“it’s more fun for me to do something totally different each time”

Hiding Spot Games’ Matt Meyer kindly took the time to chat with us about wonderful adventure game Beacon Pines, how player feedback is so valued by the team, and why he was initially “warned” not to expect such glowing reviews on Xbox.

Beacon Pines has earned a spot on our list of the best hidden gems on Game Pass and appears on the round-up of the best spooky Xbox Game Pass treats. It’s picked up a lot of fans, and Hiding Spot Games’ Matt Meyer tells us how it felt to experience such a positive response to the game.
Many players have expressed their love for the game, which was a fantastic addition to Xbox Game Pass. Yet Meyer says he wasn’t sure what to expect when it came to Xbox reviews. “To be totally honest, I was warned by lots of people not to expect as glowing of reviews on Xbox as with other platforms, since the audience tends to lean more AAA,” Meyer explains. “It wasn’t until several weeks after release that I finally went in and read the user reviews. It was such a pleasant and heart-warming surprise to read all of the lovely things people had written about Beacon Pines. If any of those folks happen to be reading this, let me take the opportunity to thank you. It took a lot out of us to make this game, and getting your feedback helps us remember why we did it.”

Meyer says that the experience with Microsoft and Game Pass has been “good,” adding, “it’s hard to say what the future holds. The game industry evolves faster every day, so it feels precarious to expect anything to stay the same for very long.”

Hiding Spot Games’ titles range widely in terms of genre and gameplay, and Meyer says, “That’s sort of a by-product of my personality. I don’t enjoy doing the same thing. While it’s not a great way to establish a loyal fanbase for a game studio, it’s more fun for me to do something totally different each time. That being said, it’s safe to say that there will be some things about the next project(s) that use things we learned from Beacon Pines.”

We’ll definitely be keeping an eye out to see what Hiding Spot Games does next. In the meantime, we’ve also got that upcoming new content for Beacon Pines — which might add a new achievement too. What are your thoughts? Did you discover Beacon Pines through Game Pass? Let us know in the comments!