Review Fix Exclusive: Kevin Andersson Talks “Hoplegs’

Review Fix chats with “Hopeless’ developer Kevin Andersson, who discusses the game, its development cycle and goals.

About Hoplegs:

Hoplegs is an unconventional and entertaining platformer where the gamepad buttons are your legs! Create and share your own levels, challenge your friends, and have fun!

Review Fix: How was this game born?

Kevin Andersson: This game was born out of a small break from a bigger project I was working on. I felt that I needed to make something small and fun. After working on it for 3 hours I posted a gif on Twitter before bed and when I woke up I had over 700 notifications and during the following day I had about 100 notifications per hour. It was unreal for me. I knew I had to continue with this project from then on.

Review Fix: What is your role in the game?

Andersson: I do everything except the music and sound effects. So I do the art, programming and level design. Then I’m responsible for the social media and every small task there is left with the project. I tend to work alone and get help for the pieces that I’m missing or don’t have time for.

Review Fix: What has development been like?

Andersson: Honestly, almost too smooth. I’m just waiting for when I realize that I’ve made a big mistake.

Review Fix: What makes this game special?

Andersson: I think the mix of difficult/rage games with a level editor aspect like it is in Mario Maker is great! I think the cartoony look can make it easier for players when making custom levels, to make sure the majority of levels will keep the same visual level of detail.

Review Fix: What games influenced this one the most?

Andersson: In the beginning it was mostly Super Meat Boy and Mario Maker. But as people saw the game and tried it they all mentioned Getting Over It with Bennett Foddy and Jump King. So I tried more difficult levels and I had more fun, which is really good because what people expect when they see the game is when the game is the most fun.

Review Fix: Any fun stories or wild moments during development?

Andersson: Since I livestream the development most of the wild moments happen on stream. Someone kept asking for a jetpack and I didn’t want to add it but then one day I ran out of things to add during the stream so I tried their idea. After a few minutes I had a quick test and it was really fun. Different but fun, so I kept it. There’s been moments where I just find new ways to take the level design and I can see the reaction from the chat right away. Then I know to move in that direction for some levels.

Review Fix: What were the major lessons learned?

Andersson: I’ve done it before but for every project it’s good to have an open mind and allow your idea to follow the fun. You can’t fully design a game on paper, sometimes you can only take it far enough and then see what it organically grows into.

Review Fix: Do you think preserving older gameplay mechanics in new games is important?

Andersson: To some extent yes. Some mechanics can get stale but sometimes they can get some small updates to feel more modern while still keeping its original charm.

Review Fix: The marketplace is crowded. How do you think you stand out?

Andersson: I mentioned the level editor before and I really believe that it will be the thing that keeps the game alive after players have finished the levels I’ve created. I have this image in my head where content creators play their viewers levels and that loop just keeps going. Imagine a youtuber with a series of “I play your Hoplegs levels #7”. The content creator will get content and make something together with their community while the people who made the levels will be happy that their favourite YouTuber or streamer played their level.

Review Fix: How have your previous experiences in industry helped this game?

Andersson: Yes, I’ve been making games professionally since 2014. I’ve released and been a part of games that are available on all major platforms. I’ve worked as a level designer, producer and programmer before I started working solo on my games. Which means that I’ve been part of the development team and also the team that makes sure the build gets uploaded properly to the stores etc.

Review Fix: How do you want this game to ultimately be remembered?

Andersson: A good game that added something new to the mix.

Review Fix: What’s next?

Andersson: Right now it’s all about making as big noise as I can with the Early Access release and then it’s working on the first big update which will be the Co-Op update.

Review Fix: Anything else you’d like to add?

Andersson: Just that if you pick up Hoplegs then I hope that you have fun.