Inside Indie Selects: Monaco 2

From conception to release, the game development journey is different for every independent studio. Sure, there are parts that are similar or that nearly everyone has to go through along the way, but the actual experience differs depending on myriad factors. Some studios have dozens of employees, each of which has a specific role to fill. Others might only have one solo developer handling every step in the process. Regardless of a studio’s size, location, or experience, they’ve each got a story to share with their fellow developers. That’s where we come in.

 Every week, we’ll be spotlighting an independent developer that the ID@Xbox team has chosen to be included in the monthly Indie Select collection. This dedicated, permanent, curated collection in the Xbox Store allows us to bring more attention to games that we feel are particularly special – everything from current favorites to older gems, including games from new creators from around the world. You’ll learn more about the teams building these great games, the challenges they faced along their development journey, what they learned, advice they’d share with other developers, and much more.

This week, we’ll be taking a look at Pocketwatch Games, developer of the ID@Xbox game Monaco 2. We had a chance to chat with Andy Schatz, Studio Director for Pocketwatch Games, about the development journey the team took to publish Monaco 2 on Xbox.

Tell us a bit about Pocketwatch Games.

Pocketwatch Games is based out of San Diego but we have remote workers around the United States. We released the original Monaco: What Yours is Mine all the way back in 2013 and then followed it up with Tooth & Tail, a RTS featuring adorable critters in 2017. Now we’ve come back to Monaco twelve years later with Monaco 2 to fulfill our original vision for what Monaco could be.

What was the inspiration behind Monaco 2?

Monaco 2 is what we always imagined the original Monaco was going to be, but due to the size of the team when we were making the original Monaco, it just wasn’t feasible. Now with a bigger team, we were able to take Monaco to the next level and expand on the original in just about every way.

How did Xbox help support the development and/or publishing of Monaco 2?

Microsoft  has been a great partner for both Monaco 1 and Monaco 2. The development tech and support of a fantastic online community made it the perfect platform for a game like Monaco 2.

What were your duties on Monaco 2?

I'm the Studio Head, so I wear a lot of hats. I built the original prototype from the ground up. I was also the lead gameplay programmer, designer, and producer on the game. I also took on a number of other responsibilities, like doing some of the writing, voice direction, and marketing.

What do you want the audience to take away or experience once they play Monaco 2?

Monaco 2 is a good single-player experience, but we really want people to play with friends. The heists were really designed for co-op play, utilizing the dynamic character abilities to their full extent. 

Which feature or gameplay mechanic are you most proud of in Monaco 2?

We created a really innovative system that procedurally generates levels and makes the game feel truly massive. With a game like Monaco 2, variety isn’t just an added bonus, it’s the entire point of the game, so we needed to make a system that would challenge and delight players but that we as a small team could reasonably pull off.

What's the biggest lesson you learned during the development of Monaco 2?

The original Monaco was a huge success due to the multiplayer, so we wanted to make sure we stayed true to that while also making the game accessible to solo players. It took a lot of work to balance the two and make sure as many people as possible could enjoy Monaco 2, and I think we pulled it off. 

What was the biggest challenge you overcame during the development of Monaco 2?

During development we really tried to focus on the player experience and make sure we had varied experiences that players would enjoy completing. With a small team you have to be really agile, and we really had to maximize our team’s capacity to make this game feel like an expansion in every possible way.

What do you wish you knew going into the development of Monaco 2?

We built our own engine, hired our team from the ground up, used procedural generation, delivered on multiple platforms, and made an innovative game. We knew the risks in taking on this many tall tasks, but we probably could have done with derisking a bit more.

What advice would you offer fellow game developers working alone or on a smaller team?

Listen to your team – every voice in a room is critical when you’re working on a small team, so it’s important to make sure everyone is heard. You’d think that would be easy with a smaller team, but you do have to make sure you’re giving everyone space to bring up issues and talk about the things they’re proud of. We work great together because we’re always listening for feedback.

What’s next for Pocketwatch Games?

Right now we’re focusing on making sure Monaco 2 players are having the best time with the game and addressing feedback we’ve received.