It feels like only a minute ago that I was looking at Romancelvania, the hybrid Metroidvania-dating sim romantic comedy from Perception developer The Deep End Games. Though the platforming and controls are still getting fine-tuned, the writing already impresses with a mixture of heart and laughs powerful enough to get Dracula's cold, dead heart pumping again. Dragged into a reality show by his best friend The Grim Reaper, Drac's thrust into all manner of over the top madness.
Excited by this strange hybrid of a game, I decided to track down Amanda and Bill Gardner, Narrative and Creative Directors respectively, to get another quick bite of what to look forward to with their latest project. Who better to rekindle Drac's gothic romance than a husband-and-wife team with experience across published novels and major AAA releases like Bioshock?
As amusing as it was to play Romancelvania, it sounds like it's been as much of a joy behind the scenes. "Development has been a blast!" the Gardners exclaim. "Seriously, it’s such a joy to work on a game that makes the whole team laugh."
Though the COVID-19 outbreak introduced some hurdles early on, the team at Deep End were already working remotely, ensuring a relatively smooth production. Now, as restrictions loosen, they're getting to finally engage with the real world. "We had this one awesome event in Salem where the team came out to be interviewed for a series of Dev Diaries, and that was a hoot," the Gardners recall. "It was just a really great bonding experience in the spookiest city in America."
Camaraderie has flourished not just among the team, but with the game's Kickstarter backers. Where some games might go silent for months or even years, development of Romancelvania has offered plenty of peaks behind the curtain. "We love getting a pulse from our community," they explain. "It’s really important to get a read on things, so we’ll hop into our backer Discord with some art, some dialogue, some poll questions, and it helps us confirm we’re going in the right direction." Even the demo I previewed was first given a test run with backers to see if it was on track for a public reveal. "It was really nice to see what our players had to say before we put it out there for everyone to experience. They’re invaluable to us!"
The community feedback is clearly paying off, with even this early demo of the game demonstrating an intense focus on its core elements. There's no gratuitous attempt to cater beyond the intended audience, which is immensely refreshing in a genre that, even in the indie scene, has fallen into a bit of a rut. "We really pushed ourselves to give the player a bunch of cool tools to use. It’s not quite a sandbox approach, but as a game that focuses around choice in narrative, we had to also allow for as much choice in the combat. We're really happy with the balance we’ve found in letting the player run around with the tools we’ve created."
This playstyle fluidity was a priority, right down to on-the-fly loadout tweaks. Rather than restricting players to set equipment and secondary abilities, your choices affect what magic spells, moves, and secondary gear you can unleash. While the initial demo didn't go beyond the first night, recruiting Medusa does unlock her head as a "Headukon!" projectile attack. Weapons themselves allow for deeper customization too. "For example, if you prefer the hammer to the whip, that’s great," they tell me. "We allow you to cater to either weapon’s playstyle by adding things like crystals to add damage over time to the whip. Or perhaps you’d rather just push your overall damage; in the case of the hammer, you can specialize in upgrades that are all about damage and maybe boost how resilient Drac is." With such sheer flexibility, the team are *ahem* stoked to see what wild combinations players cook up.
That demo has left a strong, resounding impression with players, catching the Gardners by surprise. Of particular delight were the aspects that they considered to be swinging for the fences; for instance PS Elle, the kinkster pumpkin witch, was an instant hint with many. "Honestly, the team at the office love our plucky pumpkin gal, but we did think we were doing something pretty audacious[...] Luckily, it appears folks are just as obsessed as we are." It goes deeper than just excitement for the game, as they recall. "In fact, what made our Halloween was seeing PS Elle cosplay and makeup tips being shared on TikTok and Instagram – and the game’s not even out! That was a real honor."
Creating such memorable characters with humor is a delicate balance the team often has to carefully consider - weighing up jokes against potentially deflating from more serious romantic drama. "Ideally, it’s a game with heart [and] a lot of emotions, really running [the] whole spectrum," they say. "Ultimately, it’s seasoned to taste. Lots of trial and error, lots of meetings with the team, but we’re really happy with the resonant yet raucous vibe."
This tongue-firmly-in-cheek humor extends to the bosses, including the hilarious lich accountant Dick Moranis. "I wouldn’t say it’s all pun and games, but they are certainly all ridiculous," they tell me. "There are some that make us question our own sanity. We wanted the boss fights to be just as over the top as the rest of the game, so we hope we don’t disappoint. Can’t tease too much, but bring a napkin, 'cause it’s gonna get saucy."
For Amanda, that same focus on hitting the right notes is just as key for player expression. "How does our player fantasize about being Drac, embodying that spirit? We let you date who you want, looking and sounding however you want. Originally, the female Drac model was a stretch goal for the Kickstarter campaign, but our fans were loud and clear - they wanted this choice. We listened, and we're so happy we did."
That daring creative freedom, choosing to follow ambitious ideas, has become the guiding star for the team. "We go for it. We really let it all hang out, and it’s paying off," says Bill. "Romancelvania is ridiculous. It’s over the top. The response to the demo tells us loud and clear - people get it." In an age of monster love, reality TV, and social media being horny on main, it's certainly a game tapping into the zeitgeist of the hour.
This emboldened energy has the Deep End team eager to share their 12 sexy monsters for players to choose from. "It was so hard restraining ourselves for the demo," the Gardners admit, citing the brooding undead pirate, Robert, another team favorite, as well as the refined, fancy manwolf, Fenton. "We can’t wait to see people’s reactions to the rest of our colorful cast." The same goes for their monster design, alternating between wildly out-there creatures like the walking tongues and more themed enemies, such as the towering statues surrounding Medusa.
"We’ve got these amazing concept artists, Reiko Murukami and Melody Cheng, who came up with a number of our sillier designs. Our ethos is 'don’t censor yourself', just think of something wild and do it." Murukami and Cheng are credited with creating the classic monsters, such as the Inugami, and more outlandish ones, like the Metal Head. "Some, like the Yojamesbo, fit into their environments organically, and others are quirky non-sequiturs. Some of our favorite outrageous monsters are the Can-Can Tunas, which are literally fish walking around in flashy red boots doing a kickline dance."
Of course, I have to ask if we'll ever get to confront the one who broke Drac's heart. "Not yet," they say. "We wanted the ex to remain ambiguous for now. But who knows down the line…"
Yet when it comes to defining Drac themselves, the Gardners cite a unique focal point that helped bring their modern take on the classic vampire to life. "This is going to sound strange, but we wanted Drac to be really human," they explain. "Quirky, vulnerable, but on the mend. We’ve all been there, at a low point in our lives, having to rally. We wanted to capture that energy, since it’s so very real, but at the same time, we made Drac aspirational. That sexy, confident vampire we all love in our heads. Add in our signature weirdly wonderful humor, and you’ve got a really three-dimensional Drac, adorkable and all."
I'm eager to sink my teeth into the full release of Romancelvania, as it's shaping up to be one of the freshest Metroidvania games in ages. While the project doesn't have a firm release date announced yet, the team's progress gives positive indication that the current "Coming Soon" status is growing close. Romancelvania is set to release on PS4, PS5, Steam, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series S|X.