GnB Origins : Duck Reaction and Game Jam

Disclaimer: Below you’ll find two of the articles that were the beginnings of what is now Game’n Breakfast. They were published in another medium that closed its doors in 2024. So as not to lose this content, which is first and foremost the words of independent developers, I’m offering you a remastered version of these papers.

Indie cell # 1 Devlog: Brotherhood, sheep and TGS 04/02/2024

Issue 1 is out now. And we’re off to a great start, with the brothers from Duck Reaction talking to us about themselves and presenting a demo for the Steam Next Fest in February 2024.

Simon, the artist

Let’s start with the youngest (because we have to start somewhere). Simon is the artistic fibre of the duo. Very quickly, he wanted to go into art, which is why he finished high school with a degree in applied art. Even then, he wanted to get a foot in the world of video games (JV). In the absence of a state school, he branched off into animated film, bearing in mind that the two fields were not so far apart. He went on to do a degree, which enabled him to discover several aspects of the JV industry. Then it was off to the École Nationale du Jeu et des Médias Interactifs Numériques (ENJMIN). This 2-year master’s course, for which he chose the design option, gave him a chance to see what was going on in the art world. And then it was time to take the plunge, working at Piece of Cake Studio (Paris) and Wild Sheep Studio (Montpellier). At the latter, he mainly does level design. At the moment, his professional time is split between working part-time at Piece of Cake and their Duck Reaction studio.

Mathieu, the Dev

The other half of the duo, and not the least, Mathieu. It was the development and coding side of things that got him hooked early on. As early as secondary school, with the help of a curious teacher, he discovered coding with Macromedia Flash (a time no one under the age of 20 can imagine). Then, at secondary school, he taught himself Basic to code on his calculator. After that, he headed off to engineering school, specialising in development. He spent 5 years there, including 3 as an apprentice (practical experience is much more instructive). With his diploma in hand, his working life took him to various software development companies. One of these companies was a former studio that had failed to make a breakthrough, giving him a chance to try his hand at Unity. And as JV is a passion that you never really grow out of, he tested several game engines and the desire to make it his profession grew.

Meaningless, first game of Simon and Mathieu

Duck Reaction, It’s alive !

The brothers didn’t wait to create their studio before tinkling with pixels together. The first, a mobile game that has now disappeared, was created when Simon was still at school, while Mathieu was already working. The name Duck Reaction had already appeared. The exact origin is obscure, but I heard about a story about a duck on a motorbike. And that’s when the idea of working together independently began to take shape. Simon had finished his studies and wanted to gain some professional experience, so he gave himself two years before launching the studio. In the meantime, the duo put themselves to the test at various Game Jam events. These are events during which games are made in a very limited time. These jams enabled them to work on polishing (the finishing touches to a game) and the distribution of roles to be as efficient as possible.

In a nutshell, we’re looking at a combo of a dev and an artist, so it’s an ideal combination to get started. According to them, Mathieu designs the tools and Simon tinkers with them as much as possible, but manages to come up with some unexpected gameplay mechanics. In terms of design, both Mathieu and Simon have their hands full, although Simon does a lot of the level design, as experience helps. Then comes the not-so-cool part, the administrative side. Setting up a studio means setting up a business. Almost a year’s worth of paperwork went into launching Duck Reaction. They even took their project to the banks to try and find funding (with a business plan that was a bit shaky if you listen to them). They received three positive responses, but decided to turn them down in order to remain independent. Their personal funds enabled them to get the ball rolling.

The first game to see the light of day is Meaningless, a clever puzzle game where the aim is to get a ball to its destination. Demo available, go for it! They even got a retweet from Doc Geraud (hello, if you read us). Later, they were advised to add their game to Apple Arcade (the Apple brand’s gaming service), but this was conditional on having at least a thousand levels (the game has sixty). Faced with the mammoth task involved, the studio had to let the opportunity pass. It wasn’t a success. With a view to a marketing operation, they decided to add Twitch (the streaming platform) integration to Meaningless. This addition reveals a very fun side that allows the streamer to interact with his community. It’s a feature that Simon and Mathieu want to keep for their future productions. Speaking of which, we’ll be getting to that shortly.

