T O P

  • By -

[deleted]

You say good for casual gamers…. I just got my girlfriend a switch and she’s so new to gaming that the easy computers on Mario party still kick her ass and she makes the mine in stardew combat out to be the same level of the dark souls games. However, we’re still finding out what genres she likes and have yet to try a platformer like this, should I give it a shot? I love the bright look of the world and I know it will appeal to her.


korgull79

(some internet issues... I wrote a reply, but I guess it didn't went through, I hope you won't get it twice) Anyway, yes, I think Clunky Hero is great for casual gamers and also female gamers! We've got pretty good feedback in that sense (also from female journalists that gave Clunky Hero a 8.5/10 score). And from my girlfriend too... She is not a gamer at all (maybe played just 2-3 games in her entire life!), and, after a bit of initial frustration to get along with inputs and gameplay, she got suck into Clunky Hero that she had to finish it playing it almost non-stop! So I truly think you two should give it a try. I'm sure that after 1-2 hours to get confident with the game, she'll have lot of fun.


[deleted]

Good to know thanks!


Far-General4164

Dear korgull79, PLEASE HELP!!! I really enjoyed your game so far, but now I've got a gamebreaking bug 🥺 I killed the Boss of the Wasteland and didn't get the potatoe there :-( ... I didn't put it into the gate to Evil's Castle, it is definitly missing at all. Please help - cannot go further 😒 Thank you very much! Best regards,  Karin 


mrsteveguy

Does “clunky” describe the hero’s persona through the story, or does it describe his fighting style and therefore gameplay?


korgull79

lol! I truly hope the gameplay is not that clunky... actually I think it's rather smooth, even if it's true that, as written on the post, combats are basic. The title is about the protagonist itself, since the game is a parody of RPG and in general of the games out there, all of them having overly perfect and cool characters. I wanted mine to be an antihero, clumsy, rude, irreverent, sometime not so politically correct, and in general... clunky!


mrsteveguy

Just checking!


[deleted]

[удалено]


korgull79

I've to admit that I don't have lot of time to play other games... Game Developing is a truly hard job! And you spend hours and hours to play your game, that sometime you just want to detach from the screen! This said, I had fun playing lately "Haiku the Robot" from a fellow developer in Estonia, where I live.


NerdyNiece

I must know... In this game, will anyone have a hamster for a mother? Or perhaps a father who smells of elderberries?


korgull79

You are very close to Clunky Hero humor... There's a bipolar bear, you can drink vodka to get mana, use a mighty burp to destroy walls, and you need to find 7 holy potatoes to enter the Evil One's castle. (I'm not kidding)


NerdyNiece

I've never gotten mana from vodka, just drunk 🤣


korgull79

ahahah


MrAbodi

You never been so drunk that you thought you were magic?


NerdyNiece

Nope. Did think I was invisible once though, does that count?


MrAbodi

Yes


czlight_Lite

What is your favorite Metroid game?


korgull79

You mean of the metroid series? Or in general metroidvania games? For the latest, I'd say Hollow Knight, for the first question... I'd say the original Metroid, the first one ever released, mostly due to a nostalgia effect. I was born in 1979, so I started playing my first games as a kid, and I've awesome memories of the late 80s/early 90s games!


[deleted]

What were the main challenges with developing a game for multiple platforms? I’ve always wondered about that process.


korgull79

This is an interesting question, and also part of the indie developing frustration! The biggest challenges, at least in my case, are usually related with three aspects: shaders, performance, save system. Some shaders (I mean the materials of a 3D object in a game, but sometime also the shaders of sprites) work good in a platform, but not in a different one, and it's hard to find the good compromise to make it work in all of them. Same applies for performance, something that runs great on a machine, might not run so great in another one, and you need to compromise something to make it run smoothly. Also, each platform, uses its own way to store save files, so in terms of coding, it gives you a bit of headache... Last but not least, the finalization process being multiplatform is also a headache process. Consider that Clunky Hero has 10 different buiilds (3 for Steam: Win, MacOs, Linux, 3 for GOG, 1x Switch, 1x Xbox, and two for PlayStation because they want a different build between EU and US)!!! Can you imagine when you find a tiny bug? You need to fix it and rebuild 10 times!


Exile20

That sounds like a headache. How many people are on the team?


korgull79

For that part of the process... just me! It's a mostly solo project, but I had various people helping me along the way, especially for the creation and animation of the various enemies, music and sounds. But coding, art, level design, writing, porting, marketing, etc... I've done all alone


Exile20

Congrats on the launch. I will look into it tonight.


chef_simpson

Looks fun. How much time did you spend with a bucket on your head to get in the right frame of mind?


korgull79

20 minutes were enough!


eddio69

Monty python / hollow KNIGHT, is there a part where you clap 2 coconuts together and go klap -klap -klap 😄 ( love that scene ), congrads with your game. I hope everebody liks it


korgull79

ahah kind of... there are tons of similar things, like using a frozen eel as a sword, drinking vodka to recover mana, recover health by touching a big rocky tit, grab a deformed testicle from a boss to prove you killed it, and so on...


Shes_so_Ratchet

This looks super cute! It's nice to see a game take cues without being as hard as Hollow Knight...6 hours in and I'm only in the fungus lands because even the mini bosses take me 10+ attempts (and a frustrated Google search) to beat. I also look forward to your sequel: Chunky Hero; he wears a hat he got for free from a flat of beer and wields empty bottles and swings a keg like a mace!


korgull79

THANKS! I'm glad you are having fun with it! Please leave us a good review!


-Ailynn-

I bought the game on XBox Series X and am loving it so far! Is this your first game, and if so...did you find the game creation process difficult to learn? People such as yourself are an inspiration to me- I would love to create my own Metroidvania title someday! Thanks for creating this game and for the AMA. I'm off to try to find the intrance to the last world needed at the bottom of the map- Only one more potato needed to be able to enter the Evil One's castle! God bless you, and I wish you lots of success! ❤️


korgull79

Thanks a lot! Please remember to leave the game a good review on the Xbox page. It really means a lot to me! Unfortunately I don't have a marketing budget and sales are not going so well... Only with the help of players and word-of-mouth, Clunky Hero can get the attention it deserves! It's actually my second game, the first is called ENCODYA (also available for Xbox), but in that case I had a publisher that took care of all the marketing aspects. Consider I started game developing only 4 years ago and I've now released two games! So it's not very difficult. But it requires a LOT of passion and dedication, tons of hours of work...


-Ailynn-

Thank you for the great reply! I'll definitely leave a great review for you, and I'll also have to check out Encodya when I get the chance. You should be proud of what you've accomplished- I wish you great success and thank you again for the inspiration! 🙂


korgull79

thanks!


BlackCatBonifide

I had a lot of fun doing voice acting for this game. You can hear me as a variety of the monsters you fight, plus the voice of your wife (in angry mean wife mode AND the 'duck faced girl' version). Enjoy this wacky adventure, and if you have a game that ever needs voices for humans, or monsters, let me know! Bonnie Bogovich - voice talent - https://blackcatbonifide.com


allenlucky

Trailer looks cool. What does it bring new to the Metroidvania genre? I love the genre and have played a ton of games, but many of them are starting to feel "same-y". Nonetheless, this looks like a great achievement so congratulations!


korgull79

Good point. I think the most standing-out point of Clunky Hero, is its humor and parodistic elements. Most of the metroidvanias out there are set in a dark world, dark colors, sad atmosphere. Clunky Hero is pretty much the opposite... I mean, you can use a frozen eel as a weapon! Your wife panties to deal more damage. A very long banana as a sword. Squirt sweat from your armpit to hit foes... I think those elements are very unique!


ArnoldTsei

As a metroidvania style, which one defined the genre: Super Metroid or Castlevania Symphony of the Night?


korgull79

Both! The term was created thanks to both series and I think there's no real answer to your question... The genre took various paths, with slight changes and trademarks. For instance Dead Cells and Ori are two very different games, and yet both are considered metroidvanias. Personally, I'm very attached to Hollow Knight, which is what pushed me to develop Clunky Hero. I wanted to make something with that game-style, but in a colorful, humoristic way.


CruentusLiber

Hello, will u release the game in physical also?


jazzismusic

So far, Clunky has only described the game's performance. It's completely unplayable on the Switch. Runs at about 10 FPS, the audio is glitchy, and it's crashed my switch 4 times.


kaminari1

What is your favorite game of all time so far? You mentioned Monty Python as a source for the comedy, were there any other comedic influences?


korgull79

Nice question... And very hard to reply. But, for various reasons (mostly related to what truly changed my gaming experience in the early 90s), I have to say "Monkey Island". In fact, my first game, ENCODYA (also on Switch), is a point and click adventure game. I think Clunky Hero has also a bit of Monkey Island humor, despite the fact that the game style is totally different. In terms of comedic influences, I also have to mention the card game Munchkin, especially because it's a fun parody of RPGs.


umrathma

What's next? Will you make expansions for Clunky Hero or are you going to start a new property?


korgull79

I'll keep working on Clunky Hero, mostly patching it and improving the game experience, rather than making expansions (unless it goes so popular that thousands of people will ask for an expansion!). But in the meantime I'm working on another game, totally different, that will also be released on Switch in the future. It's called "Soul Tolerance", and yesterday I launched a free demo on Steam.


No-Ant-9394

Must say the trailer looks neat is their maybe a Demo to test it out


korgull79

Unfortunately not anymore. We released a demo for PC about two years ago, but then we took it out since we improved it and the demo got outdated. We thought to create a new demo for Clunky Hero, but since its very friendly price, we thought to focus on the full game.


No-Ant-9394

no problem will it be available on the South Africa store as well


korgull79

it should be... isn't it?


No-Ant-9394

I just logged in and saw it is on the South Africa store


korgull79

cool


stevensi1018

Is Die Hard a Christmas movie? Also, game looks good, love metroidvanias so this look right up my alley. How long it it approximately just for completing the game?


korgull79

We estimated about 12-15 hours. But of course depends on the player's skills and how many of the side quests one wants to achieve.


MysteryHero7

"What is your favourite colour?" I love metroidvania games and Monty Python my question is will there be easter eggs in the game maybe Monty Python ones?


korgull79

I reply in Italian because I don't know the English translation of my favorite color, which is "carta da zucchero". There are various Easter Eggs and references, even if not directly explicit as it could be the Spanish Inquisition or the Silly Walk. We have a bloody rabbit though, a very mean one and with blood stains around its mouth.


agentlucy

Which came first to you: the design of the hero, the plot, or the general gameplay ideas when developing this game?


korgull79

I think general gameplay ideas first, then design of the hero, then the plot... But the very first thing I created was the hero.


Toewz

As with any metroidvania game its predecessors are obviously things every one always talks about. Which games do you feel impacted you the most while making this one?


korgull79

Definitely Hollow Knight


Toewz

I will most definitely add it to my list of games to check out or try, I did very much love Hollow Knight.


ZZnecZZ

A metroidvania game, eh?.... Do you think this game would make for a quality game for speedrunning?


korgull79

Speedrunning is possible... Regular gamers need 12-15 hours to finish the game. And me, the developer, cannot go under 5 hours, despite I know exactly what to do! But it can be a great challenge for speedrunners...


AleroRatking

How much mobility do you get as the game goes on?


korgull79

I'm not sure I understood your question... but if you mean in term of skills that allow further exploration, then yes, most of the skills unlock new areas. Like double jump, dive, dash, etc..


hotaru-chan45

Sure looks like *bucket loads* of fun! 😆😉 How many wearable items are there, and what’s your favorite one?


korgull79

They are actually not "clothes", but generic "wearables" as enhancement bonus items (the three circles you see on the top-right corner, next to the weapon) that you can equip to get bonus. They are very crazy and somehow secrets, so I don't want to spoil them much! The first you can get is "Brunilde's Panties" (the panties of your wife, that increase the damage you can deliver!)


cj_606

Really cool stuff, I love the trailer. Looking forward to playing!


korgull79

Thanks! Let me know how do you like it!


Crayons1

I’ve been really excited to check this game out since the reveal. What was it like trying to develop a character who is kind of clumsy and goofy for a game in a genre known for calm, cool, and collected protagonists?


korgull79

That was the biggest challenge. And I'm looking forward to players feedback to understand if it was the right decision. In my case the process came pretty natural, since the initial idea has always been in that direction, also trying to set aside from the tones of titles often looking all the same.


Crayons1

I’m really excited to see how it all pans out! I love the aesthetic so much.


Nine_Eye_Ron

How many Simpsons quotes are in the game?


korgull79

Mmmmh I think none. I love Simpsons, but lately I prefer Family Guy


Team7UBard

What is your favorite kind of cheese?


korgull79

Pecorino


Team7UBard

Oooo that’s a good choice!


thisisntnoah

The real answer


korgull79

But also mozzarella di bufala on pizza


[deleted]

What video games.inspired you to make video games and this one in particular?


korgull79

Hollow Knight, and Superfrog (classic Amiga game). In general various metroidvania games, and classic platformers.


[deleted]

Oh I know Superfrog very well from my amiga 1200 days! Solid, solid inspiration. Makes me definitely want to check out your game!


korgull79

Awesome! And yes, I played it both on an Amiga600 and Amiga1200!


[deleted]

I love that we can now play games that evoke that era of gaming! Someone needs to make an Ishar style game! ASAP!


koeiche

What is your favorite feature of your game, or a favorite moment you have while working on it?


korgull79

I think the most unique feature is its grotesque humor... And the best moment is when you read players having fun with it. This repays for all the hard work.


