Sacramento Developer Collective x GDC: A Major Step Forward for Our Community
SDC is proud to announce an official partnership with the Game Developers Conference — and it’s going to directly benefit Sacramento developers.
For years, the Sacramento Developer Collective (SDC) has worked to create opportunities for indie developers, students, and small teams to learn, connect, and grow. This partnership with GDC is a huge milestone — not just for SDC, but for the entire Sacramento game development community.
GDC is the premier professional gathering for game creators, and this collaboration gives our community a stronger presence on the show floor, more visibility with industry leaders, and more meaningful pathways for local developers to share their work with the world.
Why This Partnership Matters
Visibility for Sacramento developers: More eyes on the incredible projects being built here in our region.
Real opportunities for teams: Showcasing, networking, and connecting with publishers, funders, and collaborators.
Community uplift: SDC exists to help developers succeed — this partnership amplifies that mission at the biggest industry stage.
SDC Will Have a Booth at GDC
As part of this partnership, SDC will have an official booth at GDC where we’ll be showcasing games currently being made in the Sacramento community. Our goal is simple: help developers get discovered, help projects gain traction, and help talented teams connect with the people who can support them.
10 Sponsored Developer Will Be Coming To GDC
We’re excited to share that SDC will be sponsoring 10 developers to attend GDC and show off their games. These sponsored passes are a direct investment into our community — helping teams who might not otherwise be able to attend take a major step forward.
We also want to recognize how incredibly generous GDC has been in making this partnership possible. Their support isn’t just symbolic — it materially helps developers get access to the world’s most important industry gathering. We’re grateful, and we’re committed to making the most of this opportunity for Sacramento creators.
SDC Community Discount Code (GDC)
In addition to the sponsored passes, we’re also providing an SDC community discount code for anyone planning to attend GDC. If you’re considering going, this is a great way to reduce the cost and join us on-site.
CODE: SDC10
Where to use it: Apply the code during GDC registration checkout here: https://gdc.informafestivals.com/2026/registrations/Attendee?_mc=barter_gdcsf_gdcsf_le_x_partner_2026?
What’s Next
Over the coming weeks, we’ll be sharing more updates — including future blog posts highlighting members of our community who receive sponsored passes, as well as the games we’ll be showcasing at the SDC booth.
This partnership is about uplifting developers — especially indie teams and emerging creators — by giving them real opportunities to be seen, supported, and celebrated. We can’t wait to share what’s next.
Every year, the Game Developers Conference (GDC)is the place where the game industry gets unusually accessible. It’s a week where the people who build games, fund games, publish games, market games, and support development all show up ready to talk shop. For indie developers, that’s rare. For the Sacramento Developer Collective community, it’s even better because it’s close enough to feel doable, and big enough to genuinely change what your year looks like afterward.
GDC 2026 runs March 9–13 at Moscone Center in San Francisco, and it’s leaning hard into a “Festival of Gaming” approach that blends conference sessions with meetups, show floor discoveries, and nightly events that make it easier to actually meet people instead of just sitting in talks all day.
You Get Real Answers From People Who Have Shipped
Indie teams are always solving problems under pressure. Technical challenges, scope issues, marketing confusion, funding uncertainty, community building, hiring, production planning, you name it. GDC is useful because it puts practical knowledge in one place, across the whole lifecycle of making a game. The 2026 program is structured around 14 tracks, including independent development, design, narrative and performance, discovery and marketing, business strategy, production, and tools and tech topics.
It also includes “Summit Communities” that are meant to give you a home base during the week. If you’ve ever felt like your discipline gets lost in the shuffle at big conferences, these communities are designed to solve that. Independent Games is one, but there are also communities around things like UX, narrative, tools, game AI, level design, and more.
Networking Is Built In, Not Left to Luck
People joke about networking, but at GDC it’s not just “talk to strangers and hope it works out.” The event is intentionally structured around connection, with curated matchmaking, lounges, and meeting formats that make it easier to talk with purpose.
For SDC folks, this is where going together becomes a superpower. You can split up and cover more ground, compare notes at the end of the day, and introduce each other to people instead of doing everything solo. Even a small group makes the whole experience less intimidating and more productive.
