Signy & Mino: Against All Gods Interview

AN Productions’s Signy & Mino: Against All Gods is a turn-based RPG following Signy as she looks to find answers for her parents’ death alongside her canine companion Mino. However, its story soon expands to cover a larger problem with the resurrection of a vengeful mountain god, with Signy joining forces with other fallen gods and washed-up warriors. RPGamer was able to put some questions to solo developer Shawn Tanner about the game and its creation.

Alex Fuller (RPGamer): Can you describe some of the main inspirations and ideas behind Signy & Mino: Against All Gods?

Shawn Tanner (AN Productions): I had always wanted to make a game that combined traditional turn-based combat with high-intensity fighting mechanics like you see in Marvel vs. Capcom. For as crazy as MvC is, there’s a method to construct high-damage combos. And I’ve always been a fan of Paper Mario’s aesthetic (2D characters in a 3D world), so it made sense to adopt that here as well.

RPGamer: Can you give an introduction to the game’s premise and characters?

Shawn Tanner: The game revolves around a girl named Signy and her dog Mino as they become entangled in an unexpected conflict. A power-hungry scientist at the nearby Mountain Research Center has found a way to resurrect a mountain god. Another god shows up to stop him and, thanks to a strange connection between gods and humans, Signy becomes the ideal person to help.

RPGamer: How did you look to use and explore the relationship between the hero Signy and her canine companion in the story and gameplay?

Shawn Tanner: Everyone loves a loyal animal companion, and a dog seemed like the perfect fit (I might be biased though). There’s an unspoken bond between humans and animals that you can leverage for both humorous and harrowing story encounters. In terms of game design, dogs offer a lot of unique traits. Mino can dig, bury, and fetch, which turn out to be really fun combat mechanics to mix in with Signy’s more standard attacks.

RPGamer: Can you talk about some of the world design, and the sort of emotions are you hoping to evoke from players with it?

Shawn Tanner: The world design is sort of dictated by the Mountain Research Center, a fictional organization that has its hand in just about every aspect of the region’s development. They’re a mixture of helpful and incompetent, so we see their technology forced into every corner of the world, even when the residents would be better off without it. But you also make use of their geocaches for supplies, and their antenna network for saving progress. I think most players can connect with a world where day-to-day life is influenced by a large, opaque entity.

RPGamer: Creating combos is a big part of the game’s combat; can you describe how the system works?

Shawn Tanner: I wanted my game to give players the ability to create ridiculous combos without all the technical knowledge and reaction time that fighting games usually require. Combat always alternates between Signy and Mino, each performing one skill at a time to build the combo. When it’s time to switch, the game completely pauses (in a turn-based fashion) and lets you think about which skill you want to use next. And each skill can only be used once per combo. So the tricky part is figuring out what order you want to use the skills in, because they each have different properties. Some enemies are only vulnerable to particular skills, and some skills only affect certain areas of the screen. So performing an optimal combo becomes a mini-puzzle of sorts.

RPGamer: How much of an influence do fighting games have on the game’s combat?

Shawn Tanner: A lot of moves get their visual inspiration from games like Street Fighter, Mortal Kombat, and Marvel vs. Capcom. But the mechanics borrow a bit more from MvC, like I mentioned earlier. To keep a combo going, you usually have to bounce your target off the wall and ground several times to keep them airborne. But if your target falls down, you also have a few skills that can hit them “off the ground” to keep the combo going. The Marvel series has very strict requirements on how many times you can do things like this, but if you know the rules, you can start to exploit them. Not to mention air combos, which are always fun. So I borrowed a lot of those elements to make my combat more of a spectacle (with the right strategy).

RPGamer: How big of a role do the platforming and puzzle elements play in the game?

Shawn Tanner: Puzzles and platforming take a bit of a back seat here. Originally, I aimed for more of a balance but over time realized that combat was the core of the game. But there are still plenty of platforming sections that offer bonus treasures, and a handful of puzzles to mix up the gameplay with.

RPGamer: Can you talk a bit about your history as a developer? What about being a solo developer appeals to you?

Shawn Tanner: I got my start in flash games, so it’s been quite a journey to where I am today. Indie dev has its ups and downs and currently feels harder than ever, but I try to appreciate any time I get to spend doing what I love as a career. In many ways this feels like the game I’ve been building up to for decades, so I’m very grateful for the opportunity to put everything I’ve learned to the test.

RPGamer: Are there any ideas that you’re especially looking forward to witness players seeing in action?

Shawn Tanner: Honestly, I just enjoy watching the combo system “click” for new players. There’s a battle in the intro chapter that allows players a little extra freedom in how they complete it, and most of the time you’ll see them have a realization of “oh… this means I can do that”, which is really satisfying. Aside from that, I hope the ending comes together the way I want, because that will be special too.

RPGamer: What have been some of your fondest moments working on Signy & Mino: Against All Gods so far?

Shawn Tanner: Any time someone on the team turns in work (animation, concept art, music, models, etc.), I get a big motivation boost because the game feels that much closer to becoming a real product. Same with being able to test the game in a production environment like the Steam Deck or a large TV. Lastly, I would say any time I manage to solve a core design or story issue. You can usually see these ahead of time, but it often takes quite a while for the pieces to fall together correctly.

RPGamer would like to extend our deepest thanks to Shawn Tanner for taking the time to answer our questions, as well as to Stride PR and David Gill for facilitating the interview. Signy & Mino: Against All Gods is in development for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. It is available to wishlist on Steam, where a demo is available.