Bobbi A. Sand

Bobbi A. Sand is the creator of the storybased game Knife Sisters, a visual novel about love, peer pressure, obsession, occultism and bdsm. Her game is nominated for the A MAZE. Awards 2020. Enjoy the answers.

Bobbi A. Sand

A MAZE.: How would you describe yourself?
Bobbi A. Sand: I love stories and storytelling in every shape and form. I’m a person with a vivid fantasy, who easily gets bored and wants to move on to the next thing. I’ve done a lot of work on myself to convince myself of finishing what I start, and have gotten much better at that! 

A MAZE.: Are you a wild heart? If yes, what makes you think you’re a wild heart? 
Bobbi A. Sand: I suppose so. I like going about things a bit differently. And then I sort of ran away with the circus as a 16-year old, which might count as being a wild heart. Maybe.

A MAZE.: Why did you start making games or playful media works?
Bobbi A. Sand: When I was studying media a long time ago, I got this urge that I wanted to make games. I had no idea how I would go about it, but it made me keep trying until I eventually found a way.

A MAZE.: Who (or what) is your biggest inspiration? Think beyond games too - musicians, writers, filmmakers, artists, scientists, …
Bobbi A. Sand: I’m inspired by different things in each project. For Knife Sisters, my main inspirations are the visual novel Ladykiller in a Bind by Christine Love, the tv-series Skins, the graphic novels/comics Wet Moon by Sophie Campbell and Love & Rockets by Jaime Hernandez. I also made a playlist that I often listened to while working on the game, containing everything from Witch House to punk.

A MAZE.: Where can we find this in your work?
Bobbi A. Sand: I think you can find a little of all those inspirational sources scattered around in Knife Sisters.

A MAZE.: What message(s) are you sending out with your works? 
Bobbi A. Sand: Every work/story has its own theme and message, or maybe rather conversation, but I tend to circle around topics such as relationships, identity, mental health, sexuality.

A MAZE.: Is there a repeating pattern in all of your works the players may experience?
Bobbi A. Sand: I bet there is. I hope someone will study this in University!

A MAZE.: What influences your work more: Past (history), present (contemporary) or future (scifi) and what are your sources?
Bobbi A. Sand: I’ve always been most interested in the contemporary. Sometimes sci-fi/future elements can inspire me, but mainly it’s what happens here and now, or in the the near future, that influences me the most. My sources and everything and everyone! (When researching for stories I might change my own interests to fit the topic I’m working on. Sometimes my personality becomes more like my main character’s. While working on Knife Sisters I even started to look more and more like Leo.)

Screenshot of Knifesisters

A MAZE.: What does responsibility towards your players mean to you as an artist?  
Bobbi A. Sand: It’s the same thing as being responsible towards myself. Being as honest and brave as I can, while still surviving.

A MAZE.: What impact is the current pandemic having on you and your work?
Bobbi A. Sand: I’ve learned an enormous amount of new things about the world since this all started, and I’m sure it will have an impact on my work in the future - but I’m not sure yet as of how.

A MAZE.: If there is something wrong in the field of games / playful media, what would you fix first?
Bobbi A. Sand: Homogeneity.

A MAZE.: What are the three games someone who never played a game before should play? Why those?
Bobbi A. Sand: I’d recommend Oxenfree, because it has a nice story and simple gameplay, Carcassonne because it’s a fun board game, which at least I never get tired of, and Sayonara Wildhearts, because it’s just a beautiful ride - but in the end, it would have to depend on who I was recommending games for. People are very different.

A MAZE.: How do you relax and find balance?
Bobbi A. Sand: Sometimes it’s through watching anime and reading comics, sometimes by swimming and sauna, sometimes by making my own soap or wine. Sometimes the most relaxing thing is to work on an interesting project.

A MAZE.: What are the main challenges for artists in your country to sustain themselves?
Bobbi A. Sand: Artists are good at sustaining themselves, but for artists working in non-traditional cultural fields it’s harder to get access to public funding.

A MAZE.: How do you see interactive arts in 10 years from now? In 2030! Tell us your vision.
Bobbi A. Sand: Aaah I don’t have a vision.. I just want to make stuff! ;)

Screenshot of KNife sisters