The Festival Hall Is a Cheat Code for Getting Oriented
If you’re an indie dev, the show floor is not just for playing demos. It’s where you can see the ecosystem up close. Tools, services, platforms, partners, and communities are all represented, which makes it a great place to get clarity on what’s worth your time and money this year.
GDC is also calling out a dedicated Indie and Education neighborhood in the Festival Hall, with its own stage for microtalks, fireside chats, and community meetups. For newer studios, that kind of focused space matters. It makes it easier to find your people and easier to learn in smaller, more approachable formats.
The Independent Games Festival is part of what makes GDC feel indie-friendly. In 2026, the IGF Pavilion runs from March 11–13, and the IGF Awards happen on March 11. Even if you are not submitting a game this year, IGF brings a real spotlight to independent work and attracts attendees who are specifically there to discover new games and new teams.
It’s More Affordable Than Ever
GDC has always had a “big conference price tag” reputation, but the 2026 structure offers more entry points than people realize.
There’s a Festival Pass with an early rate price, and there are also application based passes that are clearly aimed at small teams and students. The Early Stage Indie and Start up Pass is designed for studios and self employed professionals that have been operating less than five years, and the Academic Pass is available for verified students and faculty. There’s also a Digital Pass for people who cannot make the trip but still want the content and some networking access through the event app.
On top of that, SDC members can take 10% off using our discount code SDC10, which helps take some of the sting out of pass pricing.
For SDC specifically, the group discount is also worth paying attention to. If you can get 10 people going, there’s a discount on current Festival or Game Changer pricing, which is the kind of thing a community can actually pull off.
Why This Matters for SDC, Specifically
A lot of communities talk about “building connections,” but SDC is already doing the hardest part. People are making things, sharing work, showing up, and helping each other improve. GDC is a multiplier on that energy because it plugs a local scene into the wider industry for a week.
It also fits the practical reality of Sacramento. You are not flying across the country; you are making a short trip to San Francisco, and you can come back with fresh relationships, clearer plans, and new ideas you can share with the rest of the community.
If you want this to have maximum impact, the move is simple. Go in with a plan, and come back with a debrief. Pick a few focus areas, decide what “success” looks like for your week, and then share what you learned with other SDC members afterward. That’s how a conference trip turns into a community upgrade.
Ever wondered what goes into making a rhythm game that breaks the mold? We sat down with the developer of Beat Heart Beat, the upcoming absurd rhythm-platformer that challenges you to slash your way towards your withered Heart. This game immediately stands out with its bold, collage-like visuals and a distinct alt-rock soundtrack, steering clear of the genre’s usual electronic dominance. In this interview, the developer dives into the surprising inspirations behind the game—from the frenetic action of Katana Zero and the flow of Rayman Legends to the unique aesthetics of shows like Madoka Magica —and reveals how they tackled the challenges of merging rhythm with physics-based action. They also share the development journey, the crucial impact of playtesting, and the exciting roadmap leading up to the Early Access release in early 2026.
Describe Beat Heart Beat in one sentence for someone who’s never heard of it.
Beat, Heart, Beat is an absurd rhythm-platformer about tearing a path towards your withered Heart.
One of the first things I noticed about Beat Heart Beat is its striking visuals—the mix of 3D and 2D elements, the expressive character designs, and the collage-like aesthetics are all incredibly bold. It vaguely reminds me of the work of Yugo Limbo. What were some of your inspirations for the art direction?
I’m incredibly humbled by the Yugo Limbo comparison; I’m certain they’ve subconsciously affected my direction—especially their character design! I’ve always been drawn to mixed media for its capability to highlight uncanniness and dissonance as something beautiful and appealing in its own right. The work of Sodikken, Joel Guerra, and Felix Colgrave comes to mind as the biggest inspirations, as well as Madoka Magica‘s witch scenes, Coraline, and the HBO show Crashbox.
On a related note, what does the workflow or production pipeline look like for art creation in Beat Heart Beat?
As for the pipeline, I’ll be fully transparent and say that I am NOT an artist in any formal capacity, so production usually consists of a cycle of concept, iterate, rough asset, iterate, until we have something that we all like. My art direction could be described as “vibes-based,” or in other words, “a disaster”, so I’m very thankful my artists Benji, Annalivia, Annie, and both Andrew(s) can transform the junk in my brain into what you see on the screen.
