Dev Blog / Behind-the-Scenes
Fez
By Phil Fish / Polytron
Byte-Sized Dev Insight:
Fez’s development spanned five long years, turning it into a legendary indie odyssey.
At its core is a deceptively simple but revolutionary mechanic: you rotate between multiple 2D views (four faces of a 3D space) to reconfigure the world and solve puzzles.
Phil Fish originally collaborated with Shawn McGrath on the core concept. When McGrath departed due to creative differences, Fish pressed on with programmer Renaud Bédard, building custom level editors and an engine from scratch.
The art direction leaned heavily on pixel aesthetics. Every “trile” (tile + side) had to be hand-crafted so that rotations would look consistent from every perspective.
Fez’s path wasn’t without controversy, the extended timeline, a partner dispute, and Fish’s outspoken public persona featured heavily in the Indie Game: The Movie doc.
Why it matters:
Fez is an example of how bold, elegant game mechanics + artistic consistency can elevate a design. But it also shows the toll of perfectionism, developer pressure, and public scrutiny on indie studios.
