Roombattle News

[h2]Discord[/h2]

Why a Discord? And why now, on this random January day?

Think about it: soon, two big surprises will arrive in Roombattle. But all in good time.

We’ve created this Discord with one goal in mind: to make you part of Roombattle’s day-to-day life by sharing ideas, giving feedback, and connecting with other Roombattlers.

In short, it’s a gathering point where we can work together to improve and create a better game for you.

You’ll have a unique space to ask questions, share curiosities, propose ideas… and at some point, drive the programmers crazy by reporting bugs.

For now, we’ve limited the languages to English, Catalan, and Spanish. Oh, and Japanese too—because one of our programmers is learning it, and if someone who speaks it joins, they can practice.



[h2]New UI[/h2]

Are we working on a new UI because we didn’t like the old one? Not exactly. Is it because the project’s needs have changed? Maybe...

I’ll keep saying this: connect the dots with all these things. I’m not allowed to say much more about the new UI, but I managed to snag these two images from Figma.

Here are some concepts/screens that are work in progress:



[h2]Points System[/h2]

The points system is designed to ensure no one feels too far ahead. After all, who likes a game that’s decided in the first round? We want excitement until the very end… and if anyone has a heart attack from the suspense, don’t say we didn’t warn you!

Points will be the same in both Free-for-All and Team modes. The only difference is that in Team mode, we add up individual scores. It’s like finding coins in the couch—you’re sometimes surprised by how much you collect!

The more players there are, the more points there will be to distribute. As with the UI, this isn’t final, and we want to hear from you. Shall we talk about it on Discord?

What happens if there’s a tie? We’re planning to implement a sudden-death round, but we’ve got some questions:

• ill all players compete in it?
  
• Will players not battle for first place earn extra points?
  
• What happens with ties that aren’t for first place?
  
• And there are probably others we can’t remember right now.
  

[h2]Roombadvices[/h2]

Finally, this will be a space where team members recommend games, series, movies, books, sell stuff… you know, whatever they feel like sharing.

Roombauthor of the newsletter:

• I got a Nintendo DS this Christmas. I never had one as a kid, and I’m enjoying it like I’m 8 years old again. I meet up with friends to play Mario Party, and—don’t ask why—I’m working through Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games. I just want to play curling.
  
• I’m still watching Lost. I’m halfway through season 2.
  
• I don’t have much time, but when I watch it, I want to binge three more episodes—it’s so addictive. I’m also watching Bojack Horseman. I think the next episode is the churro one. If you’ve seen it, you know what I mean.
  
• It’s time to admit I’m not reading anything. I’m not going to fool myself anymore.
  
• Thank you, David Lynch, for everything, especially for creating the Twin Peaks universe. I was completely blown away.
  

Raúl, the Marketing Guy (give his TikToks a like, please):

• When I’m not on Twitter, I like building Gundam model kits. Right now, I’m working on a Guncannon, and I have a G-Self waiting in my backlog.
  
• I recently finished Arrested Development and started Black Lagoon. Actually, I’m almost done with it because I needed a complete change of pace.
  
• I also started Sifu, but I’m terrible at it, and it’s been hard to make progress. I promise to try harder.
  
• Last week, I went to a Carolina Durante concert in Valencia, Spain, with some friends. It was great, but there were way too many people in such a small space.
  

WE WON AN AWARD, SHOWCASES, AND THE GIVEAWAY

Let’s start at the beginning: WE WON OUR FIRST AWARD!

Every year, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, our university, awards the best entrepreneurial project from students or recent graduates, and this year, Dust Games was the winner. How amazing is that?

We’re over the moon, honestly. Not just because it’s our first prize, but because it’s a recognition of the whole team and all the hard work we’ve put into Roombattle and everything else we’ve been doing so far.


[h2]Events[/h2]

We’ve also had 3 events in 2 weeks (phew, what a month).

The first was Saga, the Catalan video game fair. Catalan is the language of our territory, Catalunya, and let’s just say it hasn’t always been given the protection it deserves. So here’s the first announcement: the game will also be available in Catalan!

Then we had two events on the same weekend, and it’s kind of funny because one was called BIG and the other VAG—BIG BAG VAG VIG. The BIG took place in Bilbao and the VAG in a small town in Catalonia called Amposta.

At both Saga and VAG, we showcased our Live Action experience. For those of you who don’t know what that is, it’s the video game, but with PlayStation 3 controllers and robot battles in an awesome ring. It’s pretty fun. I’ll tell you more about it one day.


[h3]THE GIVEAWAY[/h3]
Now that I’ve got your full attention, it’s time to talk about… three minigames!

You’ll have to wait a little longer for the giveaway, but honestly, what’s coming now is even more exciting than finding out if you’ve got €5 to spend on a CS:GO key (please don’t do that if you win).