Musical Inspirations & Production
Another standout element of Beat Heart Beat is its soundtrack. The rhythm game genre is often dominated by electronic music, but The Wacy took a distinct alt-rock approach. What inspired this musical direction? And building on that, how is the music in Beat Heart Beat produced? Is it commissioned, licensed, or created in-house?
It’s a little embarrassing but fun background, but during quarantine and being pretty miserable for several reasons, I found myself listening to a lot of super sappy alt-rock, grunge, and Midwest emo. Those genres continued to stick with me long after, and arguably led to the creation of Beat, Heart, Beat. In general, I also felt as though there were so many underrepresented genres in rhythm games, and I wanted to showcase something new. As for references, Glass Beach, Bedroom, Surf Curse, and Car Seat Headrest come to mind.
As far as sound production, our lead composer Sophie quite literally does it all—SFX, in-house composition, and pulling from her own personal albums. A lot of our guest artists were gracious enough to permit us to use their tracks, and a few friends have composed specifically for us.
Haha, that’s awesome! I am a huge Surf Curse fan, saw them in Reno a few years back, was a great concert! I got to say, I’m really looking forward to the soundtrack. When I first heard the main trailer, I was immediately hooked, and the song in it, “Did it Hurt When You Fell From Heaven?” was in my playlist for a while after!
When settling on the game’s visual and audio aesthetic, were there any alternate styles or directions you experimented with but ultimately moved away from?
Finding a balance between a maximalist, multimedia visual style and a legible gameplay scene is very tough and has required lots of iteration. We’ve leaned very hard into collage at times, and very hard into line art in earlier drafts. You could even say we’re still trying to strike a balance! Luckily, the style and tone of BHB were nailed down quite early, so it was less about what it would look like and more about how far we could push each aesthetic.
As I mentioned before, the audio aesthetic predates the game itself in many ways, so the direction was pretty clear to us from the start. I’d say the biggest change is actually that, over time, I opened myself up to other genres being in the game. I originally wanted an entirely grunge soundtrack, but we have some bonus tracks like Sivee’s “Loser Girl” and Allen Cai’s “See the Sun” that explore different genres like electronic and pop!
Core Mechanics & Design
The demo lets players chain attacks together, soaring through enemies and building momentum to the beat. How did you land on that as the game’s core mechanic?
It’s actually a pretty wild story. The first doc written for BHB dates back to February 2021, two years before it actually began development! At the time, the game was a pure platformer where, every beat of the song, a Heart would drop obstacles onto you, and you’d try to chase it. I shelved the idea as I finished up college, but I distinctly remember flying home for the holidays one time, listening to a pre-downloaded Spotify playlist, and reimagining a little guy platforming through a level and just slashing through enemies with crazy air combos to the music. I could see it vividly enough to the point where I wrote a preliminary doc on my notes app that I would then propose to my co-lead after graduation. The mechanics themselves were deeply inspired by Rayman Legends’ music levels, the combat of Muse Dash and UNBEATABLE, and the call-and-response mechanics in Rhythm Heaven.
I noticed that Rayman Legends’ influence when I played the demo. There is a sense of speed, responsiveness, and enemy placements that’s very reminiscent of it. How do you design enemy encounters, level layouts, and movement systems to keep that sense of rhythm and flow alive rather than breaking it?
Through blood, sweat, and playtesting. I mean, in all honesty, it’s largely thanks to my co-lead, Andrew, for developing a preliminary version of the in-game level editor within the first month of development. Which is nuts to do, by the way. Most of my ideas wouldn’t have come to life without his help, so I’m especially lucky for his contributions.
After that, I remember taking whatever songs I was listening to at the time, dropping them into the game, and charting tons of “fan levels,” I guess you could call them. I was a bit indulgent in how many I made, but it let me test the high-end potential of difficulty, discover my own charting principles, and let me tweak a lot of physics values to make it feel right. For charting specifically, I’ve found that pattern repetition and variations are your best friend, and a lot of the time it’s more important to find the “feeling” of the chart than making it as objectively accurate as possible. I will also note: a lot of my early charts were HOT garbage. I don’t have a charting background, so most of it was lots of practice and playtesting from family members and friends of different skill levels. Thanks, Mom!
