a lot of interests and inspiration. The history of Czech animation and renowned animators such as Jirí Barta and Jan Švankmajer loom large over almost all of Amanita Design’s projects. Amanita’s input would come later, though.