Looters - Leadership Behind-the-scenes

[h2]We Are Back![/h2][p]Hey there heisters,[/p][p]In today’s devlog, we’re sharing something a little different: a look behind the scenes at the leadership and management of Looters. Game development is a team effort, and strong communication and direction are key to keeping things moving.[/p][p]We also hosted internal Q&A sessions with the management team, asking questions about leadership decisions, project direction, and how the team guides development. Dive into the leads’ history![/p][p]The front page of Looters online documentation, all made with Notion. Each department has a dedicated section that regroups all the essential information we might need during the development process[/p][p][/p][h2]Team Collaboration[/h2][p]When Looters was elected as one of our two final university projects alongside Spire of Chaos : Arcana Unleashed, the original team went from 5 people to 26 in the span of two weeks. Onboarding everyone on the team and making sure we all shared the same vision for the game was one of the biggest challenges we had to face. In order to achieve this and bring everyone together, we had to designate Project Managers, Directors and Leads to cover each design and art department.[/p][p]The original members of the team presenting Looters pitch deck at Gameloft Montreal in March 2025[/p][p][/p][h3](Francis and Cassandra, Co-Project Managers)[/h3][p]➡️ What are the pros and cons of co-managing a team of 26 people?[/p][p]🗨️ Pros: both of us can do other tasks aside from management (such as design and art) and are better equipped to pin down problems in our respective departments.[/p][p]Cons: there is always a possibility of having a disagreement or a misunderstanding on something, leading to a fragmentation of the team. It’s also possible that different methodologies emerge from each of us and our individual managing style, which can potentially cause confusion among team members.
[/p][p]➡️ What is some advice you would give to an aspiring project manager?[/p][p]🗨️ Focus on listening before jumping into solutions. Project management is about more than tasks and production deadlines, it is about the people behind the work. Clear communication keeps everyone aligned and learning from mistakes is an essential part of growing as a manager.[/p][p][/p][p]Cassandra (Project Manager) taking her job of assigning artists tasks in Notion very seriously[/p][p][/p][h2]Establishing Solid Foundations[/h2][p]Looters may be aimed at casual players, but it relies on a complex web of interconnected systems. This is where our lead programmers, Guy and Émile, shine. They build the project infrastructure, program mechanics, debug, review code, and maintain technical documentation. Thanks to their work, our Goblins can loot items, wear their dissimulation capes, throw things, and run around without running into game-breaking bugs![/p][p]Francis (Project Manager) leading a Sprint Planning with the rest of the team[/p][p][/p][h3](Guy, Technical Director)[/h3][p]➡️ What was your favorite feature, mechanic or system to implement in Looters so far?[/p][p]🗨️ It’s always hard to pinpoint only one thing, but I like implementing tools and systems for our level designers. I enjoy being able to help the team iterate more quickly and help them have the necessary resources to make the game they want to create. Having a system for interactions, using levers for example, allows them to create multiple interactions in their levels without needing a programmer. Being a small team, this helped us manage our resources a lot more efficiently.[/p][p][/p][p]➡️ Is there a technical aspect of Looters that was really challenging, and if so, how did you overcome it?[/p][p]🗨️ The throw probably was the hardest thing to implement. The mechanic went through various iterations. The programming itself was a little bit tricky, but figuring out what worked best for Looters was the hardest part. How we wanted the mechanic to feel, and its gameplay purposes were questions that took us longer than expected to answer.[/p][p]Émile (Creative Director/Programmer) and Guy (Technical Director) pulling legendary moves[/p][p][/p][h3](Émile, Creative Director/Programmer)[/h3][p]➡️ How does being both Creative Director and Programmer on Looters impact your creative decisions for the game?[/p][p]🗨️ Since we are only a few programmers in the team, I often had to prioritize coding over other things. That’s why it’s really important to have trust in your team members and encourage them to come see you for any questions or concerns. For example, the AI Encounter and Level Designers gave me weekly updates during Looters production, which allowed me to oversee many departments at once and reinforce coherence between all aspects of the game.[/p][p][/p][p]➡️ How does it feel to have your creative vision come to life through a 26-person production team?[/p][p]🗨️ It feels surreal. At the beginning, the vision for Looters was really straightforward. But when there’s so many people joining a project at once, a linear vision can easily become a melting pot of ideas. It’s very stimulating in a way, but we still have to be careful ; having many ideas is cool but coherence should always remain our priority. I’m still really amazed by how far we’ve come since our first pitch at Gameloft![/p][p]Émile (Creative Director/Programmer) with his beloved goblin Danaël (Level Designer)
