Expressing the Tension of Mine Clearance Through a Game – Interview with the Development Team of “PIA”

“You have stepped on a landmine. How will you respond?”

This is the question posed by “PIA,” one of the most notable indie games at the 2024 Tokyo Game Show (TGS2024). Developed by a team called ‘Explosive Ordnance Disposal,’ this game was completed in just three weeks and captivated audiences with its unique gameplay mechanics and historical message. It portrays the urgent situation of a soldier who has stepped on a landmine, questioning whether he can disarm it and survive, while also conveying the heavy message that the scars of war continue to this day.

In such a short period of three weeks, why did they choose the theme of ‘mine clearance,’ and how were they able to create such a unique game? SKOOTA met with the ‘Explosive Ordnance Disposal’ development team to discuss their thoughts, concerns, and the message they wanted to convey during the development process.

The Most Important Aspect of the Production Process: “We Wanted to Create a Game with Tension and Immersion”

――The experience of “disarming a landmine” is unique, and the theme of the Korean War is also impressive. First, I would like to ask about the initial inspiration for creating this game, the first idea.

Kim Taek-geun: First of all, we wanted to create a game with tension and immersion, and the most important aspect we considered was immersion. We thought about how to provide immersion in the game, and we realized that aligning the character’s situation in the game with the actions the player experiences would enhance immersion. So, we decided to express the difficult process of disarming a landmine through gameplay mechanics, which led to the creation of “PIA.”

――I believe tension and immersion are important in other games as well. It’s unique that you thought of “aligning actions.” However, I am curious as to why you wanted users to experience “disarming a landmine.”

Kim Taek-geun: While deciding on the game concept, one of our team members shared a family story. That team member’s grandfather, the late Sergeant Park Jong-seop, passed away on September 6, 1966, while disarming landmines used during the Korean War with the 15th Division. He is currently buried in a national cemetery. So, we decided to create a landmine game, and that team member expressed that joining this team felt like fate, wanting to share his grandfather’s story, which guided our concept in that direction.

――So, the idea of a landmine game came first, and then the story of the development member followed.

Kim Taek-geun: Yes, the theme of landmines is often used in movies to create tense situations. We wanted to create a tense game using the theme of landmines, and by implementing the experience of disarming a landmine in the game, we thought we could convey the life-threatening urgency more directly.

――In Korea, this is a common theme in films. Did you reference any specific works?

Kim Taek-geun: We actually referenced many films related to landmines. I can’t remember all the titles, but I think there was a film where someone steps on a landmine in the desert and sees hallucinations. We also referenced other tense situations, like a kidnapping where the victim can’t stop the car, while selecting our themes.

――The element of “not being able to stop” seems quite important. PIA also has a game structure that gradually decreases the player’s health, making them anxious, but while playing, it didn’t seem like there was a need to rush that much (laughs). I felt that the biggest enemy in this game is not the wild boar or the enemy soldiers, but oneself, and I think the tension is well expressed.

Kim Taek-geun: Thank you.

Dealing with an Ongoing War: “The Danger is Ongoing”

――As mentioned earlier, this game is themed around the Korean War. I believe dealing with actual history can be quite challenging. I would like to ask how difficult it was to handle history in the game production and if there were any associated risks.

Kim Taek-geun: Since we are dealing with actual historical events, we made sure to include disclaimers like “The landmines appearing in the game are fictional, and real landmines explode upon stepping on them” to avoid misunderstandings or misrepresentations. Additionally, we tried to balance the atmosphere of the game, respecting the gravity of the Korean War while ensuring that the game remains enjoyable.

――Indeed, balancing is crucial. Could you share any challenges you faced in the art department?

Park Eun-hee: When creating the background, we considered what elements could represent the Korean War, such as adding barbed wire, but the production time was too short. So, we couldn’t include many elements, which was disappointing. I tried to replicate the landmine designed by Taek-geun as closely as possible, but I feel that aside from the character’s uniform, there wasn’t much representation, which is a bit regrettable.

