Transforming Vampire Survivors into Vampire Crawlers: Key Takeaways from a Collaborative Game Development Experience

Andreas Firnigl, founder and CEO of Nosebleed Interactive, began his career as a game tester for Big Mutha Truckers on the Gamecube. Nearly 15 years ago, he established Nosebleed Interactive. In 2023, an old colleague from 15 years prior, now at Poncle, approached Nosebleed with an exciting opportunity to collaborate on a Vampire Survivors spin-off. Luca Galante, the creator of Vampire Survivors, had conceptualized a card game spin-off and developed an early prototype but needed an external studio to help complete the game. Lead designer Luke Wintflint and Firnigl worked closely with Luca and Poncle to evolve the idea into Vampire Crawlers. With 15 years of experience in game development and collaboration, Nosebleed Interactive learned valuable lessons about working with someone else's IP and partnering with external studios. One crucial aspect is demonstrating a deep understanding of the IP to the client. Firnigl spent extensive hours playing Vampire Survivors to grasp its nuances, allowing him to distinguish between essential and non-essential elements. The fundamentals of Vampire Crawlers came together quickly, with an early pen-and-paper version resembling the final game. However, the team initially focused on adding content without fully considering the IP, which led to a mismatch with Poncle's expectations. Once they prioritized aligning the game with the Vampire Survivors IP, Poncle gave the project the green light. It is vital to balance the game for both fans of the original IP and new players. Nosebleed Interactive achieved this by having team members who hadn't played Vampire Survivors provide feedback, ensuring the game's onboarding process was accessible. When collaborating with a partner, it's essential to lean into your strengths while being humble and open to learning from their approach. Firnigl noted that Poncle's approach to game development differed from Nosebleed's, and embracing these differences was crucial. Regular face-to-face communication with Luca and the Poncle team was instrumental in the game's success, allowing for direct feedback and idea generation. One notable example was a lunchtime meeting where Luca suggested adding new features to enhance the game, leading to the development of the Gems system. When disagreements arise, it's essential to focus on the intent behind a particular aspect rather than the implementation. By understanding the desired outcome, you can adapt the feature to better fit the game's overall design. Effective communication and team engagement are critical to a project's success. Nosebleed Interactive ensured that the entire team understood the vision and goals for Vampire Crawlers, giving them a sense of ownership and autonomy in their work. This approach led to a more motivated and invested team, resulting in a better final product.