[/p][h3](Rachel, Lead Level Designer)[/h3][p]➡️ What was the biggest challenge you faced as the Lead Level Designer?[/p][p]🗨️ One of the biggest challenges for the level design team was creating levels for two players that encourage collaboration while staying within precise metrics. We worked hard to reduce the risk of soft-locks, but players often found clever ways around puzzles we thought were unbreakable. Testing levels in pairs and iterating constantly has helped us refine them, and with enough playtesting and QA, we are confident the puzzles will challenge even the most determined players.[/p][p][/p][p]➡️ How did you manage to reconcile gameplay and art through the level design of Looters?[/p][p]🗨️ From the start, it was important that each level had its own identity, built from a narrative and visual theme paired with a mechanical one. In the Kitchen level, the theme focuses on the absurd amount of food everywhere, while the mechanics embrace the chaos of meal preparation. This level introduces the throw mechanic, letting Goblins toss ingredients into a giant cauldron to create a mysterious recipe. No spoilers! 🤭[/p][p]Rachel (Lead Level Designer) and Léo (AI Designer) working together on polishing a level for an upcoming playtest[/p][p][/p][h2]Guiding the Vision[/h2][p]Our art leads are at the heart of Looters’ visual direction, shaping the game’s overall style and tone. They set the creative goals, define the aesthetic boundaries, and ensure that every artistic decision aligns with the high-stakes, cinematic heist experience we want players to feel. By leading the team with clear vision and direction, they make sure that the world of Looters has a consistent, striking identity that stands out and draws players in.[/p][p]Since the early days, Miro has been part of our pipeline for team brainstorming. Here you can see part of the process used to explore the visual aesthetic of our levels[/p][p][/p][h3](Céline, Art Director)[/h3][p]➡️ How did you first establish the art direction for Looters? What where your main inspirations?[/p][p]🗨️ We established the art direction for Looters early on, when our team was just three artists. We spent a lot of time gathering references on ArtStation and Sketchfab to find styles that felt appealing and achievable. Games like Castlevania, the Zelda franchise, and Palia helped guide our fantasy tone and stylization. Working in a school setting, we also considered technical scope and team skill sets, leading us to a clay-like, low-poly aesthetic with vibrant colors, exaggerated shapes, and strong readability. The themes remain rooted in a classic D&D-inspired fantasy universe, where stylization enhances the magical and adventurous tone.[/p][p][/p][p]➡️ What aspect of the project are you most proud of?[/p][p]🗨️ As Art Director, what amazes me most is how each artist brought their own strengths to the project. The art direction had a very specific style, which was challenging at first, but through feedback and collaboration the team quickly adapted. I am proud of how everyone committed to the vision. In the end, that collective effort is what makes Looters feel visually cohesive, unique, and recognizable.[/p][p][/p][h2]Supporting the Vision[/h2][p]Beyond big-picture direction, our leads also guide the cohesion of environments, characters, and props. They work closely with the team to ensure every element fits naturally into the game world—whether it’s the design of a tense location, the personality of a character, or the details of a key prop. Their leadership keeps all visual components aligned, creating an immersive and believable world where every asset supports the story, gameplay, and atmosphere of Looters.[/p][p]Because we are part of a French university, our internal work is done in French. Here you can see our development journals, product backlogs, the artistic direction for Looters, and examples of deadlines, all managed in Notion[/p][p][/p][h3](Léa, Lead Character Artist)[/h3][p]➡️ As the Lead Character Artist, you were in charge of overseeing the creation of all the characters in Looters. How did you ensure that the there was always a coherence in the visual style of all the characters?[/p][p]🗨️ Since Céline and I established the Art Direction at the very beginning of the project, I had a lot of time to study it and clearly identify the key elements we wanted to maintain throughout the game. We were also fortunate to work with very talented concept artists who understood and followed the style closely, which made the work easier both for the 3D character artists and for me as a lead.[/p][p]At times, we needed to move slightly away from certain concepts to better fit the Art Direction within a 3D context. Those moments often became opportunities to experiment and refine the designs so they translated well into the final in-game characters.