PORTLAND, Maine — Eric Blumrich said he was working as a cook at a local deli in 2017 when he decided to act on his passions: producing a video game he and his partner, Laura, have been dreaming about.
"I said I'm not getting any younger, this is something I've always wanted to do and I want to tell this grand story," Blumrich said.
After five years of sifting through frames, financial hurdles, and their own work schedules, the couple is ready to push out the video game.
"Just seeing it come to fruition, an idea in your head coming to life is just amazing," Laura Mackey said.
In the game called Peace Island, you play as a cat named Liz. Liz moves from the mainland to one of Maine's islands.
The island is loosely based on Cliff Island, with inspiration from Casco Bay's other islands, according to the duo.
They both have a shared love for the islands along with cats.
In the game, Liz quickly discovers there are no humans anymore. It's the player's role to find the other cats and find clues as to who used to live on the island.
"Really the game is showing us humanity through another species," Blumrich said.
At the end of the game, the player has a choice: Should humans be brought back?
"That is the big ethical quandary of the game," Blumrich said.
But while the game nears a beta version this fall, Blumrich and Mackey said the inspiration for the game also comes from their cat that passed away in 2017, Zach.
"I was struck by how even though I had only known him for a brief time... how affected I was by his passing," Blumrich said.
"It was sad, the game is going but the cats are not here anymore," Mackey said.
Mackey said the rewarding feeling of putting the game out into the world made the hard work worth it.
"People need to know they should just do it... you don't wait on the idea, just explore it," Mackey said.
Peace Island will be available later in the year.