Jang So-eun: Since the background is set during the Korean War, we put a lot of thought into creating a solemn atmosphere for the environment. We searched for props that would have been used at that time. We couldn’t use modern items for disarming, so we intentionally created props with a wooden feel that would fit the era.

――The tools used by the protagonist for disarming landmines were also part of this historical accuracy.

Jang So-eun: Yes, when we were looking for references, we intentionally avoided modern props and focused on images that would have been used back then. For example, there was a prop that looked like chocolate, but it wasn’t a current product; we thought it would have been a rough chocolate bar back then, and we discussed how to match it to the historical context.

――You put a lot of effort into recreating the war of that time. I believe this aspect was highly appreciated at TGS. However, what do you think is the difference between the ‘war’ you wanted to express and the ‘war’ that users experienced on-site?

Kim Taek-geun: First of all, I am always aware that the word ‘war’ carries a heavy weight. Although I have served in the military, I am grateful for the efforts of the soldiers who are currently protecting the country, which allows us to live in peace today. However, Korea is still a country where the war has not ended. Given the current international situation, the importance of peace is becoming more prominent, making it a sensitive topic to discuss.

Kim Taek-geun: While our game cannot fully capture the weight of the reality of war, I hope that players enjoy the game while also reflecting on the message we want to convey… that even after the ceasefire, many landmines remain, and that war does not simply end with a fight; the pain lingers for a long time. I hope it serves as a reminder to always be vigilant and to appreciate the soldiers who maintain our peace. I was pleased to hear that players found the game meaningful regarding the Korean War, which seems to align with our thoughts on war.

――What do you think about this from the perspective of programmer Tae-wook?

Kim Tae-wook: The point that “the war is not over” is something I also wanted to convey through this game. In fact, the perception of soldiers in Korea is quite negative these days, and I wanted to communicate that our peace was not just achieved; it was made possible through the efforts of the soldiers.

――The issue of perception of soldiers in Korea might be difficult for overseas users who first encountered the game at TGS to understand. I think it was good to address that background through this interview.

The Development Team Formed at the Game Talent Academy: “As Soon as I Heard the Initial Planning Presentation, I Knew This Was It”

――As you mentioned earlier, I heard this game was made in just three weeks. While that is a short period, I am curious about the differences between the initial planning and the final game that was created.

Kim Taek-geun: First of all, we are a team composed of undergraduates at the Game Talent Academy under the Korea Creative Content Agency. The development of PIA was a project conducted over three weeks at the academy. Due to the limited time, we removed more elements than we added. Initially, the disarming process was more complex. For example, we had to create a hook by tying a belt to a field shovel to retrieve distant objects for disarming. There were elements where we had to use items we had in combination.

There were also many ideas that would have been fun to include, but due to time constraints, we couldn’t implement them. We are currently pushing for additional development, so those ideas will serve as great material for future development.

――Oh, I apologize. It might be easier to understand if you first explain about the ‘Game Talent Academy.’

Kim Taek-geun: Yes. The Game Talent Academy is an educational institution under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, specifically the Korea Creative Content Agency. It has three divisions: planning, art, and programming. We undergo a two-year curriculum where we study for one year and then work on our graduation project in the second year. PIA originated from a mini project conducted every semester in the first year. Currently, we are in our second year, participating in our graduation project, and we are working on additional tasks for PIA during our personal time without interfering with our individual projects.

――So, the current members came together at the educational institution. I would like to know how these four members came to be a team.

Kim Taek-geun: As I mentioned, we conduct projects every semester at the Game Talent Academy. The project for PIA was conducted during the third quarter. What made this project special was that it involved only the planning and art divisions, without any programming division. The planner prepares a proposal, and the artists choose the proposals they like based on the presentation.

Kim Taek-geun: Tae-wook is my classmate in the planning division, and he is exceptionally skilled in programming, to the point where it would be a shame to call him the second best in the planning division. We often studied, worked on assignments, and played games together late into the night, so I reached out to him to form a team. Tae-wook also wanted to create an immersive and unique game, so he joined as a programmer and planner. The two of us shared various ideas and prepared the initial draft, which was then selected by the artists to form the team.

