While it might be that the days of playable animal protagonists in games (at least in the mainstream) are behind us, Darwin's Paradox! proves you can still deliver a great time without playing as a grizzled dude with a gun. Picking an octopus as a playable character was easy for ZDT Studio's art director Mikael "Mika" Tanguy, as Darwin quite literally came to him in a dream.
In an interview with us alongside gameplay director Gilles Aujard, Mika explained the origin of Darwin's Paradox!: "The idea of an octopus as a protagonist came from a dream I had over a decade ago—an octopus lost in an industrial world, using its natural abilities to survive. Octopuses are fascinating creatures: intelligent, adaptable, and full of personality. They can camouflage, squeeze into tiny spaces, and even solve puzzles— qualities that make them perfect for a game blending stealth, platforming, and storytelling. We wanted to create something fresh, playful, and emotionally engaging, and an octopus gave us the freedom to explore mechanics and themes that felt truly unique."
"An octopus isn't just a character; it's a gameplay revolution," added Aujard. "Its biology allowed us to reimagine stealth and platforming in ways that feel organic and intuitive. Darwin's abilities—like climbing in 360 degrees, using ink defensively, and camouflaging—are all rooted in real octopus behavior, but we amplified them to create something cartoony, fun and surprising. It's rare to find a protagonist that so perfectly dictates the game's design, and Darwin did exactly that."
While it's all well and good to make a character you saw in a dream, we did wonder why octopuses have ended up becoming so popular in gaming. Octodad, Octogeddon, and now Darwin's Paradox! "Octopuses are inherently fascinating—they're intelligent, mysterious, and full of surprises," Mika said. "They can be funny, eerie, and endearing all at once, which gives us a lot of room to play with tone and storytelling. Darwin isn't just a character; he's a symbol of resilience and creativity, which makes him stand out in gaming."
Check out our full interview here for more talk on Darwin's Paradox! which arrives on the 2nd of April for PS5, PC, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch.