Life & Work with Aspen & Sierra Clark of Highlands Ranch

Today we’d like to introduce you to Aspen & Sierra Clark.

Hi Aspen & Sierra, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I’m Aspen Clark, co-founder of Walk in the Park Studios. My sister Sierra (“Cc”) and I created Walk in the Park in 2024 with the goal of building colorful, violence-free games for young audiences. Our shared passion for video games began on Christmas in 2003, when Santa brought us a Nintendo GameCube and a copy of Super Mario Sunshine. From that point on exploring digital worlds became one of our favorite things to do, and we spent countless evenings uncovering secrets and solving puzzles together in games like The Legend of Zelda and Portal. As we entered our teens, our mutual love of video games developed into academic curiosity about the complex systems that make them work, and inspired us both to start taking coding classes and designing our own hypothetical video games on paper.

After completing undergraduate degrees at the University of Denver, Sierra and I both pursued Masters Degrees in video game development at Southern Methodist University in Texas. SMU’s intensive 18-month graduate course allowed us to hone our skills as generalist developers, and also gave us the opportunity to specialize in unique areas of design. My natural love of storytelling and world-building inspired me to pursue a career as a Quest Designer, while Sierra’s gift for complex problem solving lent itself perfectly to becoming a Technical Designer. After completing our education at SMU, Sierra and I spent several years working as professional game designers at large studios in Texas.

We decided to found our own studio after realizing that the games we were making at work had little in common with the games that inspired us to become developers. Like many 90s kids we fell in love with simple, creative video games that prioritized unique gameplay and immersive worlds, and as the gaming industry has grown, we’ve watched them become much harder to find. Walk in the Park Studios is hoping to change that by creating retro-inspired games for two players, so that a new generation of gamers can experience the simple joys of exploration and puzzle-solving with a friend.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
One of the biggest challenges when creating a video game from scratch is establishing an initial vision. Making a video game means designing and building an entire world quite literally from the ground up, including everything from deciding on a setting to writing code for making characters move or jump. Setting the vision for a game requires a lot of time, attention to detail, and collaboration from the entire team. Before founding Walk in the Park Studios, both Sierra and I have participated in this process, but never before as sole creative directors. Each of us has had to master skills well outside of our usual areas of expertise in order to keep production on track, such as large-scale project planning and strategies for communicating with team members long distance.

The most challenging part of the vision-setting process is that it continues well into full production. Game designers like Sierra and I often come up with ideas that work well on paper, but not in a game environment. Usually we identify these issues during playtesting, when a section of gameplay feels unfun or frustrating. At that point, it’s up to us as game designers to identify why players aren’t enjoying the game and propose solutions. Sometimes this can mean removing things the team loved for the benefit of our future players, which can be very frustrating.

Sierra and I are lucky to work with partners that understand the importance of vision setting, which has helped us avoid a lot of the pitfalls of developing our first game. Dana and William Brooks of Squirrel Fight Interactive make up the other half our our small development team, Dana as our 3D artist and Will as our programmer. Because video games are such complex systems, every tiny decision Sierra and I make will likely affect the work Will and Dana do as well. They’re also responsible for thinking on their feet to address problems, and maintaining the original vision for the game while injecting their own creativity. The result is a beautiful-looking game that functions well and makes our players smile.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Walk in the Park Studios is an independent video game development studio that creates violence-free games for players of all ages! Our team is made up of four incredible developers – sisters Aspen and Sierra Clark, and Virginia-based husband-and-wife duo Dana and William Brooks. Our small but mighty team met in graduate school, and all went on to work professionally as game developers at large studios. In 2024, we united around the shared goal of creating great games for a better world, and Walk in the Park Studios was born!

Our first game, titled When We Come Back, is a family-friendly 3D platformer for two players. In When We Come Back, you’ll join two young adventurers on their quest to revive the futuristic city of Fairweather, a breezy island paradise that was once home to an advanced human civilization. Now, with the return of Fairweather’s citizens imminent, our heroes must return to the city and repair the sustainable machines that once powered it. This joyful romp is all about collaboration, puzzle-solving, and the simple joy of exploring an immersive world together.

When We Come Back is designed to be a wholesome and positive experience from the ground up. Our focus is on creating a world that feels beautifully alive, and designing gameplay mechanics that encourage creative, collaborative puzzle solving. There are no weapons to collect or enemies to kill, and also no way for the characters to die. Instead, players will focus on exploration and solving puzzles together using a set of engaging tools, such as a water balloon launcher, a bug net, and a solar-powered glider.

As the games industry has grown, it’s become increasingly difficult to find games like When We Come Back that prioritize simple fun and lighthearted stories over realistic graphics and high-octane gameplay. Our intention is to create a game that captures the spirit of early 2000s platformers, but makes the most of technological advancements in software development to deliver a visually stunning experience. We’re creating When We Come Back in Unreal Engine 5, the same software that drives massive titles like Fortnite, to give the world of Fairweather as much detail as four developers can manage. Walk in the Park’s team has taken a hard stance against the use of AI in this project, so every corner of the game maintains the same handcrafted feel of classic Nintendo games.

When We Come Back is in development now, with a scheduled release in spring 2027. Starting in fall 2026, we’ll be looking for playtesters of all ages to help us refine our ideas before launch. If you’d like to be notified when we release or participate in a playtest, please join the mailing list on our website!

Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
My top piece of advice for anyone looking for a mentor in the games industry is to seek out a specialist whose current job lines up with your ideal role. “Video game developer” is an umbrella term that encompasses hundreds of specific jobs, so it’s important that you really understand who you’re talking to before reaching out to ask for advice. Most game developers use LinkedIn, and many also maintain personal websites, so learning more about an individual’s work is usually straightforward. This is an essential step in looking for a mentor in this industry, so don’t skip it! Potential mentors will also be impressed if you come to an initial meeting with specific questions about their areas of expertise, or a clear idea of what advice you’re looking for.

It’s also important to remember that the best advice you’ll get about making games comes from people who work directly in game engines. Studio executives and department leads make fantastic contacts, but you’ll get much more honest feedback and advice from senior to mid-level developers that make individual contributions to the games they’re working on. Developers like this can help you understand what specific skills you’ll need to learn to get your dream job, and how best to attract the attention of potential employers.

Most importantly, remember to be polite and respectful! The games industry is a lot smaller than it looks, and people’s first impressions of you can make or break future opportunities. Understand that many game developers – myself included – are frequently asked for our advice on getting into the industry, and might not have time to get back to you right away. Make sure to thank them for any time they’re able to give you, and follow up via email to thank them for any conversations.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://whenwecomebackgame.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/walkintheparkgamesofficial/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/walk-in-the-park-studios
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@WalkInTheParkStudios

Image Credits
All in-game screenshots are property of Walk in the Park Studios and Squirrel Fight Interactive.

Personal headshots taken by the devs.