We write about our games and other stuff!
Mops & Mobs is growing - the demo, and the dungeon behind it. Much of that growth has happened in the shadows so far. Now it’s time to open the dungeon hallways: with our first dev log, we take you into the depths of development. How it all began, what changed along the way, and where the dungeon is heading: Welcome to the dungeon!
First off: A wonderful new year to you!
For us, this is going to be the year of Mops & Mobs. The latest thing we’ve prepared is a huge update to the demo. Picture this:
The dungeon crew is in distress! Normally, adventurers - their customers - shouldn't be able to reach the cafeteria where the monsters take their breaks - or casually break some bones. But soon you find out: the adversary was hidden someplace in the dungeon - a new task for you, Detective Janitor! The new content is inspired by detective games, so be ready to take some notes.
Find the secret hideout, decipher their message and clean-up the place with some new decoration assignments.
You played the new demo version 0.4.4 and enjoyed it? Perhaps you like to let others know. Our demo now has a dedicated Steam page for reviews and the lot.
From now on we will concentrate on the story of the full game, level 3 and beyond. But it's also planned to change the card combat slightly, which will probably be part of the next version of the demo.
And our level designer Patrick is doing some nice work for level 3 - here's a sneak peek:
Hear ye, hear ye!
Adventurers, Rogues, Dungeon Crawlers and Monster Whisperers - heed this proclamation:
The guild of RAT KING shall be present at the battlegrounds of the gamescom fields. From the depth of the pixel dungeons, they'll bring their monstrous friends that will get all emotional to see you!
Mark your scrolls and seek RAT KING amidst the bustling halls 4.1 at the Saxony Booth A-051g-B-060g!
Jana is armed with mops, monsters and a playable demo on the quest to seek brave allies along the journey as we are looking for a publishing partner to join our monster-filled drama.
RAT KING will have their permanent camp at the Saxony Booth on Friday, 22nd from 9:00 - 2:30 pm to present their freshly baked fully playable demo to all the mingling spectators.
Your eyes will feast upon:
And for everyone of ye: there shall be a warm welcome to our “Bergfest” at the booth on Thursday - with beer and chocolate (Knusperflocken)!
After a very long silence we finally released a new-ish demo of Mops & Mobs! While the story and level of the demo is largely the same as before, there's now the combat gameplay we already talked about. It's a non-demanding card game, and like everything it's still a WIP (and probably will be until release). We'd like to know what you think of it, so with this new demo we also added a new feedback form, but of course you can also write in the comments (here, itch or Steam).
Other added content includes:
We also replaced the art for Odette, one of the inhabitants of the dungeon - so currently she looks a bit different from the rest of the lot. This is because over time we will upgrade all the characters, which is a longer process, and we wanted to showcase it already.
As we started full production some time ago, there are actually much more internal updates. We're now in the process of building more levels and implementing the full story. And while the gameplay of Mops & Mobs is "complete" feature-wise, every area - combat, decoration mode, dialogues, UI, etc - is still being expanded and polished. There's always a lot to do!
Don't forget to wishlist to support the development and follow us on Mastodon, BlueSky and/or Discord!
There's one festival that's an absolute no-brainer, a must-go-every-year event for us: the incredibly colourful, inspiring, and inventive A MAZE. Festival in Berlin. With its talks, a huge exhibition, and wonderful attendees, all set in the relaxing atmosphere of Silent Green — a former crematorium right next to a cemetery — it’s weird, but in a very Berlin way.
We were there to enjoy new games, meet friends and colleagues, and show Mops & Mobs around a bit. Like every year, there was a space to showcase games outside the official award competition: the Open Screens. For two hours, Friedrich presented our Dungeon Novel to curious festival-goers.
Our slot at the Open Screens was on Friday from 12pm to 2pm (together with a few other games). While there was almost always someone playing Mops & Mobs, the attendance was pretty low overall, especially compared to the Long Night of Computer Games from the weekend before. Of course the game wasn't to blame for this, there just was a lot of great looking competition to play all around us — and midday maybe isn't the best time for showcasing? We're not disappointed by the outcome, though, as we got valuable feedback once again. Big thanks go to Phillip Gong for organising the Open Screens!
By the way, the only person who actually played the demo till the end (quite a feat, considering there were no chairs) left quite quickly without saying a word… our guess is that they were satisfied.
This year also brought a new twist for us: we attended A MAZE. with our child. That alone was a whole new experience. Would it work out? Would it even be possible to enjoy the festival while caring for a baby?
In the end — no, it wasn't the same. I missed just forgetting time and space to submerge myself into the exhibited games and talks. I didn't watch any talk, but played more games than I expected. We took turns with childcare and split up, so we both could enjoy the festival. We even brought her to the exhibition - but that didn't work out for very long.
But after nearly a year with her, if we learned anything, it's this: be patient and let go of expectations. It was exhausting at times, but also fun and meaningful to bring her along. Indie games have always been something personal for us — it would be strange to exclude something so beautiful and personal when work and private life are so intertwined anyway.
So, yes, it works and we didn't regret it. (Okay, maybe the weather. That was annoying. Our plan to chill with her on the meadow in the festival area fell through for most parts.)
Looking forward to how next year will be.
