Roombattle News

Back in October 2024, we made a big (and possibly reckless) decision: Scrap everything and start over — while also launching a local demo on Steam. Post-mortem coming eventually, but spoiler: maybe not our smartest moment.
[h2]Why Start Over?[/h2]
Because we realized fixing a game never designed for online was going to be more painful than just doing it right from the beginning.
[h3] 🧠 A Few Gems from Our Existential Crisis Log: [/h3]

• What tech stack are we using???
• Let’s check the UI — wait. Nothing works.
• Can there be local + online players in the same match? → Yeah, in theory... but how?
• How do we handle ping + latency so everyone has fun? → Good question. Next question.
• What if someone disconnects mid-match? What if the host drops?
• What if the whole country had a blackout but our artist still goes to the studio and only realizes there’s no electricity after plugging in their PC? → Don’t laugh. This happened.

[h2]🎮 Guadalindie: The Trial by Fire[/h2]
While the devs were deep in code chaos, part of the team headed to Málaga for Guadalindie. This was the event — the moment of truth.
[h3]Let’s Time-Travel Through the Week:[/h3]

• Monday: No build.
• Tuesday: Build exists — but the game loop is broken.
• Wednesday: Build works — but no theme.
• Thursday: Build is here — and it’s completely broken.
• Friday: Players are playing. The demo works. Somehow.

Was it magic? Not really. Because we rebuilt it from scratch, we could trace bugs fast, fix them faster, and keep things under control.



👉 Watch our chaotic but hilarious recap video here Watch our chaotic but hilarious recap video here
[h2]🪩 Roombadvices: Arnau Edition[/h2]
Here’s where it gets truly wild. While Arnau was building online multiplayer from scratch, he was also:

• 🎌 Learning Japanese
• 🎭 Rehearsing every week
• 🎤 For a musical

Yup. He was literally dancing in a show — Notre-Dame de Paris, no less.

I know, it sounds fake. But I promise: Arnau is the final boss of video game devs. A multitasking machine who codes all day and dances all night.

So I asked Arnau to share a few words about the experience. Today we will have only his experience. (Also, I don’t wanna talk about why I have been listening to Sabrina Carpenter on loop all month.)

[h3]💬 Arnau, the Programmer[/h3]
"But at night, I become a Dancer"

You know, I think it’s okay to say it: Programming can be tough sometimes. Fighting bugs alone with no interaction other than yourself... Fortunately, some years ago I found a way to escape from this virtual insanity: Dancing! I enjoy doing some Locking and Hip-Hop in my free time.

W-what do you mean NullPointerException?? It’s time for Michael Jackson and Trueno 🤸

Right now I'm participating in a musical called Notre-Dame de Paris. There are a lot of similarities with game development... But I want to highlight the importance of the team. Whatever you do, treat your teammates with respect. I assure you, there’s always something to learn from every single person you meet — like finding out how they laugh 🤗

Have fun and happy dances!

It’s been a while since we last shared anything—we missed it! Since we launched the demo in February, it’s been a rollercoaster ride. The intense kind, where you step off shaking, unsure if you want to go again or never get on another ride in your life. That’s where we’re at. We'll surely talk about all this in the future, but for now... LONDON!

London Game Festival

Of all the cool things happening at the London Game Festival, the one that excites me the most is that Roombattle will be playable in Trafalgar Square for a whole day. I’ve never been to London, but that sounds both crazy and amazing.

Roombattle has been selected as part of the festival’s Official Selection, specifically in the "Pick up and Play" category—honestly, a perfect fit for us.

The festival runs for two weeks and features tons of events, networking opportunities, and a chance to discover new projects. Here’s where you can find us:

• New Game Plus – April 3 & 4 – Event Link
• Now Play This – Event Link
• Trafalgar Square Game Fest – April 11 – Event Link
• Steam Event – April 2–15 – Event Link

4YFN – Mobile World Congress

Just a month ago, we were at the MWC, one of the world’s biggest tech fairs. We were in the start-up section, thanks to Catalan Arts.

It was an amazing event where we got to share experiences with other developers and entrepreneurs from all kinds of tech fields. Our boss, Roomboss, even had meetings with major multinational tech companies… but I don’t think they took him very seriously. Here’s a quick recap of the event.

New Minigames

Since it’s been a while since we last updated you, here’s a sneak peek at three minigames currently in the prototyping phase. These may or may not make it into the final game—that’s the magic of development. But in our heads, they sound super fun.

[h3]1. INFLATON[/h3]
This minigame follows the usual battle rules but with a 30-second timer. The goal? Have the biggest balloon when the timer runs out. A large gas tank is placed at the center—dashing into it inflates your balloon. We still need to decide the maximum balloon size and how much they grow per dash, factoring in the remaining time.



[h3]2. DANCE DANCE ROOMBALUTION (My Fav)[/h3]
A screen displays a color sequence with every beat. Players must stand inside the correct color when the beat hits. If they fail, they lose a balloon. If a player runs out of balloons, they’re out.



