#004: Renhet's Origins

A word from Freya: This week, we’re doing something a little different! I sat down with Miguel… well, messaged him a lot of questions, to hear the actual story of how Renhet came to exist. So if you have ever been interested in how independent game companies are founded, this is the blog to read!

What was the specific moment you thought, “right, I’m just going to make a studio myself”?

I’ve always been the type of guy who wanted to work for a AAA company and literally be the most boring guy in the world, working on the same mechanics for twenty years. In my third year of university I got my C1 Cambridge certification specifically so I could move to England and work there. My original plan was Germany, but that changed because of some personal stuff.

So I started sending my CV to every UK games company I could find. There's a site that tracks every registered company, AAA, indie, all of it, and I mean sent to all of them. Most didn’t even reply. The ones who did, declined me. I did the same thing with Sweden and Finland. Same luck.

Eventually I got fed up. Getting into the industry was genuinely that hard. I started thinking about One Piece, which had been a bit of a lifesaver and hyperfixation of mine for years, and wanted to be like Luffy building his own crew. After a lot of that, and some days of thinking, I started looking on Reddit for revshare projects to join instead. I had some bad experiences there too. So I finally decided: forget everyone else, I’ll start my own thing. That, plus having worked with people in uni who couldn’t keep up my pace, kind of sealed it.

What did Renhet look like in your head before it existed?

Honestly, I’m like Luffy, I don’t think that much. I didn’t have a clear vision for the studio. I just wanted a video game studio, to hire passionate people, people with potential, make our own games with no limits or boundaries, and keep a good, kind vibe. From there, whatever happens, happens.

What were the first practical steps you actually took, day one of deciding to start a studio?

I just created an announcement for Reddit. I took several pieces of advice I’d picked up over the years, ideal size for an indie team, which roles matter, that kind of thing, mixed it all together, and wrote up an announcement with my vision and what I wanted, and posted it. Afterwards, people just came to me.

How did you find the team?

Through that Reddit post. People filled in the forms I’d created, and I sorted through them based on experience plus vibes. I think I’ve got a pretty good eye for catching who people really are. Then I just talked with every single one of you.

What’s something you had to figure out completely from the beginning that nobody warned you about?

This one’s short and straightforward: all the legal stuff. I hate it. I just want to create games and be happy.

If you could go back and tell yourself something before it started, what would it be?

Everything’s going to end up way better than expected. There are actually good people out there, both in terms of competence and personality.

Where do you see Renhet in the future?

Winning a GOTY. I’m not joking. That’s what I’m aiming for, and I’m working to pursue it.

Thanks for humouring all my questions, Miguel! See you all next week.

-Freya, on behalf of the crew.

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