Visibility Matters: Bringing Marginalized Voices to Life in Usual June

In 2020, Finji's Rebekah Saltsman and Adam Saltsman were planning their next project after Overland. They opted for a supernatural theme with Usual June, a drastic departure from their post-apocalyptic predecessor. According to Rebekah Saltsman, the decision to create a game with a main character and action-based storyline was a deliberate choice. 'We wanted to tell a story that we both truly cared about,' she explains. The game follows June, a protagonist who can communicate with ghosts and explores the town of Fen Harbor, battling supernatural creatures across multiple dimensions. At its core, Usual June focuses on promoting marginalized voices and stories, allowing players to form connections with the game's characters. Saltsman emphasizes the importance of representation in games, stating, 'It's wonderful when you see a game trailer and think, 'Someone sees me.' There's someone who understands me as a person who came to action games late.' To cater to players with varying skill levels, the game offers special abilities, such as dashing, which makes the player invulnerable for a short time, and time slowing, which applies to both battles and menu navigation. Saltsman explains that these features are designed to make the game more inviting and accessible. 'High-level players will have a great experience, but those who want to play badly won't be excluded because they're not good enough. We provide a pathway that's fun and teach you bit by bit as you progress, so you can feel confident using the extra tools.' Another approach to attract players was to incorporate familiar genres, such as horror and supernatural themes. The game draws inspiration from TV shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Veronica Mars, as well as games like Bayonetta and Control. The Netflix series I'm Not Okay With This was a significant influence on the game, with Saltsman noting, 'We watched that show and thought, 'This feels like if Mae from Night in the Woods had powers.' The game's setting, a town based on Midwest American towns, adds to the storytelling. Saltsman notes that modeling buildings after those found in these places enhanced the team's narrative capabilities. The game's art direction is intentionally designed to resemble old American towns established in the 1800s, with buildings that have been repurposed over time. The story is told through large narrative sections, with investigative segments in the Earth realm and narrative fragments in the action sequences. June encounters ghosts in the other realm, which become companions and aid her in combat. Despite the game's narrative focus, there is no spoken dialogue. Instead, characters produce sounds, and dialogue is text-based. Saltsman explains that this decision was due to personal preference and budget constraints. Using Vocaloid, a voice synthesizer program, helped create a unique atmosphere and distinguish between characters. Saltsman notes that it was a challenging problem to solve but ultimately added to the game's distinct sound.