#longjourneygame

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Be honest: what type of person are you?

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Zeke’s role as the ship’s cook was one of the first the team came up with. Out of everyone, her character has the most inspiration from family. “In Becky Chambers’ Wayfarer series, there’s a wonderful character who’s the doctor/cook onboard called (appropriately) Doc Chef,” says Creative Director Kylan Coats. “Cooking has always been an intrinsically intimate act; providing nourishment for others to live. Doc Chef occupies a unique role of not only a preparer of meals, but also a therapist and general caregiver for the crew. That role, while not as action-packed as say a pilot, is crucial for long voyages and one I definitely wanted to have in our game. Zeke is named after his great-aunt Zera, whom his family called ‘Aunt Zeke’ or “Na-naw.” She loved to cook and was a wonderful character in her own right. Zeke is also inspired by the friends and extended family members who have left high-performing and high-energy careers in business to pursue more artistic careers like cooking; who feel they can do more good in the world by baking over entering law, like Maggie Gyllenhaal’s character in Stranger Than Fiction. Regarding Zeke’s design, her standout bionic arms and backpack were inspired from illustrations by Josan Gonzalez.

“When I first saw the arms it clicked that our ship’s cook would absolutely have something similar. The visuals of an extra set of hands, and the self-reliance they implied, were incredibly engaging and uniquely sci-fi,” says Kylan. “From what I’d seen from my own family and friends, leaving high-energy careers behind didn’t mean the high-energy went away. Anyone who’s seen a professional kitchen can testify to their organized chaos. Zeke’s bionic arms are an extension of her need to always be doing something; maintaining a whirlwind of prepping and creating meals. It’s also representative of her desire to be self-sufficient; not relying on anyone else to do double the work another person would.” To be constantly busy means to live in the moment, leaving little room for reflection or contemplation. Allowing people to avoid confronting or dealing with issues is sometimes an accidental byproduct of this. It’s not uncommon to hear of people throwing themselves into work or hobbies following tragedies, and this is a core aspect of Zeke’s character. “Like the friends she’s based on, it made sense she would direct all of her energies outward, and those who are solely focused outward often do so to their own detriment,” says Kylan. “This led to Zeke’s bubbly attitude and eagerness to engage with the player and crew. The flip side of that is her caginess and subtle pivoting questions away when the attention is focused on her. It’s a really interesting dynamic to work with. Some of our narrative team have strongly gravitated to her character, which makes me feel like we created someone really authentic!”

But just who is Zera Hakkimirez? 31-years-old and a master chef, Zeke, as she prefers to be called, is a whirlwind of positivity and kindness aboard the hectic ship, offering warmth, food, and an extra hand (or four) for the rest of the crew. Like most of her crew, a childhood rooted in trauma follows her to every corner of the galaxy, with respite from her thoughts a rarity. But Zeke has her crew now, and a job to do. Using her duties and the wellness of her crewmates to distract herself from her anxieties and her past, Zeke keeps moving, keeps working, and stays busy. For Zeke, food has become the answer to every problem, and she uses her natural cooking talents (with the help of her bionic arms) to bring people together, because nothing breaks down barriers like a good feast and full bellies. Generosity, kindness, and an overwhelming sense of duty to help others are key tenets of her personality. When your crew is *this* crew, a kind heart and a caring soul on board is no bad thing.

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A Long Journey to an Uncertain End

Wishlist on Steam

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A Long Journey to an Uncertain End

Wishlist on Steam

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Meet Matias Vidala, AKA Gloria Borealis

Creative Director Kylan Coats’ creation of Matias Vidala was inspired by a combination of several people and situations, including a bombastic neighbor and friend, a couple of both new and experienced drag queens, and the struggle of aspiring actors in Los Angeles. “From the beginning I wanted to have a drag queen crew member in some form or fashion. Dressing in drag is such a quintessentially queer and powerful act. And it fits into the space opera genre so well (see drag-adjacent Ruby Rhod in the Fifth Element)!” says Kylan.

“Drag queens tend to have big personalities both on and off-stage so they’re a perfect foil for more subdued crew members like Aylah or Truly. With drag there’s also a bit of sketchiness always on the periphery; the same that accompanies most subversively creative endeavors. So imagining a drag queen on the run was a fairly easy idea. As with most of our characters, we try to subvert people’s expectations on what they would be good at. Anyone who’s been to drag shows can testify to how physically strenuous the performances can be. Just like everyone else, queens come in many shapes and the idea of a big beefy queen for our Muscle skill was quite compelling.”

Kylan’s initial inspiration for Matias is a “former neighbor and friend who has such a wonderful personality. He’s a beefy gay man who came out later in life, his deep voice is husky from a long history of smoking and flavored by a sometimes thick Argentine accent.” “The first time I met him he towered over me dressed as Frida Kahlo at a Halloween party. While that was as close as he ever came to drag, when I was coming up with crew members, he was at the top of my mind for someone I’d want onboard.”

“For the real-life drag queens, one of them is a wonderful person who actually performed at my wedding,” says Kylan. “In the time before the wedding, he’d mention how he felt he was getting too old to compete with the younger queens (he was just a few years older than myself). The amount of energy and drive to keep performing and creating night-after-night was definitely intimidating. It lined up, to a lesser degree, with stories I’d heard from many small-time and aspiring actors in Los Angeles.”

But just who is Matias Vidala? A 44-year-old male performer/former drag queen, Matias Vidala is larger than life, both in his broad stature, and his vivacious personality. A born performer, Matias has always struggled to strike the perfect balance between his bulky, barrel-chested outer appearance and his delicate inner diva. Following a short-lived career as the unique “Gloria Borealis”, his pyrotechnic drag persona which involved third degree burns and the odd audience member, Matias may or may not be on the run and/or doing a revival tour of his fiery show. Kind, encouraging, but with absolutely no room in his big heart for criticism of a performance, Matias is quick to anger and even quicker to tears, he’s the epitome of “all bark, no bite”. Life is a show for Matias Vidala, and this big queen is the star. There’s no point debating that with him, trust us.

If you are interested in an LGBTQ+ spaceship management narrative game with inclusivity as a foundation, from a diverse development team then please do go and wishlist A Long Journey to an Uncertain End here: https://bit.ly/3V1gSag

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A Long Journey to an Uncertain End trailer

Wishlist on Steam

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A Long Journey to an Uncertain End game trailer

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