Were there any surprising influences—musical, cinematic, or mechanical—that shaped how you approached those systems?
I think the most surprising influence that comes to mind is probably Katana Zero. I really wanted to capture that visceral feeling of seeing a group of enemies, forming a plan, and just executing something crazy. My favorite rhythm games are ones that incorporate context and character into their mechanics, where it feels like you’re actually interacting with the game world and not just clearing notes on the screen, like in Hi-Fi Rush or Patapon. While those games hybridize 3D action-platformers and RTS, respectively, I suppose the subconscious pitch of BHB was a personal take on seamlessly combining Devolver Digital-style action with rhythm.
When developing the rhythm-combat mechanics, were there any prototypes or ideas you loved conceptually but found just didn’t work in practice?
I originally really wanted the up and down slashes to be momentum-based, where instead of traveling to the note, you follow through it. This would’ve added more interesting physics gameplay, but it was unbelievably annoying for sightreading since there was so much variation in where Peccori would travel when slashing. While it wasn’t the right fit, the pogo and launcher enemies are a few spiritual successors to the idea that try to add a bit of physics-based movement. Oh, there’s also the Dasher enemy. We recently showcased the Tinktonk enemy, which is an improvement on the idea, but there is an evil, unused enemy lurking in our project files. Maybe one day I’ll throw a rogue one into a chart, who’s going to stop me?
Development, Tech, and Roadmap
For players looking ahead to the full release, what new mechanics, boss fights, or musical moments are you most excited for them to experience?
I’m very, very excited to see people react to the Story Mode. We’re planning on introducing new mechanics, enemies, characters, and a ton of weird nonsense that we think players will love. I think I’m most excited to see how people react to the party members that help Peccori along the way and how they might affect gameplay. Perhaps you’ll be able to meet them pretty soon!
How long has Beat Heart Beat been in development, and how has your vision evolved from the early prototypes to what players see today?
We started development in late 2023 and just released our second demo as of September 2025! I think the biggest change between the early game and now is the physics. Peccori used to have this REALLY awkward jump that stalled it in the air by default at a fixed height, and it wasn’t doing the platforming part of our rhythm-platformer any favors. Another major addition is slopes, where our levels used to be tile-based and completely flat. We really want to obfuscate that what you’re playing through is a “chart” and add more natural height and movement, and we have plans to push that even further in the future.
Has player feedback from demos or playtests led to any major design changes or surprising insights?
Yes! Player feedback is just about the most helpful thing out there. I think one underlooked thing that meant a lot was hearing about ways we could improve accessibility, especially since our game is visually, sonically, and technically pretty intensive at times. We just did a massive bugfix patch using the Discord bugs list as a basis, too—if you voluntarily report bugs as a player, you are my hero.
Some of my favorite player insights come from in-person tests, too. It always feels oddly affirming when people really clock my inspirations, like the Heart and Peccori’s rapport resembling the King of All Cosmos and The Prince from Katamari Damacy, or asking us if we’ve heard Glass Beach or seen Madoka Magica or something. When someone compares your work to something that you, as a creator, deeply respect, it feels especially rewarding.
From a technical standpoint, what does your development pipeline look like? What tools, engines, or plugins do you rely on most to bring your ideas to life?
We develop in Unity with GitHub for source control and FMOD, an audio middleware that allows us to sync music and do some fun dynamic music/SFX stuff. Andrew works on the backend, like the level editor, cutscene system, etc., and I do technical frontend design, like enemy implementation, creating environments and levels, and other random bits of scripting. I am the de facto producer on this project (and de facto many other things), which has been a great learning experience, but our pipeline is pretty informal and changes based on our needs for an upcoming milestone. I use Figjam, Evernote, and Milanote for my documentation and production, which I really enjoy, but I think my teammates are going to kill me if they have to create another account.
What’s the roadmap moving forward—upcoming features, release goals, or new levels and tracks you’re excited about?
I am super excited to announce that Beat, Heart, Beat will be entering Early Access in early 2026, featuring a user-level editor and the next chapter of the Story Mode. Expect new songs, backgrounds, enemies, characters, and more!!