[h3]Balloon Rain[/h3]

I’ll be honest, we spent 10 weeks in a row brainstorming every day, only to end up with a balloon rain game where the main mechanic is popping balloons. GENIUS.

Now I have to defend this—let’s see how I do… BUT it’s actually really fun because of the ridiculously absurd balloon physics. Players think they know where the balloon is going to land, but nope, you have to stay sharp. It’s super popular at fairs—probably one of the favorites.


[h3]Roomplosion[/h3]

I’m not going to repeat the joke, but you can imagine how hard we worked to come up with this minigame.

Now that I think about it, I’m not sure if I’m selling the game well, but I promise you they’re all insanely fun, no matter how simple or absurd they may seem.

Okay, so in this one, you have a bomb, and you have to pass it to one of your opponents before it blows up in your face (kind of like hot potato). Simple as that, and just as fun.

We’ve thought about adding more than one bomb at some point, or different types of bombs. Let us know your thoughts in the comments!


[h3]Rumba Battle[/h3]

You don’t know it yet, but this is the best naming ever because the music playing is RUMBA CATALANA. It’s a traditional music style from the region we live in. Isn’t that amazing?

This is the favorite minigame of our programmers (not). It’s the one that breaks everything. Bugs come out of nowhere. At every fair, it’s like, “Oh, I’m just going to crash the game now.” And in a musical minigame, it’s always fun when the neighbor comes over to say, “You’re being too loud, and it’s 3 a.m.” Well, sorry for enjoying Catalan rumba.

So what’s it about? You’re in a nightclub, and there are spotlights for all the players except on, dance battle basically. If you’re the one left without a spotlight, you’re out.

(I swear this isn’t a reflection of the indie industry and its lack of media focus.)


[h3]Roombadvices[/h3]
To wrap things up, this is where team members will recommend games, series, movies, books, random stuff to sell… I don’t know, whatever they feel like sharing.

Roombauthor of the newsletter:

• I haven’t been playing much, but I’ve gotten slightly addicted to Topsoil: A Garden Puzzle on public transport. It’s a silly game, but with Stardew Valley vibes in the music.
  
• I’m watching Lost. Yeah, I’m super late, but when it came out, I was 4 years old. I think I know how it ends (probably), but wow, what a wild ride.
  
• I’m also rewatching BoJack Horseman. I used to hate Mr. Peanutbutter, but now I find him endearing. Maybe because I’m older now or because I see myself in him.
  
• I’m still reading The Penske File by Jaime Rubio Hancock—well, I’m still stuck on the same page I was in August. I’ll keep you updated.
  

Oscar, the 3D Artist:

• In my free time, I paint miniatures. Right now, I’m preparing my Ultramarines army from Warhammer 40k for Kill Team. For the Emperor!
  
• Lately, I’ve been listening to the podcast Gente Muerta by Maya Pixelskaya, where they talk about historical figures with fun facts. Highly recommended.
  
• I’ve also been playing Marvel Rivals, which is like Overwatch but with Marvel characters. I’m happy because Spider-Man, my main, is in it.
  
• By the way, my partner gave me the Lego Spider-Man Advent Calendar. Yesterday, I built a mini fireplace with stockings—adorable.
  

AND THE GIVEAWAY WINNERS AREN’T HERE
Okay, I wrote this on the bus on my way back from my other job. Because like good indie developers, we’re all juggling multiple jobs.

But don’t feel sorry for us; we do it out of pure masochism.

So…

The

Winners

Are

jant1000.cat@************
vvsvsvsvsvsvsvsvsvsvsvsvsvsvsvsvsvvsvsv@************

If you’re one of the lucky winners, email us at hello @dustgames.es to claim your prize BEFORE 12/31/2024.

Congratulations, happy holidays, and happy New Year. See you in 2025 with a new and exciting devblog—unless I overdose on granny cannelloni!

The holidays are here, and what better way to celebrate than with a special giveaway? At Dust Games, we’re thrilled to spread some festive cheer with our Roombattle Holiday Giveaway! Whether you’re a veteran Roombattle fan or new to the chaos, this is your chance to win and add some excitement to your gaming setup.

[h2]What’s Up for Grabs?[/h2]

We’re giving away TWO €5 Steam Cards to two lucky subscribers of our Devblog! Just by subscribing, you could snag yourself some Steam credit to use on your favorite games.

[h2]How to Enter[/h2]

Subscribe to our Devblog and stay up-to-date with exclusive Roombattle news and development insights.

[h2]Key Details[/h2]

• Deadline: Entries close on Sunday, December 22nd.
  
• Announcement: Winners will be revealed in Devblog #2 on the same day. Keep an eye out for the update!
  

[h2]A Warm Thank You[/h2]

As we close out the year, we want to thank everyone who’s supported Roombattle’s journey. Your enthusiasm and feedback drive us to create the best experience possible, and we can’t wait to share what’s coming in 2025.

