Ryan Laley

Christopher and Christen Main's journey in creating Vertical Third was shaped by the common challenges faced by indie game developers. As they navigated the demanding world of game development in 2015, they encountered significant obstacles that ultimately inspired their innovative solution. The rising costs and time requirements of game creation posed a major hurdle, making it increasingly difficult for small teams to work efficiently. To combat this, they developed internal tools to streamline their workflow, which later evolved into Vertical Third. Funding was another critical challenge, prompting them to explore various avenues including venture capital, government grants, and publishing opportunities. Christopher, as the sole programmer and tech artist, faced the daunting task of building a comprehensive gameplay architecture, including a proprietary launcher, patcher, and online multiplayer capabilities. Their perseverance through these challenges led to the creation of Vertical Third, a tool designed to help other developers save time and money in their game development process, ultimately earning recognition with two Epic MegaGrants and industry acclaim.