Our penultimate question comes from the Born in Reverie developer, Axial Escape. They asked: What is your favorite part of developing your project, and what aspect do you most dread having to work on?
I think I’ll start with what I dread to not end on a bummer. I think marketing and project management can be really stressful at times, and it’s one of those things you don’t really even think about when you’re going into indie development. If I had to pick something from specifically the development process, I think I personally struggle knowing when to refactor old code or redo a level environment or something—basically anything that pokes at my perfectionism and OCD.
My favorite part of development has to be the process of crafting mechanics that recontextualize gameplay, like new enemy types or hazards. I think that’s my favorite part of design in general: once the framework is there, you can twist and push different parts of the design in ways you hadn’t originally anticipated. Outside of design, I’ve had a surprising amount of fun with creative writing for the Story Mode and designing modular systems on the programming end. There’s something satisfying about finally seeing the moving parts of a script click nicely, which is something that I could attribute to writing or programming!
What would you like to ask the next SDC Game Spotlight recipient?
Has a real-life experience or piece of non-game media influenced or inspired your work in some significant way? If so, how do you think your design philosophy, aesthetics, etc., have changed as a result?
Finally, how can players follow your progress, support the game, or get involved in the Beat Heart Beat community?
Beat, Heart, Beat has a demo on Steam that you can play and wishlist RIGHT NOW!! Sharing the game in general is so, so helpful and very much appreciated. If you want to chat about the game or give feedback, you can check out our Discord as well!
From physics tweaks to story design, this conversation provided a fantastic look at the passion and iteration driving Beat Heart Beat‘s development. We learned about the happy accident that led to its core air-combo mechanic, the importance of finding the “feeling” over objective accuracy when charting levels, and the ongoing evolution of the game’s visuals. As the team finalizes the Story Mode and prepares to launch into Early Access in early 2026, players can look forward to new content, party members, and a user-level editor. If you’re excited to see this unique blend of action and rhythm come to life, be sure to check out the demo on Steam and connect with the community via their Discord to share your feedback.
Thanksgiving is the perfect excuse to slow down, grab a blanket, and play something low-stress while the leftovers cool. Cozy games are ideal here. They are gentle, colorful, and built around simple goals like tending crops, decorating a home, or caring for characters instead of chasing high scores or sweating through ranked matches.
The best cozy games for Thanksgiving work in short bursts between family moments, but can also quietly turn into “whoops, we just played for three hours.” They are also easy to share, whether that means couch co op, passing the controller, or just watching someone else build the cutest farm on the planet.
Here are five cozy games that fit the Thanksgiving mood and are great picks for Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation, and Xbox.
1. Stardew Valley
If you only pick one cozy game for Thanksgiving, it should probably be Stardew Valley. You inherit a rundown farm in a small town and rebuild it at your own pace. You plant crops, raise animals, go fishing, mine in the nearby caves, and slowly get to know the villagers.
The magic of Stardew Valley is how flexible it feels. Want to zone out on the couch after dinner while you water crops and pet chickens? It works. Want everyone to play together? Local co op and split screen let multiple players share the same farm and divide chores, which is perfect for siblings, partners, or cousins who all want in.
It also hits that Thanksgiving vibe in a subtle way. You cook with ingredients you grow, share gifts with your neighbors, and watch the town change with the seasons. It feels like spending time in a tiny holiday town where nothing too bad ever happens and everyone remembers your birthday.
Best for: Families or friend groups who want a low pressure co op game that can fill the whole weekend.
2. Animal Crossing: New Horizons
Animal Crossing: New Horizons is comfort food in game form. You move to a quiet island, set up a tent, and slowly turn that island into a small, personalized paradise. There is no real “win” state. You decorate, collect furniture, catch bugs and fish, and chat with your animal neighbors.
New Horizons is especially cozy on Thanksgiving because of how gently it moves. The game runs in real time, so your island has its own soft little version of autumn. It is easy to hand the controller to someone who does not play games much and let them pick fruit, talk to villagers, or rearrange furniture.
If you have multiple people with their own islands, visiting each other is a great couch activity. One person plays, everyone else shouts opinions on where to put the next pumpkin patch. It is a chill way to hang out when everyone is full and half asleep.
