About

A bit of context

Picture of a Maldita Castilla cabinet at Arcade Vintage

I grew up surrounded by stories of mythology and science fiction, like everyone else in Spain in the 80s and 90s. Back then it was easy to find arcade cabinets in cafés and restaurants, and I was fascinated by them, by their visual style, their sound and their devilish action.

Since the economy wasn't in the mood for playing with "little martians", I used to stand aside, quietly watching others play. I paid attention to every little detail because I wanted to understand what was so special about my favourite games. And without realising it, I spent years internalising their design.

Of course, I imagined what my own titles would look like and planned them on paper, even though I knew it was an impossible dream.

Picture of a notebook with sketches of some creatures

As an adult I found my profession in a sector where fashion and haste rule. I liked my job (I still do), but the market became so frenetic and volatile that designing with time and care was no longer a thing…

By then, arcades were left behind for almost everybody, but they remained among my interests because they fitted well with my pace of life, my scarce free time and my daily need for a quick play to clear my mind.

Picture of a workspace

After a period of frustration and disenchantment, I realised that the obsolete media had always been there, offering me a serene and stable space for a personal project.

I began to experiment under the cover of night. Curiosity and practice revived an old dream that no longer seemed impossible. I discovered that shaping it helped me to keep my heart in one piece and little by little I turned gamedev into an everyday, almost ritualistic routine.

Picture of various games in their boxes

As chance would have it, I met Gryzor87, a like-minded composer who soon became a great friend and a fundamental part of the project.

Since then, more than 15 years ago, we dedicate part of our time to create new classic style videogames, slowly, enjoying the process and choosing the genres we feel like doing without thinking too much about their scope.

Nevertheless, our catalogue has been growing, deepening its roots and reaching places we never imagined thanks to the support of our loved ones and a global community of people who share our vices and values.

Things I love

Low-res

I think the mix of pixel art and chip sound is a beautiful, simple, powerful and universal form of expression.

Density

I value our time on Earth, so I select the best content, cut it down and compress it in the shortest possible length.

Challenge

Each game is like a challenge, but I do my best to keep the difficulty clean, fair and in the service of fun.

Gameplay

I study the classics in detail to extract the best and avoid the worst from them. Gameplay comes first.

Extras

Covers, manuals, posters… People say they are no longer necessary, but I think they add a lot to the experience.

Secrets

Alternative endings, hidden objects, bonuses… There is always something for daring, curious and crazy people.