Royal Vermin is a 2D brawler that proudly wears its Super Smash Bros. inspiration on its sleeve, yet ultimately delivers a completely different experience with a distinct purpose. Royal Vermin is designed to be played as a party game, featuring simple, accessible controls that welcome players of all skill levels.
We paid close attention to making sure the game is fun for everyone—winners and losers alike—at all times.
Chaos is at the heart of the experience: the levels take place on unstable, Jenga-like towers that can collapse in the most random and hilarious ways.
So what are you waiting for? Head to the dumping ground and start throwing trash at your friends to become the Royal Vermin!
GAME DESIGN
My role as the Game Designer on Royal Vermin was to take the game's foundation and identify what made it interesting and fun.
When I started working at Tobafeu Studio, a small version of the game was already playable, so I had to draw inspiration from what existed to help define what Royal Vermin would ultimately become.
It all began with a one-pager that aligned the entire team around the game's core pillars and clarified what we needed to prioritize moving forward.
Then I explore ideas that could work in the game. Here's the main three I found.
The Death Throw Mechanic
The first thing we realized that is unfun with our competitors like "Super Smash Brothers" or "Ultimate Chicken Horse" is that, when you lose, and the round isn't over, there isn't a lot to do. We understood that there most be some kind of punishment for a losing player, but we found that not being to play the game, was just too boring for us.
So I created the Death Throw mechanic. Here's how it works, when a player dies, his characters goes in the foreground of the level and starts throwing trash at the surviving players. The loser's can then influence the fate of this round or simply take revenge on their killer!
Explanation of Death Throw
The Mini Game Mechanic
We wanted a way for the game to be incredibly re playable, and unpredictable, so I created the mini game mechanic.
After a few rounds, players will be shown a spinning wheel. Each section of the wheel represents a mini game, like a match of basket ball, a target shooting mini game, a gauntlet of falling containers, etc.
This, I think, is the most creative and fun way to keep our players on there toes and surprise them with chaotic shake ups to the game-play.
Basketball
The Rule of 3
I really wanted the game to be creative and chaotic, so I designed every level with a simple rule, the rule of 3. If I have an interesting mechanic, like levels that have monster trucks (yes we do have that). I only want three levels with this mechanic, one that easy, the other that is middle of the pact, and one hard level.
So what is an easy monster truck levels? Well maybe a level where the players can't drive the monster truck yet, but can get used to the layout of the machine. Then an average level could a level with moving monster trucks and then the last one, the monster trucks can be driven by the players.
This is makes sure that I don't over use some mechanics. I can also make sure that the player starts with easier levels that introduce concepts and finishes with hard gauntlets that feel more challenging then frustrating.
Easy
Medium
Hard
LEVEL DESIGN
The vast majority of the different mechanics used in the game's levels were created by me. I basically threw every idea at the wall to see what would stick.
I kept the ideas that supported the physics-based chaos the game is built on, the ones that weren't too hard to implement but delivered the most fun, and the ideas I simply liked too much to pass up (monster trucks).
On the left are a few examples of quick sketches I made while brainstorming these ideas.
I then learned how to create effective backgrounds that clearly show the player what can be walked on and what cannot.
I also received help from Woodrunner Games' background artist, Angeline Beaulieu. If you'd like to see her work, here's a link: https://www.artstation.com/angelinebeaulieu
MARKETING
Helped define the game's monetization strategy, including building the case for a free-to-play model.
I developed in-game and external strategies to promote DLC content.
I contributed to the creation of the game's pitch deck and helped sell its core concepts.
I edited and storyboarded all game trailers and YouTube Shorts used in marketing campaigns.
I set up the different stores for Steam and Switch.
WHAT I LEARNED
The team I worked with was small and very understanding, so it wasn't hard to organize ourselves. The real skills I developed during my time at Tobafeu Studio Inc. were my Game Design and Level Design skills.
I was given the space to let my creativity flow and to lead the game in the direction I thought was best. Of course, I still had to defend my ideas so as not to become a "fascist" game designer, but a great level of trust was given to me to help mold the game into something better.
I also became very familiar with production cycles on a smaller scale: brainstorming ideas, creating prototypes, then lead the production of the assets and programming needed. I learned where to showcase a game, and when and how to contact Nintendo to get a game on the Switch.
Because the team was so small, I was able to dabble in many areas. I handled the mastering and audio design, did most of the voice acting, and learned how to create appealing backgrounds that don't interfere with gameplay.
Overall, I was able to truly spread my wings, gaining both confidence and humility in my game design skills. For that, I am eternally grateful for the trust and friendship I was given at Tobafeu Studio Inc.