Indiana Jones and The Great Circle: A Full Circle Journey for a Developer

There’s plenty to unpack about the 15-year-long adventure Todd Howard embarked on to deliver Indiana Jones and the Great Circle to gamers, but he wasn’t navigating this journey solo. Jens Andersson, the design director, traveled a similarly winding road. Back in 2009, Howard had initially pitched a version of this Indiana Jones game, and Andersson was set to dive into it. Alas, things didn’t pan out back then.

In a conversation with Game Rant, Andersson shared his personal saga of bringing an Indiana Jones title to life, a quest that was as much a dream come true for him as it was for Howard and everyone at MachineGames. This tale of persistence highlights the incredible dedication driving the Indiana Jones and The Great Circle team. When you consider that at least two key contributors have spent nearly a decade and a half tied to this project, their passion becomes palpably inspirational.

As Howard was busy pitching his Indiana Jones game to George Lucas and Lucasfilm in 2009, Andersson was just starting to carve his path at LucasArts where he worked as a lead designer. Among his early projects was Star Wars: The Force Unleashed 2, released in 2010, but Andersson wasn’t there just for the Star Wars universe. He also dabbled in developing a brand-new IP with LucasArts. But deep down, his aspirations lay elsewhere.

Andersson’s stay at LucasArts was relatively short-lived, yet his ambition was crystal clear: he wanted to work on an Indiana Jones game like the one Howard proposed, even though it didn’t make the cut back then. For Andersson, getting involved in The Great Circle finally fulfills a professional goal he set his sights on 15 years ago.

He shared with us:

“I went there with a mission to work on Indiana Jones, but things didn’t align right then. Being able to contribute to Indiana Jones and The Great Circle with MachineGames here in Sweden feels like redemption for me. Indiana Jones just screams adventure, and bringing such adventures to life is why I got into game development in the first place.”

Many developers, like those working on Star Wars Outlaws, often feel an honor in helming projects tied to their beloved franchises. It’s curious, though, how both major voices behind Indiana Jones and the Great Circle originally aimed to tackle a game around Indiana Jones back in 2009 and ultimately succeeded in transforming The Great Circle into reality. This coincidence adds an interesting layer to the narrative of the game’s creation.

Despite not initially getting to work on his dream project, Andersson speaks fondly of his time at the LucasArts hub in San Francisco:

“My years at LucasArts and ILM were a delight. It was incredible to get an insider’s view and deepen my respect for the Indiana Jones and Star Wars sagas and all the creative minds behind them. The sheer effort and love that goes into creating fresh narratives in those universes are truly overwhelming.”

Andersson’s experience reflects the enduring emphasis on storycrafting within Lucasfilm’s gaming ventures, including The Great Circle. MachineGames partnered intimately with Lucasfilm Games to craft an authentically licensed gaming experience, something we’re seeing more IP rights holders prioritize. They also delved deeply into character research for Indiana Jones to ensure the game reflected the essence of the original films.

Ultimately, Andersson realized the long-awaited opportunity to collaborate with Lucasfilm to develop the game he dreamt of back in 2009. Now, with The Great Circle nearing its release, it seems the journey has indeed come full circle.