Their secondary objective is to create a community made up of developers, gamers and streamers. Their goal? Offer demos and test phases to get feedback and discuss the JV.

puzzle game meet fun on Twitch

Draw me a sheep. Give me more !

To describe their new project, we can cite three main references: Vampire Survivor, Katamari Damacy and Risk of Rain. Stop wracking your brains trying to mix it all up, I’ll explain.

The idea is as follows: you take on the role of a sheep wearing a hat that allows him to lead the flock. Hordes of enemies try to decimate you, but a sheep is not a defenceless creature. Defeated attackers provide experience that unlocks levels that grant bonuses and more sheep. Your flock is a veritable army that can take on different shapes (square, triangle, star, etc.) to which you can give orders (dasher, jump, spin). I leave it to you to imagine the combinations and their applications. So much for Vampire Survivor.

The further you go, the more sheep you have (hundreds). The more sheep you have, the more you… grow. And the more you grow, the more you discover about the map! And that’s where the Katamari originality comes in. First, walls fall down, but what they’d like to do is push the concept as far as eating planets! Yes! Planets! Ha, I can see you’re intrigued, I can understand you.

What about Risk of Rain? Another mechanic! Your opponents have elites in their ranks who also wear hats. If you manage to beat these elites, you get the hat, which you can give to your sheep to give them skills (sticky, explosive, zero gravity…) that can be accumulated.

The game features a run system that lets you discover alternative routes around the map.

Of course, these mechanisms are still being developed, so nothing is set in stone. The best thing to do is visit their Discord, where they do live shows to talk about their project and where you can discover their cute mascot! The tantalising name of this project is Fluffy Doki Sunshine!

Best life ! but…

Independence in the JV is above all about doing what you want, how you want. From a creative point of view, it means total freedom, no pressure on hours, the possibility of working remotely, in an ideal world at any rate. Simon admits that his part-time job allows him to keep in touch with professional contacts that give him the brain space he needs for artistic creativity, and to get away from the Duck Reaction project for a while. This distance allows him to see that creation is not easy for anyone, whether indie or industry giant.

The downside – and there’s always a downside, apart from funding and administration – is the lack of resources, which is sometimes felt. They both agree that, even if they’re both very good on their own, from time to time a helping hand (especially with communication) would be welcome. But the most difficult thing, obviously, is to make themselves known. They try as hard as they can to create opportunities for themselves (and that’s also why I’m opening this section), but there’s always that little stroke of luck that makes your game known to the right person that can make it all take off, but that’s rare. For the record, 75% of studios don’t survive their first game, and even if it’s released, they don’t survive. For the most part, it’s only the games that are already successful that really get people talking. What’s more, it’s hard to find a publisher who can facilitate many aspects of marketing a game.

But what stands out is that they hope to make a living from their passion for the JV, a passion that began at an early age for Simon, who learnt to play even before he could walk.

Steam Next Fest is coming 

The next big step is to present a demo at the next Steam Next Fest. This is a festival on Valve’s Steam platform that consists of showing projects that are in progress, more or less about to be released. This festival can be a real launch pad if the game gets noticed, and for that, your wishlist is a real boost for devs (click, I tell you!).

It’s a demanding objective for a game that’s still in development, because you have to be able to make a vertical slice of the game available in time to make people want to see what happens next, so you have to show off as much as possible, which is a big, big, BIG challenge (especially when there’s only two of us). Simon and Mathieu have been working on it for months, so go and have a look! Opening on 5 February 2024!

Japanese-style poker.

A rather surprising end-of-conversation anecdote. Simon sent in quite a few applications to a number of JV trade fairs in an attempt to raise his profile. Then one day he received an email from the Tokyo Game Show (TGS) telling him that he had been selected for one of the 80 stands dedicated to indie games. What a surprise! What panic! They hadn’t planned anything for it. They were told that they could of course refuse, but that if they did, they would be banned for life – the Japanese half-measure! Not wanting to miss this opportunity, they got their plane tickets, flew to Japan and spent 5 days at TGS. While there, they met a lot of people, and above all, they made contacts with Sega and Microsoft, which is always good to have. They extended their stay to enjoy the country, because it’s not every day you get to go to Japan.

