When the names of legendary developers Steve Ellis and David Doak surface, one might instinctively anticipate the announcement of a new first-person shooter. After all, these co-founders of Free Radical Design are celebrated for their work on the iconic TimeSplitters series and their near-completion of Star Wars: Battlefront 3, a project that ultimately fell victim to the studio’s unfortunate bankruptcy. Their earlier contributions at Rare, particularly with classics like GoldenEye and Perfect Dark, have solidified their status in the gaming industry.
New Directions in Game Development
However, the duo has taken a surprising turn with their latest venture: a roguelike interpretation of Scrabble titled Beyond Words. This innovative concept bears a resemblance to Balatro, showcasing their willingness to explore uncharted territories in game design.
The backdrop to this new endeavor is tinged with the challenges faced by Free Radical, which was shuttered by Embracer in 2023. Reflecting on the experience, Ellis described it as “soul-crushing,” particularly the emotional toll of having to “lay off the entire staff.” This difficult chapter has understandably influenced his approach moving forward.
“Having been through this twice, I was keen not to jump right into another big team environment,” Ellis shared in a conversation with Time Extension last December. “I was also keen to get more hands-on than it was possible to be while running a larger studio, so doing something smaller sounded like fun.”
Doak echoed this sentiment, stating, “My best experiences of making games have been working in (relatively) small teams. So that’s what we decided to do. I’m too old for all the other shit now.” This shared philosophy has led them to collaborate once again, focusing on a more intimate scale of game development.
As they embarked on this journey, the pair experimented with several prototypes. Interestingly, Beyond Words was not initially among these prototypes; it emerged as a delightful weekend project for Ellis. As the team explored various concepts, the charm of this particular project ultimately swayed them to pivot their focus, illustrating how creativity can flourish even in unexpected circumstances.
