Mike Bithell On Creating An "Im-Slim" And The Importance Of Matching Project Scope To Audience

Mike Bithell, the founder of Bithell Games, has been through a challenging time. In 2025, he had to lay off most of his staff due to the poor performance of the company's recent titles, including the Tron games. However, this experience has led him to re-evaluate his approach to game development and create something new and innovative. Vampirium 1997 is an immersive sim that takes a minimalist approach, using static character portraits and verb-based choices. Bithell refers to this unique format as an "im-slim." The game is still in its early stages, but Bithell is excited about its potential and the freedom to work on a project without the constraints of a large team or external investors. He believes that the key to success lies in matching the scope of the project to the size of the potential audience, a principle that he thinks the game industry often neglects. By taking a small, experimental approach, Bithell hopes to build interest in Vampirium 1997 through social media and a mailing list, where he is releasing chapters of a story that expands on the game's lore. This approach allows him to focus on the core elements of the game and create something that truly reflects his vision, without the pressure of meeting the expectations of external investors or a large team.