What does it take to survive more than 15 years as an independent game studio while constantly reinventing yourself?
For Enrique Corts, co-founder and art director of Super Mega Team, the answer lies somewhere between persistence, creative freedom, publisher negotiations, and a willingness to embrace uncertainty. From his early days working in the UK games industry to building Super Mega Team in Valencia, Enrique has experienced nearly every challenge an indie developer can face.
In this conversation, Axel García, Head of Brave Zebra, speaks with Enrique about his journey into game development, the evolution of Super Mega Team, and the creation of Terrible Life Expectancy, a roguelite action game that started as a small experimental project before growing into one of the studio’s most ambitious productions. They discuss designing around a family-based progression system, balancing creativity with commercial realities, securing publisher funding, and the lessons learned from both successes and failures over a decade and a half of indie development.
The interview also explores publisher relationships, team building, sustainable studio management, hiring practices, and what it truly means to pursue creative independence in today’s games industry.
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Chapters of the Interview:
- 00:00 — Introduction & Welcome
- 00:45 — Enrique's background and early career in game development
- 03:00 — Moving to the UK and working at Team17
- 08:00 — Founding Super Mega Team
- 14:30 – Early mobile successes and Super Magical
- 20:00 – Building games with publishers
- 22:00 – The Night Witch and lessons from Team17
- 30:30 – Burnout after The Night Witch
- 37:30 – The origins of Terrible Life Expectancy
- 40:00 – The game's dystopian housing crisis premise
- 43:00 – Publisher pitching and funding challenges
- 53:00 – The role of game designers in development
- 59:00 – Why the game is set in Japan
- 1:10:00 – Working with your partner in game development
- 1:26:00 – Hiring developers and building teams
- 1:30:00 – Scaling projects and managing production
- 1:46:00 – Passion, persistence, and final advice
- 1:47:00 – Closing remarks
All the questions
Could you briefly introduce yourself and tell us about your role at Super Mega Team?
Enrique discusses his journey as an artist, animator, and art director, and how he entered the games industry by moving to the UK when opportunities in Spain were limited.
How did your early career shape your approach to game development?
Working at Team17 and other studios exposed him to both the creative and business realities of game development, lessons that would later influence Super Mega Team.
How was Super Mega Team founded?
The studio emerged from a desire to create original games and build a sustainable independent career while maintaining creative freedom.
What lessons did you learn from your early mobile game successes?
Projects like Super Magical proved that the team could make commercially successful games, but also taught them how difficult it is to create a true breakout hit.
How important have publishers been throughout Super Mega Team's history?
Publishers allowed the studio to finance larger projects while reducing financial risk, although not every publishing relationship turned out as expected.
What happened with The Night Witch, and why was it such a turning point?
Although critically well received, the project led to burnout within the team and forced the studio to rethink its future direction.
How did Terrible Life Expectancy begin?
The project started as a small, experimental game inspired by the team’s desire to have fun again and rediscover their passion for game development.
What is Terrible Life Expectancy about?
Set in a dystopian future where winning a house requires surviving a deadly game show, the game combines roguelite progression, action combat, and family-based mechanics.
How does the family system change the traditional roguelite formula?
Instead of having a single life, players manage an entire family. As long as family members remain alive, progression continues, creating new strategic and narrative possibilities.
Why did the project grow far beyond its original scope?
As development progressed, the team continued adding systems and ideas, transforming a small prototype into a much larger and more ambitious roguelite experience.
How did you approach finding a publisher for the project?
The studio pitched the game to numerous publishers and eventually secured support despite feeling that the demo did not yet fully represent the game’s potential.
Why is Japan the setting for the game?
Frequent trips to Japan inspired the setting, allowing the team to incorporate locations, cultural references, and visual inspiration gathered during their travels.
What have you learned about surviving as an indie studio for over 15 years?
Adaptability, careful financial management, and persistence are essential. Enrique emphasizes that long-term survival often matters more than achieving overnight success.
How do you approach hiring and building development teams?
The studio prioritizes attitude, chemistry, and adaptability. Technical skills matter, but finding people who fit the team’s culture is equally important.
What does success mean for Super Mega Team today?
Success is no longer defined solely by sales. For Enrique, it means continuing to create games, supporting the team, and maintaining the freedom to pursue projects they genuinely care about.
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