Romancelvania sees Dracula finding love in many different monstrous places, so we spoke to its developers to learn about the nuances of creating a Metroidvania filled with supernatural dates.
Romancelvania mixes metroidvania action with dating. What interested you in mingling these elements?
Amanda Gardner, Narrative Director: Well, Romancelvania really began when we were playing Symphony of the Night (SOTN) and noticed the “Salem Witches” flying around Drac’s castle and thought…what are they DOING there? The idea was just funny – how did Dracula get all these monsters in his castle? We’ve always loved Metroidvanias – in fact, in our house we play SOTN every October, and I wrote paranormal romance, so this really is just a fusing of passions. It’s like Reese’s: two flavors awesome on their own, but killer together (I say killer as a dual meaning because peanuts can wipe out 3/4 of our family, but I digress).
I’ve also been an enormous fan of the relationship-building in BioWare’s games. I’d spend a lot of time by the campfire in Dragon Age just to talk. I have always wanted to push those elements more in general and in other genres. I’m elated to have that opportunity now.
What are some of the challenges in creating a believable romance story? In creating such a story in a video game?
Ok, so I believe the tenets of good romance are Trust, Lust, and UST. To have a good relationship, at any level, you need to develop trust. This is particularly interesting to delve into when you’re talking about characters that are frenemies or even hostile; it’s fun to explore this discovery. Secondly, lust. The characters have to, at least subconsciously, be attracted to each other. They have to have chemistry. But lastly, and MOST IMPORTANTLY, you need UST – Unresolved Sexual Tension. You need near misses. You need that “if only they’d just admitted their feelings” moment. For me, a FORMATIVE moment of UST was when Mulder was about to kiss Scully but then a bee stung her. I never wanted two people to kiss more in my LIFE. So yeah, UST is pivotal.
What thoughts went into choosing the creatures for the game’s characters? In designing monsters players would like to get closer to?
Well, at first we went for the Universal monsters. Then we sort of did what we always do – get silly. Why not a kinky pumpkin witch? Why not a zombie who pilfers body parts off of hotter corpses, and make him a pirate so we can use the “booty” triple entendre here. We’re having so much fun with this, so yeah, we got a little outrageous with the characters. It’s a blast!
As far as characters people would want to get closer to, I did write romance, so monster or not, I know what makes people tick. There are many tropes in romance that we use here – enemies to lovers, friends to lovers, rekindling an old flame – we tap into SO many core fantasies. There’s something for everyone!
What did you want to explore through romancing the monsters? In finding love with supernatural creatures? What are some of the interesting opportunities, as a writer, in creating a romance story with monsters and magical beings?
Monsters are hot. Fact. Honestly for YEARS it’s been a thing – from Buffy‘s vamp hotties, Interview with the Vampire, then came Twilight, and even Warm Bodies introduced us to a zombie cutie. I could go on and on. People love that element of danger, which creates UST because of the power imbalance, the taboo-ness.
Now, when you’ve got monsters TOGETHER, there are so many interesting dynamics. Drac’s been the king of monsters for years; how will it feel when he gets vulnerable? Can he let others in? What about those more powerful than himself? It’s very interesting for me to explore. Also, these are mostly immortal (or very durable) beings. They’ve been around a LONG time; they’ve seen so much.
There’s a really interesting take on vampires in the movie Only Lovers Left Alive, with the incomparable Tom Hiddleston and Tilda Swinton as a couple who have been together for centuries. They’re slow, they’re bored…or are they? What I originally thought was this existential ennui was really just a portrayal of what it is like to live for SO LONG and not have to rush or explain yourself. I think playing with monsters opens up some really interesting opportunities for story.
What sorts of complexities come up when writing a story where the players can guide the narrative? In creating possible directions for many different storylines and player decisions?
Well, we are an indie team on an indie budget, so I wouldn’t say there are going to be endless possibilities here, but it is open for a number of things. First off, we want this game to be highly replayable, so we will allow you to befriend or romance whoever you please. This way, you can explore different kinds of relationships with different characters and delve into different parts of their personalities. Vess, the genie, is actually a really supportive friend if you choose to not romance her, whereas you won’t have nearly as close a friendship if you friendzone Eden, for example. Their personalities lend themselves to different experiences.
What difficulties do you face in balancing the two play styles (dating/action)? In making the two styles enhance one another?
One of the tenets of our studio is player choice, so we’ve taken this into consideration when we designed the balance in Romancelvania. We give players the opportunity to push on the different aspects – the action platforming and the relationship building. To achieve the core focus and to give players more options to play the way they want, we created a hub world, Drac’s Castle. The castle is where the show takes place, characters live, and where you can get and turn in quests. If you’re into the romance, spend as MUCH time in the hub world as you want. Talk to everyone, see what drama is happening, etc. If, on the other hand, you want to just get back to the action, then so be it – grab your quests and items and go. We think it’s going to give people a lot more freedom to play how they want.
Romancelvania doesn’t seem to take itself too seriously. What drew you to be a bit more playful and humorous with this game?
The concept alone is hilarious; we couldn’t possibly take it seriously! It’s a cheeky parody, and must be met with equally irreverent characters, monsters, locations (see Meatball Garden), and more. We wanted an uplifting game, and honestly, the thought of monsters being just like us with needs and peculiarities and preferences…well it’s funny. We want to embrace the absurdity of it, and revel in it, and let people in on the fun.
What has the reaction been to the game so far?
I think the world needs more fun, and I think gaming needs more weird. It’s been energizing to see the way people are connecting with Romancelvania and its characters. But it’s also been educational. I’ve been surprised at how many folks think it’s like hentai. Not that I’m judging, but that’s just not us. We have a saying on the team “naughty not dirty.” While we take on a lot of adult subjects, we are very conscientious of where the line is because the game is about people with real needs, desires, and problems – they just happen to be supernatural.
It also needs to be said that it’s up to people to make this happen! Right now, Romancelvania‘s a few days into its Kickstarter, and we need your help to make it a reality! Seriously, it’s an oddball concept, but a loveable one, so it’s not the obvious choice for publishers and the like. That’s why we want to take it to the people – they’re the ones who are going to vote with their dollars on whether or not something like this needs to be made! If this tickles you, intrigues you, or just flat out inspires you, please pledge and share!
Romancelvania is currently in development, but in the meantime, you can support its creation on Kickstarter.
DISCLOSURE – The Deep End Games is currently running an advertising campaign on the site. This has in no way affected our decision to cover Romancelvania.
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