――So, there was an initial plan, and then artists joined the team after seeing it… that was the structure.

Kim Taek-geun: Yes.

――Then I would like to hear from the art team members about why they wanted to join the PIA team.

Park Eun-hee: As soon as I heard Taek-geun’s pitch for PIA, I thought, “This is it!” I found it genuinely interesting. The idea of recreating the discomfort and anxiety of disarming a landmine through gameplay felt innovative and creative, so I immediately asked Taek-geun to pick me. Initially, the title was not PIA but Jiheshi, an abbreviation for Landmine Disarm Simulation.

――I personally think the new title is better (laughs). How about you, So-eun?

Jang So-eun: I feel similarly to Eun-hee. I tend to like unique and fresh ideas. When the planning team presented, they showed the difficult controls and hand movements, which immediately caught my interest. I have played many simulation games, and usually, they make the controls unnecessarily difficult. However, this game didn’t do that, and while I had seen games about disarming bombs, I had never seen one focused on landmines. That made me want to be a part of it. Additionally, I had previously worked with Taek-geun during the first quarter project, and since our teamwork was good and the results were satisfactory, I felt confident in joining.

――Listening to you, it seems that there are fewer art members at the Game Talent Academy. What is the ratio like?

Kim Taek-geun: In terms of numbers… I think there are about 20 in planning, 40 in programming, and less than 20 in art.

Park Eun-hee: Art feels like 0.5 (laughs).

――So, there wasn’t much choice, and it’s impressive that two members from such a small group participated from the beginning.

Kim Taek-geun: No, initially there were four of us. That was the largest case. The original limit was two.

――You were quite the promising team.

Limited Production Time: Each Member’s Motivation “I Didn’t Sleep for 10 Hours in 3 Weeks”

――I am curious about how each team member maintained their motivation during the short three-week period. Could we start with Eun-hee, who was in charge of art?

Park Eun-hee: During the three weeks, I was learning modeling for the first time at the academy, and I was a bit slower than the others. I thought, “What should I do?” while there was so much to create. At that time, Taek-geun brought in a very complex landmine design. Moreover, it was a fictional landmine that didn’t exist in reality. I wanted to do it but lacked confidence, but eventually, I thought, “I’ll do it,” and took on the task.

――So you were balancing studying and working. How about you, So-eun?

Jang So-eun: In the art department, we learned how to use Unreal Engine, but we hadn’t learned how to use Unity at all. However, when we entered the third quarter, we were told to use Unity. I had learned modeling at the beginning of the first semester, so I knew how to do that, but creating resources for a game in a commercial engine was my first experience. Since it was Unity, which I had never used before, I was essentially learning from scratch by watching YouTube tutorials. During those three weeks, I was studying more than working.

――Surprisingly, it sounds more like motivation rather than despair.

Jang So-eun: At first, I didn’t even know how to open files or anything, but as I started creating backgrounds, I gained confidence by watching tutorials. I thought, “This is easier than I expected,” but I also wanted to do even better, so I used that as motivation.

――The sense of achievement from balancing study and work became a new motivation. Eun-hee, you also had a similar experience with the complex landmine design, right?

Jang So-eun: Yes. We communicated to the planning team that we only knew how to do 3D modeling and had never touched tools like Unity. The planning team said they would handle the placement of resources among themselves. However, when I first saw how they placed the resources, I thought, “Wow, this looks really bad.” I was worried that if the game came out like this, players would think, “This is a terrible game,” and I decided to learn more and work harder from that point.

――You were motivated to improve the team (laughs). Tae-wook, do you remember what motivated you during that time?

Kim Tae-wook: To provide more context, Taek-geun and I initially discussed making a landmine game during our idea meetings. Since I had decided to participate as the team’s programmer, I was thinking about how to make the game more enjoyable based on Taek-geun’s ideas. Additionally, when another planning member joined, the family story was incorporated, which made me feel a greater sense of responsibility. Even though we only had three weeks, I felt we could create something good. The pressure was significant.

