Stump'd! has an axe swinging, raccoon flinging controller
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.
Stump'd! is all about chopping wood, asking you to swing an axe at a stump to split logs while carefully flinging any pesky raccoons out of the way.
Game Developer spoke with some members of Team Borf about how a rhythm game concept eventually became a wood-chopping game and the thought process that drew them to add their troublesome raccoon mascot and what his presence added to the game.
What’s your name, and what was your role on this project?
Baboolal: I'm Christopher Baboolal. Our project’s name is Stump’d! and I was a game, sound and controller designer. Specifically, I have made the functionality of the controller and constructed our various prototypes.
Yang: My name is Kye-Ting Yang and my role was dealing with game and controller design.
Strakhov: My name is Kris Strakhov and I am the character, prop, and environment artist for Stump’d!. I also made the animations for the interactable objects in the game.
Ramos: My name is Mattais Ramos and I was the programmer and a game designer on this project.
How do you describe your innovative controller to someone who’s completely unfamiliar with it?
Strakhov: Our controller has three parts: the stump, the axe, and the pedal. The player is meant to hit the axe against the stump in order to chop items in the game just like wood-splitting in real life. The pedal acts like one from a trash can—stepping down on it lifts the top of the stump
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