🎮 Shoni Island: Let’s Chat with Its Creator at Golden Horde Studios
If you’ve ever wanted to slap a villager, get mildly drunk in a pixelated tavern, or ...
If you’ve ever wanted to slap a villager, get mildly drunk in a pixelated tavern, or watch tiny virtual people revolt against their god, you might want to check out Shoni Island. I recently sat down with Sean Menzies, lead developer and founder of Golden Horde Studios, to talk about the chaotic charm of his upcoming indie title and what it’s like building a society simulator that leans hard into both humor and havoc.
Born from a mix of boredom, curiosity, and love, Shoni Island started as a humble project inspired by Virtual Villagers. Sean’s wife was playing it one day and instead of twiddling his thumbs, he decided to code a spiritual successor. Over time, this side project grew legs. Among them, tiny ones that like to dance, get drunk, and sometimes fall over. Eventually the game became something truly unique.
“It started as a way to give us both some space. She’d game, I’d code. Then it kind of... spiraled,” Sean laughs.
🛠️ From Code Hobby to Full Studio
Golden Horde Studios officially came to life when Sean decided Shoni Island needed a proper Steam debut. The name was inspired by his reading about the Mongol Empire’s Golden Horde, a historical force that nearly reached Vienna. The idea was to create games that are fun first, but also quietly educational, pulling from history and culture in subtle ways.
“I wanted to make something that wasn’t just a resource manager,” Sean explains. “I wanted a society simulator where the AI actually had opinions. They could fall in love or protest your god powers.”
This meant moving beyond drag-and-drop villagers and into something much more alive. The game features a god-hand mechanic similar to Black & White, but the villagers aren't just pawns. They interact, revolt, and form social dynamics with each other. Think The Sims, if your Sims knew you were slapping them from the sky and could organize a protest.
🧚♀️ Meet Howard, the Surly Government Worker
No discussion of Shoni Island is complete without mentioning Howard, the omnipresent voice of the island who guides, nags, and occasionally roasts the player. Voiced by Michael (aka Howard), he’s a tutorial character who turned into a fully fledged NPC. He now narrates island life with deadpan sass and a suspicious love of the bottle.
“He’s like a disillusioned government employee,” Sean jokes. “He’s got opinions, lore, and he’s kind of a functioning alcoholic.”
Howard came to life through improvised scripts and Sean's love of letting chaos define tone. That same chaotic magic pulses through Shoni Island, from AI villagers with emotional states to elemental fairies who create trouble if they feel neglected.
🧪 Features Born from Bugs
Some of the most iconic mechanics in Shoni Island weren’t even planned. The soon-to-be-iconic “BAP”, a slap motion from your god-hand, originated as a debug tool to reset stuck villagers. It’s now part of a trio (or quadra..ped? I lot count) of god gestures that includes flicking lazy villagers and slamming the ground just to send them flying.
The team also leaned into community feedback to refine gameplay. Villagers now have clearer task indicators, automated job systems, and even emotionally expressive icons. Unless they’re drunk and bumping into walls. Then they just fall over. Naturally.
🌍 A Growing Community and a Demo Worth Playing
Shoni Island has found a growing audience on both Discord and Steam, where players are actively shaping the game’s direction.
“The community told us they wanted more life, more interpersonal weirdness. We leaned in hard,” says Sean.
Even better? You can try the demo right now and see how many villagers you can annoy before they revolt. Will you be a benevolent god or the chaotic deity your villagers fear? Either way, you’ll want to meet the fairies, dodge their punishments, and possibly throw a villager into the ocean just for fun.
🎤 A Final Word from Sean
“If someone wants to be where I am, I’d say don’t think. Just start. Development work is lonely, but if you find people who believe in the vision, share the profits and make it a community.”
Spoken like a true god.
