Veteran game artist Stoo Cambridge – best known for Cannon Fodder, Sensible World of Soccer and many more – talks to Christian Cawley about his latest project, UrbX Warriors for the Spectrum Next, why making indie games today is about much more than coding, and how he keeps his creativity alive.
From chance meeting to collaboration
How did the project begin?
“I met Tony Warriner [Beneath a Steel Sky] at a Zzap! Live event a few years ago. I’d admired his work at Revolution. He’d just finished writing his book – a massive tome – and I helped him lug boxes out of his car. We started chatting and joked about working together. A few months later, he asked if I’d do some background graphics for a project called Wormhole Dungeon.
Chris Wilkins [Fusion Retro Books] then asked Tony if he’d be interested in publishing some Spectrum Next games. Tony said he would if I was on board. We started prepping a game for the Next, but the original rights holder decided to do it himself. We’d already put weeks of work in, so instead of scrapping everything, we decided to create our own title.
That idea became UrbX Warriors: a game about urban exploration with a paranormal twist, set vaguely in Peru/Bolivia. We’re developing it first for the Spectrum Next, with a PC version alongside, and plans for Amiga, Mega Drive, Dreamcast and PlayStation later.”
Big plans for a big game
According to the Kickstarter, UrbX Warriors will run on Windows, Mac and Linux and there’s already a demo on itch.io. How far off release are you?
“There are four areas to explore. Area 1 – outdoors – is almost complete. Area 2 is under construction, and we’ve done some graphics for 3 and 4. We’ve built a system with sprites, hazards and traps and are now populating levels. It’s slow: you tweak something, export, test, tweak again – sometimes dozens of times a day. We’re probably six to eight months from completion, aiming for early 2025.
We’re also already running Amiga and PlayStation builds internally. The Amiga version will be AGA only – the Next’s palette is limited compared to the Amiga, and we want to enhance the graphics rather than downgrade them. PlayStation will feature real-time lighting with the torch weapon.”
Wearing all the hats
You’re not just handling the game graphics – you’ve designed the packaging too.
“That’s indie development. You end up doing everything yourself. When we put the Kickstarter together, the game was on hold for over a month. We had to design and render the box, create banners and illustrations at huge print resolutions, cut promo videos, produce T-shirt and coaster designs… it’s a lot of work for just me and Tony.
I’m not naturally a social media person either – before this project I’d almost come off it – but you have to do it. Tony’s great at posting updates, so between us, we manage.”
Kickstarter, shows and feedback
The Kickstarter raised over £30,000 with more than 600 backers. That must feel great.
“It’s been amazing. We had brilliant advice from Chris Wilkins, the Caulfields (The Bedroom to Billions), and Andrew from Immortal Joysticks. Still, nothing prepares you for it. People assume you’re rolling in cash, but after fees and production costs it’s not like that. We’re investing in building something bigger.
We’ve also been showing the game at events like Crash Live, Play Blackpool and Amiga 38 in Germany. The feedback has been wonderful – people couldn’t believe UrbX Warriors was running on a Spectrum Next. We’ve even had kids who’ve never used a joystick before pick it up and enjoy it.”
Creativity, age and balance
We’ve both discovered the importance of finding our most productive hours as we’ve got older.
“Exactly. In my head I’m still the same guy who made Amiga games 30 years ago, but physically I can’t do the late nights. My youngest son has just gone to university, so life’s changed a bit. I try to work mornings, sometimes evenings, but I’m strict about rest.
Going for walks in nature helps reset my mind and sparks ideas. If you devote all your time to work, your health and creativity suffer. You need fresh input to make fresh work.”
Looking ahead
UrbX Warriors looks like a big new IP.
“That’s the plan. This feels like my “last rodeo” – I turned 56 last week – and I want to do it properly. We’re known for big titles, so let’s make this big, too. We’re experienced enough to avoid feature creep but still have fun.”
Try UrbX Warriors now!
A playable demo of UrbX Warriors is available on itch.io. The full game is planned for Windows, Mac, Linux and Spectrum Next in early 2025, with Amiga, Mega Drive, Dreamcast and PlayStation versions to follow.
Meanwhile, you can visit Stoo’s website to find his social media links, and listen to the full interview in our podcast…
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Christian Cawley is a writer and editor who covers consumer electronics, IT, and entertainment media. He has written for publications such as Computer Weekly, Linux Format, MakeUseOf.com, and Tech Radar.
He also produces podcasts, has a cigar box guitar, and of course, loves retro gaming.