Roman Sands RE:Build Is “All About Managing Life,” Says Publishing Director

I’ve been keeping an eye on indie darling developer Arbitrary Metric since I first found Paratopic, back in 2018. That game’s bizarro world, disconnected plot, low-fi aesthetic, and incredible commitment to its glacial pace made for one of the most fascinating experimental games in the horror space when it came out. It isn’t a perfect experience — it takes less than an hour to complete, and you have to be patient the entire time — but it is a novel one. A unique one. A worthwhile one.

I eagerly awaited what would come next, expecting more of the off-kilter, suspenseful horror that was present in Paratopic. But, when Roman Sands released in 2019 on HumbleBundle.com, I ignored it. It was not on Steam, it was not horror, and early reports complained of endless bugs. I may have liked Paratopic, but not enough to change my mind on that. I was sure it wasn’t anything worthwhile, anyway.

Cut forward to May of this year. Roman Sands is being remade, now titled “Roman Sands RE:Build,” and Serenity Forge is publishing the title. As a result, I ended up with a code for the preview build of the game, and was blown away by it. From minute one, I was hooked. And after a certain switch-up around the midpoint, I was entirely absorbed.

And so, a few months later, as PAX West 2024 was approaching, I made sure to reach out to publisher Serenity Forge in order to secure a discussion with the Serenity Forge Publishing Director Frigyes Racz, who works closely with Jessica Harvey and the other devs from Arbitrary Metric, so that I could get some answers as per the bizarre, unique, and captivating Roman Sands RE:Build. He was happy to oblige, and so — at the very start of the first day of PAX West 2024 — we had an excellent conversation about the game and its developers.

But enough belaboring the point. There is work to do, suns to hide from, and cows to keep oxygenated. As such, here is my interview with Frigyes Racz about Roman Sands RE:Build:

Graves: Hello, Frigyes! Nice to meet you. Now, we are here to talk about Roman Sands RE:Build, the new game from Arbitrary Metric. As Publishing Director, you work quite closely with the developers, and so you are the perfect person to ask: for those that don’t know [and didn’t read my preview for the game], what is Roman Sands RE:Build?

Frigyes Racz: Yes! So, Roman Sands RE:Build is one of the most unique upcoming games Serenity Forge has —

Graves: And that’s saying something, given Serenity Forge’s catalog.

Frigyes: For sure. It’s difficult to just put into one category. It is several genres, and then some new ideas. You know, we’ve got adventure, we’ve got puzzles, we’ve got simulation, we’ve got horror. We’ve even got gatcha elements. So, there’s a lot of fun to be had here. And, of course, the “RE:Build” in the title comes from it being a game that the developers have previously released, so we were happy to help them realize their dreams with this version of the game. Really making it something special.

Graves: And, speaking of those developers, they previously developed Paratopic, as well as the original Roman Sands and a tiny, free project called Exquisite Ghorpse Story. Previously, Arbitrary Metric’s games have always been at least horror-adjacent, but Roman Sands RE:Build — even compared to the original — really seems to be changing the direction they are going in with the horror. In other words, RE:Build is very… uncanny. Would you agree?

Frigyes: You know, that’s a lot of Serenity Forge’s games! I don’t want to speak for the development team directly, but in talking with them, I know what I see when it comes to the uncanny. What’s interesting about this game is that it takes place over the course of mostly two acts. They are very distinctly different, but there are a lot of connections.

As for the uncanny: Act One is not as uncanny, really. It’s much more like a sensory overload, combining a lot of video game tropes into this chaotic world. But then, there is a lot of uncanniness that comes up in the second act, and in the difference between them. The game slows down, and it becomes a lot more of a lonely, dystopian tale. And that stark change, that feeling that you were doing something, but now you are somewhere entirely unfamiliar, but with bits of the beginning… I think there is a lot of uncanniness there that builds on the natural uncanniness of the isolated place you find yourself in in Act Two.

Graves: That transition between the acts, then, really adds to it. It really hits you over the head.

Frigyes: Exactly. And I don’t want to spoil any of the Act Two content, but as you get further into the second act of the game, you begin to see who the characters are, what they are experiencing, and what they are going through. In the second act, you run this little underground zoological facility, one where your last cow has just died. You end up facing the decay that is inherent to that, which is one of those connections to the sun coming down in Act One. There is always decay, and I think those similar themes in different contexts helps to give the game some of that uncanniness.

Graves: It’s interesting that you mention that decay, and connect these plots together. I hadn’t thought of that; the sun decays, and then you are literally in a bunker filled with decay. I’d love if you could extrapolate a bit on that theme, and how that connects the two acts?

Frigyes: Yes! I think that one of the dualities that is happening is that, in the first act, you are managing a resort. It is filled with these “boomer” characters who are very demanding, very snide. But you are tending to their whims.

