We had fun reviewing Dropsy on Nintendo Switch, so I got in touch with Jay Tholen to talk a bit about the game and its development. Check it out!
PS4B: Good morning! Thank you for joining us. Could you please help us get started by telling our readers a bit about yourself and your work?
Howdy! I’m a musician, artist, and game designer. I was born in Florida and lived there until my mid-twenties. I now live in Germany. I’m probably best known for my point-and-click adventure Dropsy and late 1990s internet simulator Hypnospace Outlaw.
PS4B: On that note, Dropsy is now out on Nintendo Switch! How would you describe the game to someone who’s new to it?
Dropsy is point and click adventure game in which players step into the oversized shoes of a somewhat grotesque-looking clown to attempt to make his island town a better place by helping those in need and being a pal to everyone. The folks Dropsy is trying to help are often unsettled by him, so figuring out how to earn their trust is an important element both to the narrative and gameplay. The game is “open world” in that many of the questlines are optional, and you’re able to explore a good ~60 percent of the map from the start. There’s also a bit of a science-fiction plot nipping at the edges of the game.
PS4B: Are there any differences between the original Steam version from 2015 and this Nintendo Switch version?
Yeah, on both Steam and Nintendo Switch, we’ve updated Dropsy with an entirely new set of areas and new NPCs to befriend. We’ve also made a few quality-of-life adjustments to make the experience of playing nicer.
PS4B: Given the non-linear nature of the game on how everything is handled by way of visual cues, how long would it take someone to play the whole thing from start to finish?
I’d say it takes most people 4 to 6 hours to beat Dropsy depending on how many of the side puzzles they work on completing.
PS4B: Any chance we might get a physical edition of Dropsy on Nintendo Switch?
I’d love that, though I don’t have much time to orchestrate such a thing myself. If I’m approached, I’d almost certainly be up for making a physical edition.
PS4B: And that’s all the time we have for today. Is there something else you’d like to add before we go?
I’d just like to thank you for the interview and point people toward my two upcoming projects, Slayers X: Terminal Aftermath: Vengance of the Slayer and Dreamsettler!
