Exclusive Interview with Antti Ilvessuo, Co-Founder of Channel37

The Game:

Yogomi: We were both at PAX East recently. How was it showing the game there for the first time?

Antti Ilvessuo: A: It was great finally seeing people’s reactions. When you work on something so long, showing it only to a very limited audience, it feels like opening your eyes after a long sleep—almost like seeing the world inverted, the way robots might. Watching people’s faces light up when they see what we’ve created was truly eye-opening.

Yogomi: When meeting studios at the events, you usually have about 30 minutes to learn about the game and play some of it. How do you explain the concept of the game to new gamers?

Antti Ilvessuo: It’s challenging—we usually structure it as: who we are (5 mins), core idea of the game (5 mins), basic design and pillars (5 mins), lore (5 mins), and gameplay (10 mins). 30 minutes feels very short when there’s so much to say, but we all live on borrowed time, and it always slips away faster than we’d like.

Yogomi: What is special about this game compared to other games in this genre?=

Antti Ilvessuo: Everything matters. There’s deep lore and real, tangible resource management. Gameplay is physically accurate, including cable physics. The game doesn’t pressure you into anything; your adventure unfolds at your own pace.

Yogomi: Did you have any inspirations or previous experience that helped with the concept?

Antti Ilvessuo: Personally, I’d say the TV series Lost (first seasons), The Leftovers, general life experiences, and games like Master of Orion 1 and Firewatch. Everything stacks together, creating something that matters to us deeply, and hopefully, that care shows clearly to players.

Yogomi: What specific mechanics and features does the game offer that make it unique?

Antti Ilvessuo: Everything is driven by physics, down to the smallest cables. Almost everything you encounter can be recycled or dismantled. Gameplay and deep narrative lore are tightly intertwined.

Yogomi: Is there progression, skill building, or customization in the game?

Antti Ilvessuo: Yes. You gain skills that allow crafting new modules, parts, tools, and ammo. There are permanent enhancements that upgrade your capabilities. You also gradually uncover how to accomplish your core mission: saving humanity. You uncover slowly how you do your main missions. That is saving humanity.

Yogomi: The game is first-person, which I am a huge fan of. What was the decision to go first person as opposed to a third-person environment?

Antti Ilvessuo: Right now, the game is primarily first-person. When controlling the boat, you can switch to a third-person view. The game genuinely supports third-person perspectives (it’s not just faking it), so we might fully implement that during Early Access—but no promises. Third-person gameplay is a significant feature, and if it isn’t done well, it simply doesn’t work.

Development

 Yogomi: How long has the game been in development?

Antti Ilvessuo: We started with a small demo in the summer of 2021—it had a boat and water simulation. The main development really took shape from summer 2022 onwards.

Yogomi: Did you have any challenges along the way?

Antti Ilvessuo: Making a game is like climbing Mount Everest in the middle of winter while dragons throw rotten eggs at you and your teammates succumb to diarrhea, falling into toxic pits. So yes, always.

Yogomi: Has the initial vision undergone any alterations over time?

Antti Ilvessuo: A few changes—like deciding against sailing with traditional sails. We expanded manufacturing mechanics and deepened the backstory. Overall, just a few key alterations.

Yogomi:What engine is the game built on?

Antti Ilvessuo: Sweat and tears. Oh, you meant the game engine—Unreal Engine 5.

The Team

 Yogomi: You’re based out of  Finland, right? It’s great to see your pride in supporting diversity in the workplace and your contributions to charitable causes. How big is the entire team?

Antti Ilvessuo: Our in-house team currently has nine full-time members.

Yogomi: I’m sure you saw a lot of gamers playing and got some feedback from PAX East. There’s also soon to be an early access demo coming soon, correct? How do you synthesize the information and decide from that what to incorporate as changes or additions to the game?

Antti Ilvessuo: We’re heading into summer vacations soon, and playtests are ongoing. Once we’re back, we’ll carefully evaluate all feedback and decide what adjustments and improvements to prioritize. Until then, there’s still plenty to polish and tune.

Visuals, Audio, and Storytelling

 Yogomi: Can you talk about the art direction and how it evolved to what we see now?

Antti Ilvessuo:Our art direction was defined early in development, and we’ve remained faithful to that original vision throughout.

Yogomi: What is the soundtrack like and who was in charge of the production and composition?

Antti Ilvessuo: The music was composed by Ilmari and Salla Hakkola.

Yogomi: Can you tell us about the sound design of the game?

Antti Ilvessuo: The guiding principle is the same as for every other aspect—sound has to feel authentic and alive. There’s intentionally very limited music, reserved mostly for significant moments like your first sail or discovering new locations. Otherwise, the natural soundscape itself becomes your soundtrack, deeply woven into the experience.

Yogomi: There seems to be quite a narrative or lore component to the game, being that the caretaker is working to ensure the survival of humanity’s final remnants. What inspired this story?

Antti Ilvessuo:Life itself and the awareness that it eventually ends. The legacy we leave behind matters deeply, and that forms the core of our story.

Yogomi: When and where can players get their hands on the finished game? PC (Steam) first and then consoles later, correct?

Antti Ilvessuo: Yes, the game will be available on PC before the end of the year, with consoles to follow later.

Huge thank. you to Antti Ilvessuo for answering and taking questions about Channel37’s new game The Last Caretaker!

The Last Caretaker will be released in Early Access for Windows PC on Steam and the Epic Games Store this fall. A console release will occur at a later date. Future caretakers can wishlist the game now.

Subscribe to Channel37’s YouTube and Twitch channels to watch its weekly developer livestream series, which showcases more about the world and gameplay mechanics of The Last Caretaker.

For more information about Channel37 and The Last Caretaker, visit www.channel37.co, follow along on Bluesky, X (Twitter), and Instagram, and join the community on Discord.