Making Games is Hard: Navigating Hangry Animals’ Game Development Journey

Welcome to this week’s Hangry Animals Magazine (HAM)! We’ve had another action-packed week full of development progress, new game mode developments, and news from the Web3 gaming scene. Let’s dive into what’s new and remind us what’s fairly new too (if you missed the last update).

If there’s one thing we’ve learned at Hangry Animals, it’s that making games is hard. Game development requires a continual cycle of, building, testing, adaptation, listening, and pivoting to meet players' expectations. Throw in the dynamic nature of Web3, where new tools, frameworks, blockchains and protocols, community engagement and attention-based marketing and ever-shifting landscapes are a daily occurrence. Add all this together and you’ve got a wild ride that demands both flexibility and vision with commendable staying power to get through one of the hardest crypto winters in history.

Hangry Animals has big plans, like really big—our vision for a vibrant series of games, with one of which being an RPG desktop game, alongside this is an animated series (with teaser trailer in the works), toys, merch, and comics are all still on our mammoth roadmap. But we know that before we launch anything impactful, there’s value in testing ideas through smaller, bite-sized experiences to build our traction and audience organically, with purpose. For us, this means focusing on mobile and web-based games that bring players into our universe in fun, accessible ways under their own merit. These mini-games are our way of exploring what resonates, taking stock of what clicks, and gathering player feedback in a live environment across the web before embracing native mobile and desktop games.

Unity’s recent announcement at Unite 2024 on the developments to come with Unity 6, particularly its advancements in web-based gaming deployments away from WebGL, has us excited. The possibility of creating browser games that can stand toe-to-toe if not close with native apps in terms of performance and design is an amazing opportunity for Hangry Animals. This new tech promises an efficient route to test and deploy games straight to browsers, opening a powerful channel for player feedback and agile iteration during our early development stages. Watch this space for more updates on this front.

With this web based revelation in mind, and as we kick off our journey into mini-games, we’ve decided to focus our efforts on our first mini game title in development—a track-based, intergalactic roller derby game! Still untitled (Open to community suggestions as always), this racing-brawler mashup channels all the zany, competitive spirit of our Hangryverse with the high octane energy of racing. Imagine Mario Kart or Crashed Ice melting ideas with roller derby but with our very own Hangry cast of misfits leading the charge. Picture power-ups, speed boosts, and chaotic takedowns that send players colliding with each other and tumbling to the arena’s edge into elimination. We’ve got the mechanics dialled in, mocap data of speed skaters and roller bladers ready for play testing and some awesome kit designs for players to customise when they dive into the race is style!

The game will feature a single-player time-trial mode and a multiplayer sports mode, creating space for both casual competition and friendly rivalry. Sports have a huge following in gaming, so we’re leaning into a theme that feels natural within the Hangryverse’s own quirky ecosystem. The Single-Player Time Trial Mode: Speed through the course, collecting boosts and avoiding obstacles to record your fastest lap times. The Multiplayer Competitive Battle Mode: Join a team showdown filled with tag-teaming, unique power-ups, and an epic race to the finish, all while knocking out your opponents with scoring combos and special moves, Roller Derby style!

In the Hangryverse, Zebrina the Zebra and Marv the Moose are already well-known roller derby stars, and this game is an invitation into their world. Players will get the chance to step into their skates or try on other characters’ unique playstyles, Otis the Hippo reverse suplex anyone?? :). By building this mini-game, we’re giving our community a fun way to enhance their digital collectibles’ skills while connecting deeper with the stories and characters in our broader universe. We've come to the realisation our target audience is feeling more Nintendoesque, and we therefore are taping into that feel good, fun and humour factor here as much as possible.. especially with our advocacy and associations with charitable causes in the near future.

Our team has already sketched out the first three tracks, each with its hazards, power-ups, and hidden paths. These arenas will be no cakewalk—players will have to master quick reflexes, timing, and strategy to succeed in this brawling, rough-and-tumble roller derby. We’re anticipating a whirlwind of competition, with plenty of ways to tag opponents, avoid obstacles, and seize victory.

We’re always on the lookout for fresh, exciting developments in Web3, and this week didn’t disappoint! Here are a few recent highlights from the Web3 gaming scene that peaked our interest, and hopefully your too!

1. Ubisoft's First Web3 Game Launch: Ubisoft is set to release Champions Tactics: Grimoria Chronicles, marking its first Web3 game, which launched on October 23 on the Oasys blockchain. This PvP tactical RPG emphasizes champion creation and customisation, allowing players to own and trade their digital characters, adding a new layer of personalisation and ownership to the game. With this move, Ubisoft aims to enhance user engagement in the Web3 space while retaining a user-friendly experience for players who may be unfamiliar with blockchain mechanics. Let’s see what the masses think of this foray into the hybridisation of web2 and web3.

2. Guild of Guardians’ Soft Launch: Immutable’s mobile RPG Guild of Guardians has entered its soft launch phase in Canada. This fantasy squad-based game allows players to collect, craft, and trade heroes, with gameplay optimised for mobile. The launch also introduces the Immutable Passport for seamless login, enhancing player experience. The game is expected to roll out globally soon and plans to incorporate both traditional and Web3 elements, catering to a broader audience.

These stories reflect the growing momentum in Web3 gaming, highlighting how established studios like Ubisoft and innovative titles like Guild of Guardians are paving the way for mainstream blockchain gaming. This evolving landscape is shaping up to be exciting for both seasoned gamers and those curious about the Web3 ecosystem. Source: Cointelegraph *Source: NAAVIK

3. Ludo Partners with Gumi for Innovative Loyalty Rewards Program

In other exciting news from the Web3 gaming world, our friends at Ludo have announced a new partnership with Japanese mobile game developer Gumi, marking a big step for gamified loyalty rewards. Gumi, known for creating mobile experiences like Brave Frontier and Final Fantasy Brave Exvius, has teamed up with Ludo to introduce a loyalty program for Oshi3, an application that engages users with rewards for supporting their favorite anime and gaming creators. Together, they’re looking to leverage blockchain tech to deliver innovative loyalty rewards that enhance fan engagement while supporting the growth of Web3 in mobile gaming.

The Ludo-Gumi partnership highlights the expanding possibilities for Web3 in mainstream gaming, where loyalty programs can reward users for participation in new and meaningful ways. You can read more about this exciting development here on Medium.

After a long, nearly two-year effort, Hangry Animals is now officially trademarked in the U.S. This marks a significant milestone for us, securing our brand in the entertainment and gaming space and allowing us to grow with the protection of our IP. We’re excited to bring Hangry Animals into new markets, including the animated series and movie sectors, as part of our overarching storytelling vision over the next few years. As mentioned at the start of this newsletter, we’re big on ambition… go big or go home init!

If you’d like to read more about what this trademark means for us, check out our latest blog article celebrating this achievement and explaining the impact of having our brand and wordmark officially registered with the USPTO. UK trademark registration is also in the works to further protect our presence as we expand globally!

We’d love to hear your thoughts on our progress and plans. Keep up with our latest news, announcements, and community updates by joining us on Discord or following us on social media. Look out for our weekly action item: head over to our Discord and show some love by liking and sharing our recent tweet about our exciting developments!

Until next time, stay Hangry and stay inspired. 🐾