The difficult question.

The meeting came to an end far too quickly. And so the question that will always conclude this column: “If you could only keep one game in your games library, what would it be?”

For Simon: Katamari is his favourite game, so it’s not surprising that it’s one of his inspirations. He regrets that people don’t really understand the appeal of this game and its crazy mechanics, not to mention the multiplayer.

For Mathieu, it’s a difficult question. He’s very much into management games, citing Satisfactory, Factorio, Don’t Starve and Oxygen Not Included. Pushing a little, he says he’s a fan of the Metal Gear saga. I can only understand that.

That’s all Folks !

Here we are at the end of this first episode. I hope you’ve enjoyed it and wanted to find out more about the indie world. Rest assured, the rest is already in the works. First of all, I’m going to write a lighter article about Game Jam and other DevLogs (a format like this one). If you’d like to take part or just make suggestions, my networks are open.

See you soon.

Play well, play fun, play indie.

Inksushi.

PS : you will find the sequel of this story at the Tales from the dev consacré au studio

Indie Cell #2 Unkown Value : game jam 18/02/2024

Well, here we are with issue 2 of Indie Cell, but the first issue in the ‘Unkown Value’ format. Today we’re talking game jam.

After our first DevLog with our mates from Duck reaction, here comes the first Unknown Value. This second recurring format will be an opportunity to delve into the unknown and enrich the vocabulary of newcomers to the world of independent games. Wherever possible, I’ll try to link this ‘lexicon’ to the devlog that precedes it. In episode #1, I talked about game jams. So we’re going to go back to this type of event, which is often the starting point for many people in the indie world, and also a place where the craziest ideas germinate.

What is it?

As I was saying, a game jam is an event where people create video games in a short space of time. First of all, let’s go back to the composition of the name, game for game and jam for jam (hello captain obvious!) as in music. A jam, mainly in jazz, is a session during which musicians who don’t know each other play an improvised piece (a small example below for those of you who are curious). As far as the game part is concerned, this can be games in the broadest sense of the term, video games, board games, role-playing games, etc. The basic principle is that, as we shall see, it varies a lot, the participants all get together in the same place to create a game. Participants are given time to form groups, or not, according to the initial instructions of the game jam. Once the groups are in place, the organisers give the theme for the game. They are given a little time, but really a little time, like 5 minutes at the most, to exchange ideas and define what they are going to focus on. Then it’s off! The clock starts, and the game is created from A to Z. The timer runs out, everything is put down and the game is finished. Then it’s time for the teams to present their work to the jury. A ranking is then drawn up and the winners rewarded, if there is a reward. The participants finally get a chance to rest – it’s exhausting. And finally, most of them plan their next game jam.

Music jam session

What about my video game?

Let’s get to the heart of the matter: video games. Broadly speaking, the principle remains the same, except that certain qualifications are required. It’s hard to code when you’re just a graphic designer, or to improvise as a sound designer for a weekend. That’s why the basic rules can change depending on the event (I’ll explain some of them below). Often it’s well-established teams that take part in these jams, or a game designer (would you be interested in me doing an episode on game design?) looking for a developer and/or graphic designer. Game jams are often held remotely for two main reasons. The first is that it’s easier to work at home on your own equipment than to bring it with you or work on unfamiliar material. The second is surely that it’s easier to put together an effective team across the world than in the depths of La Creuse (bim! A lost ball for Axel). And that’s of course without mentioning the organisational problems of an event requiring a hall, dozens of PCs, all open day and night. Oh yes, I forgot to mention that most jams take place 24 hours a day.

