From Call Center to Console: How a Filipino Solo Dev’s Soulslike Dream Caught US Publisher’s Eye
Developer Paolo Villanueva, aka GoldenGratus, isn’t a stranger to the Soulslike experience in more ways than one. He’s taken on various job classes in his career — Creative Writing major, copywriter, night shift call center agent, coffee shop barista — all roles providing him with different challenges, lessons, and experiences. His latest mantle is that of a solo game developer, which he picked up during Manila’s strict COVID-19 lockdowns. This shift was spurred by the desire to have a career fueled by passion and the bonus opportunity for financial stability, especially during the early 2020s games industry boom.
It was a path that was much harder than expected, but Villanueva has a good habit of seeing things through until the end. Under the moniker GoldenGratus, he learned programming, art and asset creation, game design, and more to release his first game within 2 years, Undying Lantern. With the experience of developing and releasing a full game under his belt, he proceeded to work on the action RPG dark fantasy game Memoirium.
Memoirium’s design philosophy is informed by the goal to make a fun Soulslike. And the rest of the details, such as the retro PS1 style (to keep the art process simple) and the use of metaphors and symbolisms in the narrative (based on his nonfiction writing and personal experiences) just fell together throughout the development journey. The result is a brooding, nostalgic adventure that takes place in the player’s inner safe space as much as the enemy-infested fantasy lands outside.
Villanueva’s favorite FromSoftware “Souls” game is Bloodborne, but it was NEOWIZ’s Lies of P that made him look at the genre from a different game design perspective. The Korean developer’s take on the foundations of soulsbornes and Mobius Digital’s Outer Wilds’s hands-free approach to player exploration both influenced Memoirium’s design. “I want players to be rewarded for their curiosity and [their own] deduction,” he shared. Features like equipment that completely alter play style and spells that teeter on the edge of risk and reward allow players to create and curate their experience within the crumbling dream world of Memoirium.
Last year, Villanueva also had his first boothing experience at the Philippine GameDev Expo 2024. He experienced the support of the Philippine gamer and game dev community and shared a special moment: a Souls veteran stayed at his booth for two hours, insistent on beating the demo’s boss. The player’s plight stirred up a growing swarm of onlookers — friends, strangers, and other exhibitors. Villanueva witnessed the player lock in and beat the boss, and the crowd went wild. It was this moment that solidified Memoirium as a special game with great potential.
So when Outersloth, a US-based indie game development fund spearheaded by Innersloth (Among Us devs), their mystery fund partner and supported by Casey Yano (Megacrit of Slay the Spire fame) was launched, Villanueva applied right away with “negative expectations.” When their interest was piqued, and he was platformed to present, Villanueva was nervous but honest throughout the process. “I pitched my heart out,” he shared regarding his experience. Sure enough, he gained the Outersloth team’s confidence and soon signed on to an exclusive list of projects funded by the highly acclaimed indie game brand.
Villanueva knows the value of the opportunity that Memoirium has landed, and has no intention of letting this chance go to waste. His ability to finish projects and communicate his ideas makes his game dev journey an exciting story to follow. “When I’m asked for advice, I would say… luck. It’s a lot of luck,” he simply stated with a smile. This blunt and honest delivery also revealed a refreshing optimism in the project — a strong belief in Memoirium’s strengths and its unique, introspective approach to the soulsborne genre.
Solo development is a tough path to walk. To carry on in the face of this insurmountable task, fueled by passion for the genre and industry/community support, is a poetic way to develop a Soulslike. As GoldenGratus gets ready for the day Memoirium’s dream bound doors open, the developer’s story will spark similar aspirations for a new generation of Filipino and Southeast Asian game dev talent.