Best for: Mixed age groups and anyone who wants something gentle and zero stress.
3. Disney Dreamlight Valley
If your household includes Disney fans, Disney Dreamlight Valley is a very easy win. It is a life sim and adventure game where you live in a shared valley with classic Disney and Pixar characters. You cook with Remy, fish with Goofy, go on quests with Moana, decorate your house, and help restore the valley after a mysterious event called the Forgetting.
Compared to Animal Crossing, Dreamlight Valley puts more emphasis on character quests and storylines. There is always another mission to help a familiar character, another area to unlock, or a new seasonal event to check out. That makes it a nice “let’s keep this running in the background all weekend” type of game, because you can always hop in for one more quest before dessert.
It is also very watchable. Younger kids can run around and talk to favorite characters while adults help with tougher tasks or steer the story. The result feels like an interactive Disney special running quietly in your living room.
Best for: Disney and Pixar families who want cozy vibes plus story and familiar faces.
4. Fae Farm
Fae Farm is what you get if you blend cozy farming with fairy tale fantasy. You move to the enchanted island of Azoria and build up a homestead, but you also use magic, craft potions, and explore dungeons filled with whimsical creatures. The game is built as a farm sim RPG for one to four players, which means co op is a core feature rather than a tacked on extra.
This is a great Thanksgiving choice if you like the idea of Stardew Valley but want more spells and exploration. Everyone can take a role. One person farms and decorates, another dives into dungeons, another focuses on crafting, and so on. It feels like running a magical little commune together.
It also looks exactly like a cozy game should look. Soft colors, friendly characters, and lots of customizations for outfits and home design make it easy to get attached to your world.
Best for: Groups who want that farm sim feeling with a little more magic and exploration.
5. Spiritfarer: Farewell Edition
Spiritfarer is the most emotional game on this list, but it is also one of the coziest. You play Stella, a ferrymaster to the deceased, sailing a hand-drawn boat across peaceful seas. You build cabins, cook meals, garden, and craft while you care for spirit passengers and help them come to terms with their lives before they pass on.
On the surface, Spiritfarer is a management game about building and upgrading your boat. Underneath, it is a story about grief, memory, and the small acts of care we offer the people around us. It is surprisingly comforting, especially around a holiday that already revolves around food, stories, and family.
Local co op lets a second player join as Daffodil the cat and help with chores. That makes it a nice choice for a quiet late night session when most of the house has gone to bed and you are down to just one or two people still awake.
Best for: Solo players or pairs who want something cozy with a bit more emotional weight.
Choosing The Right Cozy Game For Thanksgiving
Each of these cozy games brings a slightly different flavor to the table, so it helps to match them to your group.
If you want one game to leave running all weekend, Stardew Valley or Fae Farm are both perfect long-haul options.
If you are playing with kids or non-gamers, Animal Crossing: New Horizons or Disney Dreamlight Valley are friendly and approachable.
If you are mostly playing solo and want a meaningful story, Spiritfarer: Farewell Edition delivers a cozy experience with real emotional depth.
However you spend the weekend, cozy games are a great way to keep the room relaxed, connected, and just a little bit magical while everyone works through that second plate of leftovers.
Bottom-Up Beatdown: Hostile Takeover feels like it was ripped straight out of a hyperactive Saturday morning lineup and dropped into a modern character action game. It is a fast, combo-heavy beat ’em up set in a world overrun by monsters, built with the crunchy impact of arcade brawlers and the expressive flair of Nintendo DS era sprites. Behind it all is a solo developer who took post-college boredom, a love of No More Heroes and Castlevania, and a deep appreciation for tokusatsu weirdness and turned it into a full-on project.
In this SDC Spotlight, we talk with the creator of Bottom-Up Beatdown about where the game came from, how classic fighting games and action titles shaped its combat, and why making bosses feel like anime rivals is just as important as making them challenging. We also touch on the realities of building a game mostly alone, what early playtesters are asking for, and how the dev is trying to balance personal artistic goals with making something people will actually want to buy.
For readers who haven’t yet tried out the demo, how would you describe Bottom-Up Beatdown: Hostile Takeover in one sentence?
Beat ’em up meets character action in a modern world filled with monsters!
Where did the core inspiration for Hostile Takeover come from?