In Act Two, you are also managing life. But now you are in this bunker, where you are also managing needs. But now, you are managing oxygen, and other things that are much more zoomed in on the true essential needs of life. As opposed to the whims of the resort-goers in Act One, you now need to think about not what is needed for luxury, but what is needed for life. There is an element there, I think, of, like, “What is life?”

You taking care of both of these things — the vacationers and the animals — and you are definitely supposed to be asking what the differences and similarities are. There is a contrast there. The second act is much more dire, and much closer to horror or suspense. But it’s all about managing life.

Graves: It’s definitely interesting that the characters in the first act, who are so demanding, have much less important needs. This compared to the second act, where things are so much more dire, but there are so many less demands.

Frigyes: I think you might find that there is some demanding going on in the second act, as well. There is some complexity to it, it’s very fun. Also, that is where we have our fully voice-acted part of the game. We worked with streamer STPeach to re-create that character, Kara, from scratch, and really sell her as a presence. I don’t really want to spoil the connections, but when you say it is the resort-goers that are the demanding ones…. There is more to it, that’s what I’ll say.

Graves: Well, there is a connection that I did notice, one that I don’t think is a spoiler, and that’s how Kara does show up in the first act of the game, and then shows up more prominently (and voice-acted) in the second. Now, I have a feeling Harold won’t be re-appearing in Act Two, so what is the deal with her re-appearance? What is her role in the story, as much as you can say?

Frigyes: Yes… She is… Well, she appears in a few places in Act One. First of all, she is the little, tutorial, chibi character that kind of helps you along the way. But she also shows up in the game as her real self. You know since you played, she’s got more going on for her. And then she is back again, voiced, over the radio in Act Two. And so, in all of these, her presence always guides you, and helps you realize what is really going on. As things go on, especially in Act Two, where you really get to know her, see what drives her, and develop a kind of relationship with her.

In that second act, she is communicating with you over the radio, and she gets really involved with that recurring theme of decay. It’s just something she’s really involved with; you know, she’s the one who seems to care about the sun in the first act. And she’s the one who not only tells you about your dead cow at the beginning of Act Two, but also describes the process of decomposition. There is a reason for that, but I don’t want to spoil too much. But there is a reason for it.

Graves: I am really happy to see, in light of that, that Arbitrary Metric is continuing on with the introspective and complex, almost philosophical, legacy of Paratopic, and extending that further, even with such a different work as Roman Sands RE:Build. It’s good to see the game taking on an almost metaphorical approach.

Frigyes: 100%. I think every time I play this game, every time I see what Jessica [Harvey] and her team are going, there is always something new I find. The text is very rich, the themes are layered and multifaceted, and there are all these thoughts about life and management and decay. Every time, there is more I find, even in places I wouldn’t expect it. Not to mention the stuff like how the relationships between characters unfold, and even the more direct mysteries like “what is going to happen with the sun?” You know, there’s just a lot of connective tissue, not just between acts, but everything.

Even just some of the puzzles — with their alchemical and occult symbolism — even they connect to the larger themes. If you know those symbols, and those motifs, you’ll recognize them and can use them to understand the story even deeper.

Graves: I picked up on some of those alchemical symbols in the demo, for sure. I’m a big fan of occultism, I like to think I know my stuff. All the more reason why I’m so excited to get my hands on the full game, when it comes out in 2025.

Frigyes: Yeah, I’m excited to see your reaction to it! It gets wild. You know, it’s coming everywhere; Switch, PC, Xbox. I’m really thrilled to be able to show everyone what Arbitrary Metric has next.

Graves: I’m sure it’ll be fantastic. They are a great team, and I’m glad to see them published by Serenity Forge.

Frigyes: We are happy to help them realize their dream game. We really are.

Graves: Emphasis on the “dream,” I take it.

Frigyes: No spoilers, no spoilers!

Graves: I’ll take that as a maybe! But, regardless, it has been excellent talking with you, Frigyes, about Roman Sands RE:Build. Please, extend my excitement to Arbitrary Metric. In the meantime, I’ll be looking forward to the release!

Frigyes: Thank you as well, Graves! It’s been good.

That it was, Frigyes, that it was.

Roman Sands RE:Build has been one of my most anticipated upcoming releases since I played a preview build several months ago. With this interview with Frigyes, my excitement has only increased. I was glad to hear that the deeper meanings I was reading into the game back when I played its preview seem to be on the right track, and that Paratopic devs Arbitrary Metric are continuing on full-steam-ahead with their strange stylings when it comes to this remake.

I know I saw this a lot, but I truly could not be more excited to play Roman Sands RE:Build when it finally releases next year, and will probably spend quite a bit more time in its demo leading up to the full release, trying to find out everything I can about the uncanny, odd, and extremely inventive world and story of the game. You can, and should, wishlist the game on Steam or play the demo here.

And, please, do try to take better care of your cow next time.