When I saw Taek-geun, I thought he had a strong concept and ideas, but I believed I could make the game more enjoyable. I thought that if we teamed up, we could create something amazing. However, we couldn’t be on the same team due to our respective strengths. I had programming partners, while Taek-geun had multiple artists, so we couldn’t team up during the first and second semesters.

Kim Tae-wook: However, during the third quarter, the professor assigned me as a programmer instead of a planner. So, I couldn’t present the planning proposal, and I thought, “This is my chance,” and immediately reached out to Taek-geun to participate in the planning from the start. Since I had been involved from the beginning, I felt a strong sense of ownership over the game, and I worked very hard during those three weeks. I probably didn’t sleep for more than 10 hours in total during that time, working almost non-stop, including weekends.

――That sounds incredibly tough.

Kim Tae-wook: It was very challenging because my position was originally as a planner. I had received training as a planner for nine months, and for the first six months, I had training in 2D art and Unity programming. In the third semester, I learned 3D modeling and animation with Blender for three months, and then I had only briefly learned how to create 3D games in Unity. Suddenly, I had to complete a game in three weeks, which felt like a huge challenge. I thought, “This is a serious problem,” and I managed to meet the schedule by using Google, YouTube, and ChatGPT.

Of course, being both a programmer and planner influenced my work. I asked the director to inform me of the roles in advance, and I wanted to focus on balancing the game, so I didn’t pass the numbers to the planner but adjusted them separately. I just asked for confirmation later to see if it was okay… So, despite the short time, I think we were able to produce efficiently. The sense of ownership over the game and seeing it come together was enjoyable and motivating.

――That’s incredible passion. Reflecting on this, how did you, as the team leader and planner, face the production process?

Kim Taek-geun: I had a lot of motivation. Since it was a game I planned, and I was leading a team of talented members, I felt the pressure that the game had to succeed. The pressure to create an enjoyable game within the short three-week timeframe motivated me.

Behind the Production Speed: “Are You Really Making This?”

――During the short three-week development period, what issues arose, and how did you resolve them?

Kim Taek-geun: The tight schedule of three weeks was the biggest issue, but I don’t think we had any major troubles. Our team members communicated openly, addressing any oddities immediately, and if something was reasonable, we made corrections right away. So, I don’t recall any significant troubles.

――I would like to hear opinions from members other than the leader regarding this matter (laughs). Was there any particular episode?

Kim Taek-geun: Rather than troubles… As I mentioned earlier, I tend to align the fun and less fun aspects of the game well. Although I do it better than other peers, one day, I noticed something strange in the game, but Taek-geun kept saying it was fine. I was so surprised that I asked the artists, “Are you really making this?” while they were creating the resources. That led me to completely overhaul that aspect. However, Taek-geun was receptive to such feedback, so it didn’t lead to any troubles.

――Now that you’ve heard Tae-wook’s story, how do the art team members feel? Did you not perceive it as a trouble?

Jang So-eun: There wasn’t any discord within the team; everyone did their part well. However, since it was our first time directly uploading 3D resources into the engine, we had many trial and error experiences. That led to some personal stress.
Also, after our three-week project ended, on the last day, we were having a meal together as the art team. Just as we were saying, “Wow, it’s finally over,” we suddenly received a message from the planning team asking for more resources. While the other team members were in a celebratory mood, I was the only one with a gloomy expression, thinking, “Guys, I have to go home and make this…” I felt a bit annoyed, but I thought everyone was working hard until late, so I felt I should do my best too.

Park Eun-hee: I had a similar experience. They asked if I could make the resources a bit faster… (laughs)

――That definitely sounds more like a behind-the-scenes story than a trouble. Continuing from that, I would like to ask about each member’s strengths. As Tae-wook mentioned earlier, you formed the team with the intention of utilizing each other’s strengths. I assume that within the art team, each member has different areas of expertise. So, could you share your thoughts on that, starting with So-eun?

