C63: Smooth Development

The art style of the game as well as the image requirements for the characters are set. The core gameplay, along with the numerical control in the game, is a key focus. We've also discussed the design of different scene maps and the idea of creating an extensible creative feature for gameplay.

This game is very experimental and is meant to help with platform promotion. However, these concepts are still just rough ideas. The real work on details will need follow-up development.

I didn't want to reveal too much because everyone—whether they're handling music, levels, values, art, marketing, or platform operations—needs to participate, so it wouldn't be right for me to go too deep into specifics and be meddlesome.

"Does anyone have any concerns?" I asked the team, looking forward to answering a few questions.

Ruan Ningxue and Yang Xin shook their heads. They're working on the art and plot design. According to the draft, the plot isn't too demanding, so there isn't much work for them. As for the art, the concept map has already been finalized; the cartoon style has been chosen, and only the details need refinement.

The rest of the team also shook their heads, indicating no further questions. Well, that's good to see, although I am a little surprised. Even though it's just a conceptual draft, the game's entire prototype has been formed, and the development is proceeding smoothly. Of course, we'll only know it once the demo comes out. No matter how solid the design draft is, it's still theoretical until we can play it.

'Things on paper remain on paper until you put them into action.' I mused.

There wasn't much concern from the development team. Zhang Yi, who is in charge of marketing, had something to add.

"Are we planning to launch this game during the Spring Festival?" Zhang Yi asked.

"Yes and No," I said.

"We're aiming to launch it on Valentine's Day," I stated.

Zhang Yi continued,

"In this case, Chen, I suggest we adopt a coupon system for the game. This way, players can enjoy discounts on the Neon game platform."

"Let's also use spouses as a promotional strategy. According to market research, we would be the first to do so, and considering the cooperative nature of the game, this makes sense."

"To feel the sweetness of love, come to overcooked. This could be the game's slogan."

As for Zhang, he doesn't get directly involved in game development like the R&D team. However, he has been around us, so he has gotten to know Chen Xu better.

The game requires some brainstorming relating to the marketing and operations outside the game.

Presently, Overcooked has a packed development schedule, with only about a month left before launch.

Finalizing the promotional strategy is now a priority, especially since Overcooked is an experimental game meant to promote the Neon game platform.

We can't just release it quietly and hope for the best. With the crowded game market, especially during the Spring Festival, the game wouldn't stand a chance to make an impact if we didn't push the promotion.

So, a promotional plan must be set up now.

"If we're giving discounts, we should offer something like Buy one, get one free.

Overcooked is a multiplayer co-op game, after all. As for the slogan, we shouldn't just focus on couples, even though we're launching on Valentine's Day. Brotherhood, sisterhood, and strong friendships can all be part of our marketing keywords." Chen Xu nodded in agreement after hearing this.

Once the concept draft of Overcooked was presented, along with the direction for the promotion, the entire team dove into game development.

While others focused on refining the art, plot, and related designs, Chen Xu wasn't idle either.

In the office, Chen Xu used memory capsules to record some excellent-level designs.

The main development challenge of Overcooked lies in the level and numerical design.

If it's too simple, the game will lose its charm.

It's like soul games—the difficulty isn't the only core element, but it's a major feature.

If a soul-based game became too easy, the original design would lose its impact and become a burden.

Although Overcooked is a small-scale game, the same principle applies. If the difficulty curve isn't balanced, the game will lose its essence.

Tasks like chopping vegetables, washing dishes, garnishing, and cooking—even the possibility of a kitchen fire that requires a fire extinguisher—are all part of the gameplay.

But what's even more important is the arrangement of the numerical values.

If the time limits and scoring are set too high, it will frustrate players.

But if they're too lenient, the game's mechanics won't feel as significant.

In terms of difficulty, I need to control it well.

As a casual game, it needs to allow players to pass the levels smoothly. But to reach the full score of three stars, requires two players to have a certain amount of cooperation.

Then there's the networking system, and Overcooked is also the first online game we're developing at Neon Games. The server part has to be done well because Overcooked is a game with online sales as its main selling point.

Once the plans for the entire game were finalized, the R&D department, under my leadership, geared up and started moving.

On the art side, I explained to Ruan Ningxue and the other artists who had joined earlier about the key points of Overcooked.

"The style of the whole game should feel warm. Even the zombies in the background have to give off a cute vibe."

"This is a game for all age groups. It's a simulation game. We don't need it to be super realistic, but it must appeal to everyone—men, women, and children alike."

"Understood," Ruan Ningxue nodded.

As artists, we participated in the development of four games together. She completely understood my point, while the new artist beside her was stunned.

It seemed like she thought her task would be more design-oriented, but it felt more like an assembly line! The style, even the sketches and character requirements, were very detailed. We hand them to the outsourcer, and the resources get released immediately.

She had applied for a position in art design, but it seemed like all she had to do was oversee the quality of the outsourced resources without doing much actual design herself.

The same situation occurred with Qin Yi and the others.

But having some previous experience from working on Escape, none of us made much fuss about it this time. The general feeling was that things were easier.

Although overtime was inevitable, the key difference was that there weren't many useless designs. Any changes we had to make were mostly about fine-tuning details, rather than scrapping and rebuilding large sections.

It made things feel a lot more manageable!