Putting the Argentinean Experience on Game: An Interview with Bohemian Productions

Ramiro Argente and Lucas Gomila got to meet each other studying game development at Universidad Abierta Interamericana. I should know, since I was also there.

It’s been a few years since I’ve seen them, as I had to drop out of college for a while. I can vividly remember the passion and dedication they had for making games, though, and pushing forward what they learned in class.

Given that shared past, sitting down on a call with Ramiro to talk about Bohemian Productions and their first game, El 39, was a wonderful experience.

The game development duo started work on their debut game around a year ago, and they captured quite a bit of buzz from the local press by depicting a very familiar experience for anyone who’s moved through Buenos Aires well into the night.

The game’s inspired by their own experience coming back from an event and waiting for the last bus in Constitución, trying to get home.

“The experience that we had was that of losing the bus. Not knowing if it’ll arrive. The danger that one feels when one’s waiting for the bus and there is nobody around,” explained Ramiro. “And of course, the added condiment is knowing that it’s the last bus home. The uncertainty, the anxiety that it generates, not knowing what you’re gonna do if the bus doesn’t stop.”

The game, however, is not a complete retelling. I inquired of Ramiro if the story stays faithful all the way through.

“No, no, in a moment it all deviates. (…) The story precisely deviates in a specific moment… well, it stays verosimil. Every part of the story is, let’s say. But it’s not our exact experience. The player, the protagonist, enters some tunnels underneath Buenos Aires seeking a possible solution, let’s say.”

I remarked on the verisimilitude of tunnels underneath Buenos Aires, and Ramiro seemed very candid about it.

“There’s some truth about it, right? There are tunnels under Buenos Aires. And there are tunnels we can’t access as mere citizens. But they exist,” he said. “There are whole subway stations that are there… a couple. I know the subway networks; it’s something that fascinates me a lot. But yes, there isn’t a thing like a tunnel directly connecting Constitución and Chacarita. But in the collective image of the city, there could be, right?”

Bohemian Productions has received a lot of praise for their recreation of Constitución in El 39. Presenting at Indie Dev Argentina just solidified how much the people resonated with the experience. They even got nominated for Best Original Idea!

“I think that the people… Obviously, El 39 is a game with more of a focus on humor and narrative. And the people received it very well. They got the vibe of the game. I’m very happy about that.”

It’s no wonder that they did. The game’s a first-person narrative adventure where you go around interacting with the environment and other characters. The idea itself may not be novel, but the execution is captivating to anyone who has ever been to Buenos Aires at night.

Ramiro and Lucas conceived it to that effect: creating a game that people can identify with. More specifically, people from Argentina.

“It’s in an Argentine context. In games, people can identify in many ways. I’m sure that many Americans from Los Angeles could resonate a lot with GTA San Andreas, with its city and their stories. Well, it’s the same for us Argentinians and El 39. On top of that, there’s another factor, another angle that we gave the game and that’s… that the protagonist is genuinely a dude our age that is going through the situation and reacts accordingly.

“That’s much easier to do. And has a lot more potential for us. Much more potential to me as a game developer,” he asserted.

It’s certainly a different approach, making experiences rooted in fantasy or science fiction.

“If I try to make a medieval game, let’s say. Really, what chances do I have of putting myself in the shoes of… a farmer from the 1600s and making the character feel real? Obviously, with an extensive study, it’s possible to do it. But I think it’s a lot nicer to do things that address ourselves directly.”

The game’s not only oozing with Argentine culture, however. It also takes notes from the growing PSX scene on indie game dev.

When asked about inspirations, however, it wasn’t just games that came into focus.

“When it comes to modern games, there’s one that’s the same premise, Last Bus Home. It’s an itch.io game. A lot of itch.io games… There’s also Funeralopolis, a very well-known one. And then… really, the main inspiration comes not so much from games as creators like Victor Estrella (…) and Acosta Elian, who brought it to Argentina, making empanadas spin or making a bus card spin with some subway turnstiles behind.”

These are Instagram creators that indulge in PSX aesthetics, turning recognizable sights into a low-poly recreation, prime for fifth console generation nostalgia. Another big part of the PSX appeal comes from the game’s music, clearly inspired by Akira Yamaoka’s legendary work and other survival horror classic scores.

It’s clear that Lucas, the composer, knows his stuff very well. And, when I asked about it, it’s no wonder that he does.

“Lucas studied music from 2014 to around 2020. He did a lot of years in a music conservatory. He’s got all the musical chops to do basically whatever he wants, and he does it with an impressive quality and speed.

“The inspirations come precisely from Silent Hill, but he, of course, can create more unique pieces. He touches the piano and uses Reaper to make music, from what I recall. He does use virtual instruments, but he’s very capable as a piano player, too.”

Ramiro’s vision for the game is focused on both narrative and humor as the core components.

“Our pillars are focused on the humor. The player should be very attentive to the narrative while playing. The cinematics aren’t skippable. That’s the most enjoyable part of the game.

“And then you have another aspect, another pillar that’s exploration. During the game, you have a great variety of references and interactable elements. The idea is to incentivize — and I’m happy, very happy to say that people have done it — to go around the map trying to interact with stuff.

“We’re still on development, but we want to put a collectables system so you have to find certain things to completely finish the game. Find all the winks, all the references that El 39 has. So the expectation is that people enjoy the main story and at the same time go around the place and discover things, little gifts that we, the developers, left them.”

When asked about the kinds of references that they’d wish to include, Ramiro gave a wide range of ideas.

“From me, mostly music and popular culture. There are multiple graffiti inspired by national [Argentine] rock inside El 39. And then Lucas contributed giving me ideas like Ugi’s, that there have been many memes, and I was too young to see them.”

Ugi’s is a pizzeria that seems to have quite a big memetic reputation. I’ll leave you with this:

“To me is the music, then popular culture…,” he continued, “…like the graffiti of ‘I don’t bath’, or the protagonist wondering if the metal store is where their doorknob ended up. A lot of references to things that usually happen in the city.”

While the experience was overwhelmingly positive, Ramiro was happy when he got home.

“I was thankful to set foot in my home. I think I slept like 12 hours uninterrupted. It was really… tiring. Tiring to be standing there. There’s a moment your voice just isn’t there anymore. But obviously talking with people always leaves one very happy. Seeing them trying your game. Being able to talk about what you’re passionate about.”

The future seems bright for Bohemian Productions! The release date might not be clear, but the game’s coming along great, and they want to make even more.

“Yes, the idea is to keep making games similar to El 39. We don’t have a publisher; we do this because we’re passionate about it. (…) It has its difficulties, but we can make more of these short adventures. People can expect more things like El 39 in the future. And if fortune allows it, presence in other events too.”

The duo is quite happy with their work. At the end of the day, seeing people react is the part Ramiro likes most.

“Truly, I like seeing people laugh a lot. It’s what makes me the happiest of all. I didn’t think that people could like something so blunt and genuine. The fact that people can laugh about it and like it so much makes me very happy.”

Help support independent journalism. Subscribe to our Patreon.

Copyright © The Geekiary

Do not copy our content in whole to other websites. If you are reading this anywhere besides TheGeekiary.com, it has been stolen.
Read our policies before commenting. Be kind to each other.