[/p][p][/p][p]➡️ What would you say was the hardest thing to do as the Lead Character Artist?[/p][p]🗨️ I think the hardest part of being a lead is giving feedback. Every artist works differently, and communication can sometimes be challenging. Having a clear vision is one thing, but explaining it in a way that others can easily understand is a completely different challenge. I was very lucky to work with patient and open-minded artists who were always willing to listen, even to my wildest ideas![/p][p]Léa (Lead Character Artist) and Andrea (Lead Marketing) discussing a very important matter[/p][p][/p][h3](Julien, Lead Environment Artist)[/h3][p]➡️ How did you collaborate with other departments to create coherent environments for Looters?[/p][p]🗨️ Since Looters is all about finding and looting every valuable prop, the environment really does have a bigger purpose in the core gameplay. Environments have to look good but also serve as a way of hiding or revealing certain objects or puzzles. Hence, Level Artists have the responsibility to work in tandem with Level Designers as well as Economic Designers to make sure that the loot distribution is balanced and rewarding for the players. It’s a bit of a give and take process for all the departments involved and finding that sweet spot in terms of what helps make the environment feel believable but also makes the gameplay feel right requires a lot of iterations.[/p][p][/p][p]➡️ What was the biggest challenge you faced as the Environment Lead?[/p][p]🗨️ It’s probably an obvious one but learning how to lead properly takes time and I would even say that I still don’t completely know how to do it. Unlike artist skills or 3D skills, you can’t learn leadership by taking courses or reading books, because there’s no perfect way of leading a team as every team is different. Unfortunately, I do believe that the only way you can learn to lead a team is by trial and error as even experienced team leads are going to face some struggles even if they probably get less frequent with more experience.[/p][p]Leading is so deeply rooted in human relations and intuitions that it sometimes feels like a totally different field than Video Game Development. Fortunately, it is also deeply rewarding, because there’s no better feeling than seeing your team thrive and work cohesively. When your team is having fun and producing amazing results, it really does feel like you did something right.[/p][p]Julien (Lead Environment Artist) reviewing artists props for the Kitchen level dressing[/p][p][/p][h2]Building an Online Presence from Scratch[/h2][p]Building an online presence from scratch for a game is both a creative and strategic process. At the beginning, the goal is not just to promote the game, but to start building a relationship with a potential community. This means defining a clear identity, choosing the right platforms, and sharing the development journey in a way that feels authentic and engaging. Step by step, this early visibility helps transform a project into something people can follow, support, and become excited about. 🎮[/p][p][/p][h3](Andrea, Lead Marketing)[/h3][p]➡️ Can you tell us more about the role of the marketing department from the start of the project and how it evolved during the production?[/p][p]🗨️ At the beginning, marketing focused on building our online presence by creating social media platforms and sharing the development process. The goal was to start building visibility and a small community around the game. As production progresses, the role will become more strategic. I would like to showcase more behind the scenes content and gameplay to help attract a wider audience.
[/p][p]➡️ What was the biggest challenge you faced as the Marketing Lead?[/p][p]🗨️ The biggest challenge was (and still is) promoting a project that is still evolving and that doesn't allow me to showcase gameplay as of yet. Since many elements changed during development, it required careful planning to communicate clearly while staying authentic to the team's progress.[/p][p][/p][h2]Off To Work![/h2][p]We hope this devlog gave you an insight of what it’s like to work as a multidisciplinary team on a project like Looters. Leads and Project Managers are there from start to finish to make sure everyone is on the same page. Each department has its role in the development process, and none should be overlooked. After all, it takes a close-knit tribe of Goblins with each with their own strengths to make a fun and coherent game![/p][p]The complete leading team, from left to right, top to bottom : Guy (Technical Director), Léa (Lead Character Artist), Rachel (Lead Level Designer), Céline (Art Director), Julien (Lead Environment Artist), Andrea (Lead Marketing), Émile (Creative Director/Programmer), Francis and Cassandra (Project Managers)[/p][p][/p][p]Next week, we will tackle the Programming department and show some behind-the-scenes of the technical challenges our team faces daily.

In the meantime, stay greedy, heisters! 💚✨[/p][p][/p][p]And as always...[/p][h3]👉 Add Looters To Your Wishlist Now![/h3][h3]👉 Follow our shenanigans and development insights on Instagram![/h3]