Happy Holidays from all of us at Dust Games!

🎉 Let the Party Begin! 🥳

The Four is Party – Multiplayer Celebration by Daedalic Entertainment GmbH is live, and guess what? #Roombattle is crashing the party! 🕹️

This is your sign to grab your squad, explore a lineup of amazing multiplayer games, and, of course, show some love by hitting that wishlist button. Roombattle is ready to bring the chaos and fun—are you?

👉 Wishlist Roombattle here: https://lnkd.in/d5r2QWqr

First things first: introductions

If you’re reading this, it’s because you’ve shown interest in Roombattle at some point. And we know that if you own a vacuum at home, there’s a high chance you’ve even given it a name. That’s what truly unites us all.

Mine’s called “Sebas,” short for Sebastian. I’m not entirely sure why it’s called that, but it’s been with us since 2012. My mom picked the name, and I like to think it’s inspired by The Little Mermaid, though honestly, I doubt it.

But before we dive under the sea, I want to tell you a little about how we got here—to this rainy November day, after a year and a half of making a vacuum-battle game with balloons...

[h2]Dust Games[/h2]
Like many indie studios, it all began in university, where we built the first prototype of what is now Roombattle. We’ve got that prototype locked in a drawer somewhere, but maybe someday we’ll show what our “origins” looked like.

And yes, I know Dust Games isn’t exactly an original name, given the theme of our game. We did what we could, and now we’re fully in love with Dusty, our mascot. (IT’S NOT A POPCORN, OKAY?)

And now, the real devblog

Today, we’re going to review all the content we’ve developed so far, which is honestly quite a bit.

We’ve been focusing on three main fronts: Core gameplay, themes, and minigames. Today, we’re all about the Core—the very heart of the fun.

For core gameplay, we have two unique frameworks: first, the vacuum’s gameplay itself, and then, the rewards players earn through power-ups and mystery skills, which we’ll talk about down the road another day.

[h2]Gameplay[/h2]
So, what can you do if you’re a humble vacuum? Well, for some reason, we’ve slapped balloons on the back and sharp objects on the front. Credit for this idea actually goes to some Vine (RIP) account whose name I can’t remember.

For gameplay, it’s awesome because you always have to stay aware of a weak spot (the balloons) while attacking from the opposite side.

At this point, you might be thinking of Mario Kart and its balloon mode—it’s a natural thought process; we went through it, too. But we promise it’s nothing like that, other than the balloons.

That’s mostly because of the movement, which has been iterated on so many times that it’s practically seasoned and pan-fried. Let’s talk about the moves you get:

• Dash: The dash is a vital part of player mobility, letting you zip around with a short cooldown. But during playtesting, we realized it was missing something for our more advanced players—or, as we like to call them, “Aspiring Masters of Roombattle”.
  
• Charged Dash: So, we solved this with the charged dash. It works just like the regular dash, but if you hold down the input, you go farther, faster, and you can even stun your opponents.
  

Roombattle Roomtour

[h2]SAGA - Catalan video games fair[/h2]

• 29th Nov - 1st Dec
  
• La farga, Hospitalet del Llobregat - Barcelona
  

[h2]VAG EXPERIENCE[/h2]

• 5th Dec- 8th Dec
  
• Amposta - Tarragona
  

[h2]BIG CONFERENCE[/h2]

• 6th Dec- 7th Dec
  
• Euskalduna Palace - Bilbao
  

Roombadvices

Lastly, we’ll finish with Roombadvices, where team members recommend games, shows, movies, books, or try to sell you things… whatever they feel like, really.

[h3]Roombauthor of the Newsletter[/h3]

I spent all weekend playing Overcooked 2 with my partner. Who would’ve thought we’d both love party games?

I’m watching The Boys and Gen V, currently on Season 4. It’s fun, action-packed, all good stuff.

I’m reading “El informe penkse” by Jaime Rubio Hancock. Started back in August, and it’s a short read. I’ll keep you informed.

[h3]Dani JR[/h3]

Lately I've been playing Metaphor: ReFantazio. I really liked the gameplay of Persona 5 but I found it's story a little lacking, so I expected to find this new game simply ok.

What I didn't expect is to experience such an interesting and deeply political story that's made even more meaningful by the events occurring right now in the world.

I've also been watching some shows. The Penguin just had it's bombastic ending, becoming one of the best series ever made to the surprise of everyone.

It's also fair to say that I'm addicted to DanDaDan, every week I look forward to Thursday so I can get my dose. I already know the story because I have read the manga, but that only makes me appreciate even more the care with wich they are animating it.

Lastly, I just finished book 3 of the Earthsea Cycle by Ursula K. Le Guin, from which I enjoyed how different it feels to other fantasy novels and how much it made me think.

Spoiler

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