New Project: Mana Punch

Between our two most popular ideas (within the team), Knights of Yeet and Mana Punch, there is an immediate draw and interest with Knights of Yeet. Not only is the core concept out there and unique in itself, but the more jovial and lighthearted tone of that game would attract more eyes to it. If I was on the outside of its development and looked in it would appear as another Champlain Game. High energy, light-hearted game with an integral core game loop that has as wide an appeal as possible. In essence, a game that is fueled by its new ideas, but with the looming question of, “Can they pull it off?”

That question for me would revolve around the throwing combat and the variety in the levels. If I saw this game’s demo, liked the initial idea, and continued to support it, this is what I would want to see down the line. First off, throwing would have to be smooth and snappy, I throw an object in-game it flies through the air effortlessly and collides into a goon, knocking him sideways in under five seconds. That pace is the line between me enthusiastically pawing over the level looking for more items to stem the flow of enemies, and me hocking whatever’s at hand and walking away. Pacing would keep this game alive, both in gameplay and in the jokes told, if it either slows down or doesn’t hit the right marks then I as a consumer would be disappointed.

Second, what’s the variety? How many objects and locations can I use and visit? Are there any special effects upon impact, can I combine items? Are there themes among levels and if so do the items reflect that? This one is more about stage dressing than anything else. The game and the jokes can be as funny as they can be but in a void with nothing to work with will fall falter then if set up properly. And if there is a verity, is it the usual generic fair of towers, sewers, and villages? If so then I’m not interested, as meta-humor gets stale very quickly in my opinion and I would not want to hear another rendition of ‘wow! These swerves sure are boring.” I would want something out of the box and somewhat original, keeping in mind nothing is truly original, but still. I would want to see strange labyrinths a glow with magics and awash in greenery or gleaming bubble cities flying high among the clouds on the back of giant turtles. Bottom line is, use the insane premise well and play to it. There is no limit on what you can do so go nuts.

However, that is also the largest problem as well. If the sky is the limit, then where did the team set that bar, and was it too high. Did they spend all that time devising new and insane ideas that would wow the audience, in another five years when it's actually in the game? Watching this idea, like any new idea that’s breaking a mold you have to watch it equal parts excitement and caution. As rules may be made to be broken, but once the old rules are gone something has to replace them. Simply screaming into the broken void isn’t going to be constructive and won't give us anything new or interesting, just a lot of talk and ideas.

Now on the other side of the coin, we have Mana Punch, where the “can they pull it off” question applies differently. If I saw this game from the outside I would see an interesting if not well-trodden path. It is a brawler with customization options, ground covered before but not as frequently. So it may not set my spark alight like Knights of Yeet and that might be the first concern. While Knights of Yeet is flashy and loud, Mana Punch is somber and quiet, while its combat would disagree its overall tone paints a more unwelcoming image than Knights of Yeet. While the former invites you into a wild madcap journey full of whimsy and excitement, Mana Punch walks you through a grim reflection of societal ills. So while I may be interested in such an experience I know it's going to be harder to convince friends compared to Knights of Yeet.

What helps that however is if the combat itself is bone crunchingly awesome. If the game showcases and proves that beating the crud out of people and monsters is impactful, rewarding, and challenging then the sell becomes easier. However, it’s a double-edged sword as I know that’s going to be a lot of work for the team and they may be unable to accomplish the other goals in the game that I’m also interested in. Such as the game's story, Knights of Yeet had story elements as well, but they were far less involved or complex as Mana Punch. Meaning that “can they pull it off the question” extends to the game's narrative. More specifically, will they have enough time between making the game feel good to play to address the story concerns and themes before launch.

Stories like this live or die on subtly and require multiple rewrites to get that level of subtly down. And with each re-write, levels could shift, characters gain and lose importance, areas, and concepts could be scrapped, making the whole process less cohesive. However, if they can prove they have a firm grip on their outlines, have solid unmoving tent pole figures in their story, and can respond to the changes in the story, then I would be less concerned.

Between our two leading ideas, there is a lot of potential for great things. Some easier to sell than others, both requiring a lot of work none the less for anyone to pay attention to in the first place.