Inside Indie Selects: Slime Heroes

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 Pancake Games, developer of the ID@Xbox game Slime Heroes. We had a chance to chat with Tomas Gomez, CEO and Founder of Pancake Games, about the development journey the team took to publish Slime Heroes on Xbox.

Tell us a bit about Pancake Games.

We’re a small team of experienced indie devs who have come together to create inclusive adventures for everyone. When I founded the studio, I wanted to create a space for underrepresented creators in game development that empowered their voices and visions to have a platform, so our diverse team is reflective of that. With a combined 30+ years of experience, members of our team have worked on projects spanning from indie to AAA.  

What was the inspiration behind Slime Heroes?

I wanted to build a Co-op game that I could share with my partner and my daughter, so I drew a lot of inspiration from games I enjoyed when I was younger. I was also motivated to create an action game inspired by Soulslikes that I could enjoy and that is also welcoming to people new to the genre.

How did Xbox help support the development and/or publishing of Slime Heroes?

Xbox gave us our first development funds through the Developer Acceleration Program (DAP) program and has been a great support throughout the process. The funds from DAP allowed me to start growing the team and making Slime Heroes what it is today.

What were your duties on Slime Heroes?

I was the creative director leading the team. Before I got the funds to bring on my team, I was doing everything for Slime Heroes, getting it to a vertical slice state.

What do you want the audience to take away or experience once they play Slime Heroes?

I want people to have fun exploring the world and experimenting with the skill system — we put a lot of effort into that mechanic as we knew it would allow players to get a chance to really customize their experience to fit their play style. Even though you can play the game solo, I hope they get enjoyment from sharing the play experience with a friend.

Which feature or gameplay mechanic are you most proud of in Slime Heroes?

The skill system is what I am most proud of. We wanted players to be able to discover new abilities with the skill crafting system. Allowing players to find combinations and play exactly the way they want to in Slime Heroes. The combination of our skill system and accessibility features really allows people to have the type of play experience that's fun for them.

What's the biggest lesson you learned during the development of Slime Heroes?

Running a studio and building a team were new to me. For most of my career, I had been an artist, so doing both of these was a big learning experience for me. 

What was the biggest challenge you overcame during the development of Slime Heroes?

The biggest challenge was building a new team that could work together well and managing each person to make sure they felt empowered to do their best and provide them with opportunities to grow. Looking back, these were also the most rewarding things over the development of Slime Heroes.

What do you wish you knew going into the development of Slime Heroes?

Knowing the details of how to run a business and raise funds is just as important as knowing how to develop a great game.

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

Always remember who you are building the game for and make sure every decision you make is working towards that goal. Also, you should network early because you’ll need support somewhere in the development of your game, and it’s important to have friends and a support system that can help you when you most need it.

What’s next for Pancake Games?

We are currently working on new game projects, so please keep an eye out for future updates from our studio by joining our Discord or following us on our social channels.