[h3]3. DEEP CLEANING[/h3]
Maps are filled with physics-based small debris (like candy, paper clips, coins, shells—anything smaller than the vacuums). Players earn 1 point per item they vacuum up. However, getting hit by a dash or charged dash makes them drop debris and lose points.





To wrap things up, here’s a space where team members recommend games, series, movies, books… or try to sell you stuff. Who knows?

[h3]Roombauthor of this newsletter[/h3]
This time, I’m just bringing you three music recommendations:

• 🎵 Oracle Sisters – Divinations (If you can, see them live—totally worth it!)
  
• 🎵 Melancholy Brunettes (& Sad Women) – Japanese Breakfast (Michelle Zauner is simply perfect.)
  
• 🎵 F*k U Skrillex You Think Ur Andy Warhol But Ur Not!!

Oh, and I re-downloaded Plants vs. Zombies (the first one, the real one). As you can tell, it’s been a rough couple of weeks.

Also, I watched Kneecap—check it out. What a movie (and what a cool group of people).

PD: I've written this entire newsletter without making a single joke about drinking tea with a pinky up.

[h3]Oscar, the Artist "Let me create more dinosaurs!"[/h3]
I like rediscovering board games with my partner and friends. Right now, I’m enjoying resource management and tile-laying games the most.

I recently played Meadow, a beautiful game about collecting animal cards and making combinations to score points. It even includes an annex with information about the animals.

Since I’ll be starting the Dune novel soon, I’m checking out the art book from both movies first. It helps me store visual references in my mind before diving into the story.

Lately, I’ve been eyeing the Flipper Zero, a tiny hacking gadget. It’s like a Tamagotchi for techies, packed with hacking functions (used responsibly), but I’m also exploring what can be done with its pins and extra functionalities.

Roombattle Demo is Now Avalaible!

Today is not a regular devblog… Today we bring you, Roombattlers, two big surprises.
We just released the Roombattle Demo!!! And not only that, but we’re also announcing that it will have native online multiplayer at launch! Let's dive into the details.



[h2]Roombattle Demo[/h2]

What will you find in the Demo?

• 🗺️ The Living room theme: Dodge obstacles, explore interactive elements, and… Watch out for the 🌵 cactus!
  
• 🎮 2 thrilling mini-games:
  
• • 🌀 Roombout: Don’t let your vacuum cleaner fall into the water… or you’ll lose! 🌊
    
  • 🎈 Balloon Rain: Is it raining balloons? 💥 Pop as many as you can!
    
• ⚡ 6 Power-Ups: Crazy modifiers that make battles even more chaotic.
  
• ❓ 2 Mystery Skills: Win the mini-game round and unlock a special advantage that will make you (almost) invincible.
  
• 🎨 Customize your vacuum: Up to 8,000 combinations to be the most fabulous vacuum of all! ✨
  

Here is the Teaser:
[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

We want you to be part of the game’s improvement! Feel free to share your feedback about the demo on our Discord (bugs included…). A bit further down, you’ll also find a FAQ section about the demo.

This release coincides with Steam Couch Co-Op Fest, in which we are participating!


[h2]Online Mode[/h2]
Roombattle will have native online multiplayer. This is a huge technical and design challenge, but if we’re announcing it today, it means everything is going according to our roadmap!
We've been working on the online version of Roombattle for around 5 months now. In fact, we already have a playable online demo, but it hasn’t been tested enough to be released yet.
These past months have been intense—we had to rethink many assumptions, and you wouldn't believe the crazy journey this has been. We’ll share more details soon, but for now… go play the demo!

[h2]Roombattle Demo FAQ[/h2]
🟢 How can I play the Roombattle Demo?
It’s as easy as having a Steam account, going to our Steam page, downloading it, and voilà!
🟢 How can I play the Roombattle Demo with my friends?
While we’re working on the online version, you can play the demo using Steam’s Remote Play Together. It’s super easy, convenient, and fun!
🟢 Where can I find people to play Roombattle with?
Join our Discord to connect with other players, discuss improvements, and report bugs. And soon, we’ll have even more exciting things coming!
🟢 How long will the Roombattle Demo be available?
We don’t plan on removing the demo… unless it explodes, and we have no choice. But if you’re reading this, that means the demo hasn’t crashed (yet).
🟢 Will you add more content to the demo?
The demo’s content will remain the same. Future updates will focus on performance improvements and minor bug fixes.
Our main focus now is to develop the full game and deliver the best possible experience!
🟢 When will the full game be released?
Sometime in 2025 :)
🟢 What content will the full version have?

[] ✅ Native online multiplayer
[] ✅ Multiple themes with different levels
[] ✅ Mini-games, mini-games, and even more mini-games
[] ✅ Various game modes: Endless party fun!
[] ✅ Unlockable customizations
[] ✅ And much more!

😆 Laughs & Smiles Game Festival by Crunching Koalas is here! 🎉

Our vacuum cleaners are rolling in to join the fun! 🌀🤖

Get ready for hilarious, rib-tickling, sidesplitting, gut-busting games that will keep you laughing for hours!

Don't miss out—Wishlist #Roombattle now and join the #party! 🕹️😂

🔗 https://bit.ly/Roombattle-Steam