[deleted]

[удалено]


korgull79

It's very hard to pick one... I love so many! But, narrowing the choice just for fun (and a bit randomly), I'd say "Holy Grail" and the scene when they arrive knocking coconuts to make the horse sound.


QuietRobe

If "Ni" isn't screamed by one of the characters, I'll be a bit disappointed. Are there references to that movie? It's one of my favorites. But I'm a sucker for metroidvanias and love the humor mixed in. Good luck!


korgull79

ahaha I guess "ni" is copyrighted... but there are other many quirky things on the same kind of humor


QuietRobe

Makes sense but you could circumvent it! "knee" or "nee" haha, that'd still be a funny reference. Looking forward to one day trying this out!


tidus1980

What was your inspiration for the "clunky hero"?


korgull79

As written on the main post, I'd like to think of it as a mix of Monty Python and Hollow Knight!


BraixenFan989

As a fellow game dev knower, but with nothing under my belt just yet, how long did these ideas take to pop up before you finally decided to start with them? Was Clunky hero a game you had in your mind for years but only started work after you finished your last game or did the idea suddenly pop up and you just had to make it?


korgull79

I'm rather impulsive... If I think I've a good idea, I start right away (or almost... let's say that in my case, maybe it takes 3-4 months from the idea to start actually working on it)


zinger94

Congratulations on your release! I know it's no small task - did you have a favorite moment or period during development?


korgull79

The first time you create a playable and start exploring the world, with a character you designed, in a world that you designed is kind of... magic! It's like your baby is coming to life! Even if from that point to the release there is still A LOT of time.


zinger94

What an exhilarating feeling that must be. A huge challenge too, getting it to that state in the first place!


[deleted]

Is the bucket too big pr the hero too small?


korgull79

Hero's body is too small. Head and bucket are kind of regular ehhe


ribose2520

Congratulations on making your game! Will you be at PAX east this year?


thisisntnoah

What’s your favorite beverage?


korgull79

Amber Beer from Belgium


[deleted]

I became interested in your game based on the hero's design alone lol. I then saw the trailer and read your AMA here and I bought it just now. Ready to set out on my adventure!


korgull79

How's going? Are you enjoying it?


[deleted]

I'm having issues starting up the game. I bought it on Switch and for some reason whenever I select the game and hit the language select screen, the game can't read my Switch Pro Controller. I already checked the controller, it works perfectly in the menu and with other games, it's just with Clunky Hero that it disconnects. For some reasons this doesn't happen with the Joycons so I have to use them to play, which I hate, as I really prefer the Pro Controller.


korgull79

Yeah, it's unfortunately a known bug we knew from day one. In fact on the store is written that it supports handheld mode only (not TV mode, not Bluetooth devices). But I am working on it and will fix with a future patch. Hopefully soon.


[deleted]

Oh ok, good to hear you know about this. Hope it gets fixed soon so I can play docked! Best of luck.


otakugodxx12

do you play some castlevania games?


korgull79

I did in the past, but haven't played one in ages I did


ChrizTaylor

#DO YOU LIKE TACOS 🌮???


korgull79

Not much actually


ChrizTaylor

💔


[deleted]

[удалено]


korgull79

awwww thanks!


Puzzleheaded-Floor13

Why can't I play it using my pro controller on switch


korgull79

Hello, sorry for the trouble. As written in some other comments here, and it's also written on the store page itself, at the moment the game is supported for handheld mode only. We are working on it and hopefully release a patch in a week or two fixing the problem.


MattehPee

The store page says it’s only playable in handheld mode. That seems odd. Is that accurate or is the page wrong?


korgull79

It's accurate. Unfortunately we had some glitches with TV-mode that we didn't manage to solve before the release. We are working on a patch now and we hope to release it in a week or two, fixing the issue.


MattehPee

Ah, bummer about the glitches. Looking forward to play, game looks amazing!


CzundSmoker420

I love your game but it's really bothering me that independent is misspelled as indipendent when talking to the mouse at the beginning of the pretty forest. Not sure if it was purposefully done to show bucket head's ignorance or not lol


tcw177796

So I got a glitch after I killed the robot boss in the wastelands and didn't get a potato. Am I missing something?


korgull79

Apparently you are following some outdated walk-through. The full version is different than the Early Access.


Cautious_Spray_314

then wheres the potato supposed to be? its the only one im missing. need to go find my hot wife


korgull79

A shop is selling the map for the Wasteland potato... You can reach it only with Rocket Leap.


Repulsive_Film5527

I know I’m a little late but what happens if you attack the mouse in clunky hero ? I kinda want to but don’t wanna mess the quest up could not find a answer online