Scrubbin' Trubbleblends traditional roguelike elements with fast-paced turn-based combat. Fromindie gamedeveloper Odd Object, the game puts a twist on the usual roguelike tropes by incorporating cleaning elements as one of the main goals. Players must clean up various procedurally generated maps that are covered in trash, monsters, and an encroaching wall of grime that becomes thicker as time passes.
Game Rant recently caught up with Odd Object’s co-founder, Tyriq Plummer, about howScrubbin' Trubbleis areturn to the roguelike genre’s roots. He explained the initial problem he was trying to solve when he conceived the idea for the game. Plummer is keen for the game to attract both fans of more traditional roguelikes and those who prefer the modern take on the genre.
How Scrubbin' Trubble Distinguishes Itself From Other Roguelikes
Roguelikes have seen a spike in popularity in recent years thanks togames likeHadesandReturnal.Scrubbin' Trubbleis clearly not modeled after either of those, though, with its sights set on captivating a different audience. When asked what would set the game apart from other co-op roguelikes out there, Plummer said:
‘‘I think the fact that it is a more traditional, turn-based roguelike, but with a modern twist. This is where the genre started. But it’s not what a lot of people associate with roguelike. I’ve had this conversation with players before. People see modern roguelikes as real-time, action platformers and that sort of thing. That’s more what a lot of people associate with the concept of roguelike now. But I really do think that trying to bring some of the more modern, more recent developments of the genre back into this more traditional, sort of like classic context, is unique and something that I haven’t really seen anywhere else.’’
Scrubbin' Trubble Started With a Design Conundrum
The idea forScrubbin' Trubblestarted with Plummer’s obsession with blending multiplayer mechanics with traditional roguelike elements. This was not as easy as it first appeared, thanks tothe chaotic nature of multiplayer, meaning players can only control their own actions, which could cause unwanted delays in play. Plummer explained:
‘‘I’ve always been really kind of obsessed with the idea of a multiplayer, traditional roguelike. Not being real time, not having any significant time pressure. Part of the appeal of traditional roguelikes is the ability to take your time thinking out a situation. But that also doesn’t tend to mesh well with multiplayer, because you could be waiting 10 minutes for somebody to do their thing while you’ve already determined yours. And so it really started as a design challenge. I wanted to figure out how to make this specific style of turn-based action work in a multiplayer context.’’
Plummer’s decision to focus on multiplayer action but with an emphasis on speed is an interesting one. ‘‘I’m hoping this will sort of pique the interest of both people who are interested in the more modern spins on roguelike as well as captivate people who are familiar with where the genre started, and kind of bring them both together,’’ Plummer explained, ‘‘To that end, it is aturn-based game, but it moves very quickly in terms of the moment-to-moment gameplay.’’
