Senior Spotlight Feature
The title screen from Secrets for Taking, a video game created by Max Samarin, '25.
After years of hard work, Senior Max Samarin chases his dream and develops his first game
Imagine waking up in a dystopian world where the only glimpse of light rests in the uncertainty of sight. "Depending on your actions and beliefs, you can change everything."
This is the narrative of Secrets For Taking — a mystery and 2-D Role-Playing Game (RPG) developed by Max Samarin, '25. It is a story that begins with its protagonist, Mash, who wakes up in a dying world, tasked with uncovering the truth on how the world began to wither away, and his own past.
Based on the intricate loop of turn-based combat, Max created Secrets For Taking using GameMaker Studio 2 (Engine) and Aseprite (Visual Arts).
The battle system as seen in Secrets For Taking.
It all began in late seventh grade when Samarin started game development.
"The learning curve took a while to overcome, but eventually I made some projects” he said. "I then decided to tackle Secrets For Taking at the start of freshman year."
Samarin added that his biggest inspiration was Toby Fox, the creator of Undertale and Deltarune.
"He had very little experience with art and coding but managed to complete his passion project," Samarin said. "It even became a massive success. Seeing that only a few people managed to make an entire game -- that would later become my favorite game -- it gave me hope that I could achieve it too."
"As for the general idea, it came to me in a dream when I had a fever. I was so enamored with the idea that I wanted to see it come to fruition."
Max Samarin, '25, has pursued a journey in game development since middle school.
An active member of his academic community, Samarin created the STEM club, which over the years steadily expanded into various fields of fascination including AutoCAD (3D Design), Game Maker (Game Development), and practical engineering through unique self-paced activities.
Each week members can attend meaningful workshops in the STEM Lab to share their ideas and build new perspectives of innovation by staying updated in the advancing industry through informative briefings.
Active members of the club maintain the privilege of countless tools and state-of-the-art equipment which may be operated when permitted for the completion of certain projects.
"I had to learn how to become a leader," Samarin said. "Game development not only taught the importance of being patient, but also revealed the value of staying determined."
"I've experienced failure after failure; there were many times where I wanted to quit. However, my love for game design pushed me to continue, no matter how bad it got."
Do not beat yourself up about setbacks or failures. Patience is the greatest virtue, as time and pain are your greatest teachers.
- Max Samarin '25
Game design takes research and study. Before creating Secrets for Taking, Samarin said that he studied philosophy, religion, art, game-design techniques, and story-telling techniques.
“It made me expand my worldview and be able to appreciate everything around me —as anything out there could be a possible idea to utilize in my games," he said. "Studying and utilizing religion also strengthened my faith. And studying philosophy allowed me to pick up those ideals and put it into practice in my own life."
For those who may also be interested in game development and developing a passion for it, Samarin advises Farrell students to, in addition to joining STEM Club, taking C# and App Programing (also known as Intro to Game Design) and AP Computer Science A.
"A lot of the time, I find that people have great ideas for what they want to make, but never put any action into those ideas," Samarin said. "Everyone can have great ideas, but very few will make them come to fruition. If you want to make that dream project, start simple, and build your way up to make that idea come true.
Samarin, however, did recommend using meaningful breaks when necessary to get a fresh perspective and taking advantage of the many online resources there are for game design.
"All you have to do is be more open to finding those resources and be willing to learn" he said.
Top: A screenshot from a prototype build of Secrets for Taking
Bottom: Secrets for Taking has been a project for Samarin since his freshman year.
Max believes the most important part of the video game making process is the process itself. He feels if you enjoy making the game, you will go much farther than someone who will only work to just get the game done. This will ultimately lead to much better quality.
"Although criticism can be harsh, and sometimes difficult to face, accepting it will lead you to become wiser, much faster," Samarin said. "Do not beat yourself up about setbacks or failures. Patience is the greatest virtue, as time and pain are your greatest teachers."
Max shares the importance of wisdom through his connection to Proverbs 2:1-7, as he claims, “having people to advise you (through play testing or giving you knowledge) will make you become much more skilled.”
Samarin hopes to major in computer science or cyber security, building the foundation to start his own firm or enter politics, where he expects to dedicate his skill through public office while continuing his passion for game development on the side.
A demo of Secrets For Taking is currently available for free on Steam. More information may be accessed on the official website.
The Lion is Monsignor Farrell's student digital newspaper. To read more articles from The Lion, click here.