Peter Molyneux on Curiosity, 'Why didn't I just do a game?'

Peter Molyneux has discussed his debut project at new studio 22 Cans, as well as the risk that goes along with creating something so abstract from the outset. The developer has admitted that doing something safer might have been better, but that such risks really can pay off.

Speaking with GI.biz, Molyneux said of Curiosity's eventual iOS launch and reception, "It's incredibly terrifying," he admits. "Why didn't I just do a game? Why didn't I do Texas Hold 'Em? Texas Hold 'Em, Red Dead Redemption-style. I would have made a s**t load of money and been perfectly happy. Everything I do has to be this service to this big vision, this big idea."

Curiosity is an odd game, that sees players collectively breaking down a cube comprised of smaller cubes using a manner of methods. At the centre lies what Molyneux has previously called a 'life-changing' prize. No one knows what that prize is yet, although he has debunked the idea of it being money.

There is an air of mystery around the project, and in how its gameplay mechanics work, but even then Molyneux wants people to learn for themselves when they start playing, "There's not going to be a tutorial. I want people to discover that, because for me it's all about motivation. If I just discover one little thing that I don't think other people know, that is a huge motivator. It would motivate me to go on and experiment and try other things. I'd love to put a tutorial in, I'd love to put structure, but the experiment would not be the same if you did that."

What do you think about Molyneux's methods? Is abstract and mysterious off-putting to you, or do you like it when developers experiment? Let us know below.