To be honest, I was half a year out of college and I was extremely bored. I figured I was only getting older, so making a dream project before I found a full-time job or the world ended would be nice. After playing No More Heroes, the idea stirred in my head for a couple of years, so that’s probably where the core inspiration comes from.
When I was playing the demo, I was reminded of early Nickelodeon shows and Game Boy Advance games from my youth. Were there particular games, comics, or films that influenced the tone, art style, or combat feel of this project?
Actually, before I started on the game I got really into Castlevania, so there’s a lot of influence there. Specifically, after playing Portrait of Ruin and seeing how amazing that looked, I wanted to design the game as if I were creating it for the Nintendo DS.
Art style and tone wise, the game is heavily inspired by Astro Fighter Sunred, a parody show about a washed-up sentai hero. That show was life-changing and really got me into traditional tokusatsu like Kamen Rider and the Godzilla series. While many of the monsters in the game are inspired by classic Hollywood movies, I wanted to take that and put a silly spin on it similar to what games like Darkstalkers did.
Gameplay-wise, it’s really hard to pick just one influence, as I blended a lot of ideas from different games into this one. Devil May Cry and God Hand stand out as big influences, but mechanics like the juggling system are more Tekken or King of Fighters.
How did you settle on that aesthetic, and were there any visual styles you experimented with but decided against?
The DS aesthetic was the perfect resolution for the game I wanted to make, as it offered just enough sprite detail to make really expressive sprites, but not so much that I’d be spending a year animating one character. The original Bottom-Up Beatdown had a much higher resolution, and while I’m definitely proud of the work I did back then, I think the art quality was a little scuffed, and animating took way too long. Also, I would’ve loved to go 3D, but my protagonist, Biff, kinda looks funky in 3D. I’ll try again one day.
How long has the game been in development, and how has your vision for it evolved?
The game’s been in development for a little under a year now, but the original idea came to me years ago while I was still in school. I ended up making the very first Bottom-Up Beatdown three years ago, and that game was just a boss rush with more traditional beat ’em up elements. I found that the way I designed bosses for that game really didn’t need that third dimension, so I cut it out for this game.
Is this a solo project or a small-team effort?
Solo project, but I’ve had a ton of support from friends. I’ve also hired some composers for the music. Maybe in the future I’ll have a team of voice actors as well.
What have been some of the biggest lessons you’ve learned during development?
The game is always twice as difficult as you think it is. I’m always playtesting bosses and I’m extremely familiar with their movesets (especially after animating all their moves), so it’s pretty easy for me to perfect bosses. Because of this, I’ll end up raising their health or increasing their speed, but then watch as players lose to Franky, or even just the bat goons, way too many times. Playtesting early and often is definitely the biggest lesson I’ve learned so far. Also, gamers will make it their mission to never read any tutorial prompts, even if you put pictures.
Blending classic 2D beat ’em up style with “character action” mechanics like wall-bouncing and juggling sounds tricky. What was the biggest design challenge in making that work?
I think the key to adding these character action mechanics in a beat ’em up is to put less focus on the combo game and more on what makes these options meaningful outside of combos. Abilities like wall bouncing reward players for cornering enemies with a longer stun, and juggling removes the potential for counterattack from enemies like the bat or sword goon. That way, while these features help with creating stylish combos, their purpose isn’t just combo filler but enemy management.
Combo-heavy gameplay can be tough to balance. How did you fine-tune the difficulty so both casual players and score chasers could have fun?
Doing sweet combos is nice, but I made sure that even button mashers have a lot of fun. The combo game is there for players who have mastered the system, but casual players can pull off moves like the reversal pretty easily. I’m hoping there’s a low barrier to entry and a high skill ceiling.
For players looking forward to the full game, what are two or three mechanics you’re most excited for them to discover?
Though it’s not in the demo yet, there’s going to be a sweet grappling system that’s an iconic part of any beat ’em up and will help with those crowds of enemies. Also, I hope players can enjoy the progression system, where you’ll be able to chill at your friend’s house between missions and train with Sue Flay to unlock new abilities.
Bosses like Franky Furter are pretty memorable. How do you design boss fights that reflect personality and theme?