Jang So-eun: (laughs) Now it’s time for compliments. At that time, including two other team members who are not here, the art team had four members. One friend wanted to work on characters, so I distributed tasks based on each person’s preferences. I assigned that friend to create the assets for the arms and legs of Sergeant Park. Another friend was a bit unsure about what they were good at, but since they were quick with their hands, I thought I would give them as many small tasks as possible.

As for Eun-hee, she is a bit slower, but she excels at capturing details. She does meticulous work, so I thought she would be able to bring out the complex design details of the landmine well, so I assigned her tasks that required attention to detail.

――Listening to your story, it seems that So-eun was in charge of task management for the art team, distributing work overall. Is that correct?

Jang So-eun: Yes, I was in charge at that time, and now that the team has fewer members, I don’t have to manage distribution as much, but I did so back then.

――Eun-hee, how did you perceive the strengths of the other team members?

Park Eun-hee: Since I am a bit slower, I felt reassured knowing that the other team members were all quick. The friend in charge of characters was fast, and another friend was also quick at handling tasks. So-eun, on the other hand, is great at learning new programs and tools on her own, which made me feel very supported.

――As the team leader, how did you recognize and utilize the strengths of your members, Taek-geun?

Kim Taek-geun: First of all, Tae-wook… I mean, Tae-wook is the type to provide immediate feedback when he sees problems, so if I have shortcomings, I would ask him. He is good at catching what might be lacking. I received a lot of help from him, especially since the UI was initially very… to put it mildly, “extremely system-like.” It was quite odd, but after hearing that, I looked at more recent games, and that’s how the current UI was born.

――How about you, Tae-wook?

Kim Tae-wook: Since Taek-geun is the team leader, I generally follow his lead. However, when I create something, I notice oddities. When I point those out to Taek-geun, he accepts them without any trouble. The art team also didn’t take it personally when I requested changes later, and they were quick to confirm those requests, which contributed positively to the project.

Future Plans for PIA: “The Story Mode Will Be Free, and After That, We Want to Focus Purely on Fun”

――I am curious about how the game you worked hard to create in just three weeks will evolve in the future. Could you share your plans for the team’s development direction, new projects, or how you will further develop the current game?

Kim Taek-geun: We are currently working on improving the graphics of the demo version that has been released, aiming to launch it on Steam in December. Additionally, we are currently in the educational process at the Game Talent Academy, working on our graduation project. Once we finish in November, we plan to form a commercialization team to proceed with further development. The story mode will be available for free to play, and afterward, we plan to develop DLC focused purely on fun for monetization.

――Regarding the DLC, are you saying that you will maintain the basic structure of PIA while introducing new content that is more entertaining?

Kim Taek-geun: Yes, that’s correct. We are also considering developing a hard mode and exploring various challenges.

――We have discussed the difficulties and weight of dealing with history, and your decision to offer the current content for free suggests that you want to convey a message to society. Additionally, you aim to pursue entertainment and fun in the project. Is that the understanding?

Kim Taek-geun: Yes, that’s right.

In just three weeks of development, with limited personnel and resources, and the challenge of addressing a complex historical theme, these constraints could have negatively impacted the quality of the work. However, the ‘Explosive Ordnance Disposal’ team from the Game Talent Academy 5th class turned these limitations into a source of creativity.

They maximized each member’s strengths while compensating for each other’s weaknesses. Most importantly, they skillfully balanced the ‘message they wanted to convey’ and the ‘fun of the game,’ which can sometimes conflict. The combination of these two elements resulted in the landmine disarming game “PIA,” which captivated users worldwide, including us, at TGS2024.

Their future plans to provide a story mode with a historical message for free and to develop DLC focused on gameplay enjoyment reflect their serious commitment to game development. We hope this new challenge born from Korea’s indie game scene will present new possibilities for the gaming industry. Meanwhile, we plan to delve deeper into the details not covered in this article in a follow-up opinion piece.

• Interviewer: Park Juhyun (SKOOTA Editorial Department)