From Montevideo to the Frontlines of RTS: The Story Behind Dying Breed
When you think of retro-style real-time strategy games, Uruguay might not be the first place that comes to mind. But Ignacio Trelles, a passionate creator from Montevideo, is working to change that. Born in 1987, Trelles grew up more interested in PC gaming than sports and never lost his love for rock and roll. His path into game development began in an unexpected way — over a plate of chorizos in white wine.
Q: To kick things off, could you tell us a bit about yourself and how you got started in game development? My name is Ignacio Trelles, I was born in Montevideo, Uruguay, in 1987. I was good at sports growing up, but I always preferred playing PC games. I’ve also been a big fan of rock and roll in all its forms. One day, while I was cooking chorizos in white wine, my uncle asked me, “If I gave you 50 or 70 thousand dollars, would you be able to make a video game?” I said yes — and that’s how it all began.
Q: Are you a solo developer, or do you work with a team?
I have a team. I like to say I’m a caveman — I only know how to talk and imagine. I don’t code or do art myself. I designed and wrote Dying Breed and produced it. At first, I didn’t know anything — I hadn’t even used Twitter before. I learned along the way, started with friends and family, and eventually began working with professionals.
Q: What’s it like releasing a game from Uruguay, where the indie scene is still growing?
I’ve met some really nice people in the local indie dev scene, but most of them prefer developing for Google or Apple stores, or targeting the Chinese audience. That’s not really my thing.
Q: As we were talking before this interview, we both grew up playing classic RTS games from the ’90s and early 2000s. Were there any of those that inspired or influenced your work?
My first game was Command & Conquer, then Red Alert, Total Annihilation, and Age of Empires. I was around ten years old, maybe 1997 or so. The first PC I ever saw was at a neighbor’s house — we played X-COM. I also remember seeing Prince of Persia at my uncle’s place. Back then, everything was Nintendo, so I went from SNES to PC and stuck with RTS and isometric-style RPGs — that 2.5D look always stayed with me.
Q: I noticed some cool pop culture references in Dying Breed, especially from the ’80s. What were the biggest influences from that era?
There are a lot of references to science fiction movies from the ’70s, ’80s, and ’90s — even Soylent Green. I love movies and music, so that naturally became part of Dying Breed. The units were fun
to design — for example, one day I read about how dead whales can explode because of gas buildup, and that inspired a “dead whale” unit that floats and bursts open. Writers like Philip K. Dick were also big inspirations, along with classic movies like Robot Jox, Cyborg, Universal Soldier, The Thing, and other cosmic horror stories.
Q: Right now, Dying Breed is in Early Access on Steam. What can players expect for the full launch?
There’s a roadmap on the Steam page. We’ll keep rebalancing based on player feedback and add 12 new missions with FMV sequences. We’ll also keep improving the economy, fixing bugs, and tuning the balance. After that, we plan to work on a skirmish mode.
Q: Any plans to add new factions to the game?
If everything goes well, yes. We plan to add two more factions, new biomes, and more missions in an expansion. In the meantime, we’ll keep improving the current build to make it stronger and more enjoyable.
Q: I saw a new patch was just released. What are the main features?
The latest patch focuses on fixing resolution issues players reported, balancing difficulty levels, tweaking unit stats, and improving the overall game economy. We also adjusted unit time-to-kill and several other balance details based on community feedback.
Q: Before we wrap up, do you have any advice or words of inspiration for aspiring indie developers?
My only advice for indie developers is simple: never surrender. Always keep moving forward. You have to stay consistent — if you do, anything is possible. It just takes time.
Ignacio Trelles shows that passion and persistence can turn an idea into reality. Dying Breed is currently available on Steam in Early Access, with more content and updates on the horizon.
