Nelson:I took a photo. I cropped it so that you couldn’t see his face. And we used that reference photo a month later.
Tan:I thought he was joking. The outfit the mysterious man is wearing in the game is practically the same as the one I had on that day, minus the mask, stripes, and questionable stains.
Nelson:If I were telling a story about a angsty, distraught masked man who didn’t just want you to click a counter, but wanted to watch you do it, this everyman outfit with a slight stylistic lift might end up being the basis of a character design.
Goalie:It was just a tan jacket.
Nelson:Although I got their permission at the time, many people do not understand the full implications of their actions and decisions and the permission they give at 3 in the morning.
GoalieI mean, he looked very stylish. Dan looked good.
Kaman:It’s not something to make fun of. And that’s why it was funny, because there’s nothing wrong with Dan that warrants making fun of him. It’s like the target is now on you.
Nelson:I hope that in this life or the next, he can forgive me.
While many of the developers involved that night left San Francisco without a second thought, Click the button, Strange Scaffold got to work. In fact, the studio collaborated with Outersloth on the game. When they released promotional material, the developers involved in its conception had a range of reactions.
tran:Well, it was horrible.
Kaman:We were like, “What the fuck?” He’s a crazy guy, but he’s also my biggest inspiration in life.
Tan:After watching the trailer, I remember texting Xalavier right away and saying, “I can’t believe you wore my outfit to this.!!!”
tran:The first thing I saw was the character, horrible. Two, it was like, I can’t believe this is happening, even though I knew it was happening. Three, wow, I can’t believe this joke, this thing that started out as something funny, ha ha, this Something that had become an actual game. Honestly, it was really cool.
KamanWe were sharing it on Slack, losing our minds, so impressed by the engagement.
Tan:Despite the fact that it all started out as something that was light-hearted and a little silly, the game is definitely no joke; it definitely taps into that awkward feeling we glimpsed in the hotel lobby that night.
tranIt’s really cool to see all the things we talked about come together, like Dan’s outfit or Gary’s logo, and that kind of weird creative spirit. Making something look real, amazing.
Kaman:I think Aggro Crab deserves royalties.