Video game

Sechu and the Mountain of Life

Sam Zweig

Stamford, CT

Advisor: Samantha Olschan

Artist Bio

Sam Zweig is a game developer and graphic designer from Stamford, Connecticut currently pursuing a BFA degree in Digital Media and Design. Ever since he was younger, Sam has had a fascination with the video game medium and has since dreamed of making his own game one day. Since joining the game design concentration, Sam has been developing his skills and pushing himself to make that dream come true. He has spent his time honing his creativity into smaller games, taking part in the Global Game Jam, and becoming adept at pixel and vector graphics for his projects. He hopes his games instill that same sense of wonder and awe that he felt all those years ago. As his post-graduation career draws near, he hopes to continue developing his skills and work on larger-scale projects.

Artist Statement

In Sechu and the Mountain of Life, A hivemind of worm-like critters make up Sechu, a strange parasitic lifeform with the unique ability to “infest” his adversaries and take control of their bodies. Using this ability, Sechu must climb to the top of the Mountain of Life, which has been thrown into disarray due to the influx of Vigor appearing. Vigor, a substance that is the lifeblood of the mountain, can imbue life and power into whatever touches it. However, this also deteriorates their mind and body, making them go on a feral rampage.

Having grown up playing mostly 2D games, I have always been inspired to make one myself with a unique premise, while taking inspiration from those that helped give me this creative drive. Sechu is a project that I plan to explore further after this one concludes, as I feel like there is a lot more depth into the story and gameplay mechanics that can be explored. I have always been both horrified and fascinated by the circle of life, and how everything is guaranteed to both live and die. Most depictions of life are positive, and death negative, so I wanted to defy expectations and show that both are necessary for life to thrive. Besides the messaging of the game, I also want to produce something that anyone can appreciate and enjoy playing. With the cute and whimsical design of the game, I hope to make players smile and have a good time playing through the game.