So, to sum up, teams sign up for the game jam so as to cover the various positions (at least development and graphics, even if there are solo players). The game jam takes place either at a given location or remotely. The theme is given on the day. The team works until the end of the game. The game is then uploaded to the platform so that the jury can access it. The rankings are established and the winners rewarded. End of the jam. It should be pointed out that the ranking and rewards are not systematic. Above all, it’s the euphoria of seeing a project through to the end that makes it all worthwhile.

What’s it for?

To answer this question, we first need to determine who can participate. Nothing could be simpler. Everyone is welcome at game jams. Novices and experts alike can put forward their ideas and/or skills. In any case, the time available rarely gives you the opportunity to present a complete, ultra-polished game.

A polish is anything that is added to the game to make it attractive and fun to play. For example, a sound and light effect when you win a level, a screen shake and a spurt of blood when you take a hit. All the little things that can make a big difference to a finished game.

Above all, it’s the ideas that count. An ultra-original concept, a gameplay trick, a never-before-seen universe – that’s what scores points. And it’s often the person who doesn’t work 60 hours a week in the JV industry who can come up with new ideas.

All that to say that the main aim is to gain experience. You’ll learn more in 48 hours of game jam than in a fortnight of YouTube tutorials. Working under pressure, (positive that we agree), in a team, finding a solution to a problem and simply thinking, these are the skills that develop quickly. But it’s also a chance for experienced teams to try out an idea, because some game jam games can be tested by thousands of players, and even get noticed beyond the event. Just to give you an idea, here are 4 games that came out of one of these jams:

• The Binding of Isaac (Week-long Game Jam 2010-2011)
• Hollow knight (Ludum Dare 2013)
• Minecraft (Ludum Dare 2011)
• Celeste (Canadian Video Game Jam 2014)

Makes you think, doesn’t it?

Where can I find game jams?

I’d say the reference point is the itch.io website. It’s a site that’s almost impossible to ignore in the indie world. It’s a bit like Steam or the PS store for indie games, but with far fewer constraints. Anyone can submit almost anything, for free or not, which is why so many jams use itch as their hosting platform. It’s also a site where the seasoned nugget hunter can find something to satisfy an endless thirst for videogame treasures. You’ll also be able to find a calendar listing countless jams ranging from a few hours to several months (I’m even told that there are jams lasting several years) on a variety of themes such as ‘queer vampire’, ‘nokia 3310’ and ‘climate change’. At the time of writing, the site claims to have hosted 321,846 jam games.

There are also some great jams that are well known to everyone, or at least to jam fans, and here is a non-exhaustive list: 

• The Global Game Jam: takes place once a year. It takes place across the world over 7 days, with venues in several hundred cities. In 2024, there were 131 participating countries, 79,182 games on the theme “Make me laugh”.
• Ludum Dare: two editions per year, on 12 April and 4 October in 2024. The jam lasts 72 hours, but it’s a solo event, with the possibility of bringing along assets (graphic and audio elements) and a code base.
• The Scientific Game Jam: events at several locations (particularly in France). This time the theme is a bit special: the team has 48 hours to create a game on the research topic of a young researcher. 53 games created in 2023, all available free of charge.
• Arte Game Jam: a concept that cuts across all fields. 48 hours devoted to video games by the European cultural channel in Montreuil (in 2023).
• The No Crunch Games Jam: The benevolent jam, 21 hours of creation are spread over 3 days to limit overwork (7 hours a day recommended). The emphasis is on diversity, which means that people are encouraged to form a team with strangers. It is based in Strasbourg.

Global Game Jam

Is that all?

I think I’ve given you an overall picture of what a game jam can be. Above all, it’s a place to create, help each other and have fun. Nobody has ever told me about any bad experiences at these events. I can only encourage beginners to sign up – there’s no risk, only reward! Quite a few dev discords advertise team formation, and some jams form teams on the spot, so there’s no excuse. And once you’ve got your foot in the door, all you want to do is start again. Feel free to share this article, or even to flood the comments with anecdotes or jam suggestions.

I’ll leave you with this episode and see you soon for the second devlog with a self-taught man who spent four years working on his own game!

Play well, play fun, play indie!

Inksushi