Adam & Thomas Vian

When they were growing up, siblings Adam and Thomas weren’t allowed to play violent games, so instead they spent hours in their bedroom on the Sega Mega Drive and Nintendo 64. That’s why it didn’t seem real when Nintendo’s publishing offer based on their early demo of Snipperclips came through. It wasn’t that long ago that they were teaching themselves the basics of flash to create free games as part of the web-game culture of the early millennium.

Part of their success stems from the way they combine their individual talents. For the most part, Adam is the artist and Thomas the programmer. Thomas remembers that he grew up doing maths and physics while Adam was creating art and animation, without any idea that these were the core skills needed to make a game. It’s a balance that has worked perfectly.

Adam and Thomas have been on a high since Snipperclips was released as a leading title for the launch of Nintendo Switch in March 2017. It’s been particularly encouraging for them to learn that their game has connected with non-gamers, and that people have even been playing the game with their grandparents. For Adam and Thomas, it’s important that their work is accessible, not too difficult and, most of all, fun – just like the games they loved as kids.