In Cosmic Crew, different co-op controllers keep a starship intact
The 2023 Game Developers Conference will once again feature Alt.Ctrl.GDC , an exhibition dedicated to games that use alternative control schemes and interactions in new, exciting, and clever ways. Ahead of GDC 2023, Game Developer will be talking to the developers of each of the games that have been selected for the showcase.
Cosmic Crewsees a space-piloting team work together: a gunner and mechanic run different controller stations, with the gunner spotting foes and shooting them while the mechanic repairs the ship and loads ammo.
The team at Space Cow Games spoke with Game Developer about how iterating on their design for a space combat game would lead to splitting the game into two unique controllers and roles, the thoughts that went into creating two control schemes that make the players communicate in sometimes-hilarious ways, and how it sometimes just feels good to have a controller you're SUPPOSED to beat on.
What’s your name, and what was your role on this project?
Qiu: My name’s Andrew Qiu and I’m the project lead responsible for design, programming, hardware development, and documentation.
Chambers: My name is Sarah Chambers and I’m another designer of Cosmic Crew. I’ve also been responsible for organizing playtesting sessions.
Sun: My name is Suowei Sun and my role in this group is as an artist. I'm mainly responsible for game art design, including 2D art sprites, UI assets, and VFX.
How do you describe your innovative controller to someone who’s completely unfamiliar with it?
Qiu: The goal of the controller is to emulate what operating a space fighter with a friend would feel like. On player one’s side, you have a physical gun turret that can be aimed and fired at enemies. Player two has metal
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