I’ve played a lot of fighting games and watched a ton of anime, so making characters with strong personalities is really enjoyable for me. I like to think about their fighting style, special moves, and especially how they’d taunt you mid-battle. Mainly, I’m just thinking about how it would look if it was a shonen anime.
For you personally, is there a particular level, mechanic, or moment from development that stands out as your favorite?
I love the Sue Flay boss fight, because I love rival battles in action games with characters like Vergil or Henry Cooldown. Since it’s the first one, her moveset’s a little limited, but I can’t wait to work on her fights later in the game.
What’s the most broken combo or bug you discovered during playtesting that secretly made you laugh before fixing it?
If you press dash and jump on the same frame as Biff, you do a crazy fast super jump. It’s pretty fun, and to be honest, I haven’t even patched it out.
What kind of early player feedback from the demo or playtests has surprised you the most?
A lot of people have told me they want a versus mode, which isn’t that surprising, but the number of folks who have requested it was a lot higher than I anticipated. It’s on the way.
Looking ahead, what does the roadmap for Bottom-Up Beatdown look like? Are you planning more levels, characters, or post-launch updates?
The full game will have at least nine full levels, with bonus levels and co-op available for all of them. It will also include multiple game modes like Overtime Mode, Boss Rush, and Versus Mode. By the end, it would be great if all the bosses were playable in some form as well, even if with limited movesets. Finally, after launch I would love to continue working on the game, especially by adding a full campaign for Sue Flay in the future.
If you could have any other video game character join as a guest fighter in Bottom-Up Beatdown, who would it be and why?
I’ve thought about this a lot even before this interview because I love crossover characters in games. While I’d love to put one of my idols in like Travis Touchdown or Dante, I think they’d look a little out of place. If I had to seriously choose just one, I’d put in Nemesis from Resident Evil 3, because I love playing him in Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 and he’s just such a cool monster.
We’ve got one more question for you, coming from the devs of our previous SDC Spotlight, A La Card: How do you balance the art you want to make with the product you want to sell? And finally, what question would you like to ask the next SDC Highlight developer?
This question is tough because this is the first game I’m planning on selling for real money. I definitely have had to sacrifice some ideas in order to make completing this game viable, but I’m honestly just happy to finally put these thoughts in my head out in the open as something legible. However, I absolutely want to make the game a lot more difficult, so balancing that with being an accessible game for all ages is extremely tough.
For the next developer, I’d like to ask how their level design process goes.
As Bottom-Up Beatdown: Hostile Takeover heads toward a full release, it already feels like the kind of passion project that could turn into a cult favorite. There is a clear love for fighting games, anime rivals, and old handhelds baked into every choice, from the DS-style sprites to the “broken but fun” tech the dev secretly hopes players will find.
If you want to keep up with development, share feedback, or eventually lab your own wild combo routes, you can follow along on X, hop into the Discord, and watch for future devlogs. And in true SDC Spotlight fashion, we will pass the torch with the dev’s question for the next highlighted creator: how does their level design process work, and what does it reveal about the kind of game they want to make?
SDC has proudly offered free booths to students, high school-aged and below, at the Capital Creative Showcase and this year we are continuing that mission! When we first started CCS, our mission was simple — to celebrate the creativity, talent, and passion of local developers and to help them share their work with the world. The event quickly became Sacramento’s biggest celebration of indie games, art, and interactive experiences, providing a stage for developers to connect with fans, publishers, and each other.
However, as CCS grew, we realized that we were leaving out a vital part of our creative community — young, aspiring developers and creators who hadn’t yet reached college. These students are the next generation of innovators, designers, and storytellers. Many of them are already building impressive projects through school programs, coding camps, and independent efforts, but they often lack opportunities to share their work publicly or gain feedback from real players and professionals. We wanted to change that.
That’s why this year, we’re massively expanding our Student Showcase! We’ve reached out to even more local high schools, after-school programs, and coding education camps, inviting them to take part in CCS 2026. This expansion is about more than just giving students free booth space — it’s about giving them a platform to be recognized, to network with working developers, and to see firsthand that game development and creative technology are viable, exciting career paths.
At SDC, we’ve always believed in fostering the next generation of creative talent, not just through CCS, but also through our PGJED (Progressive Game Jam Education) program — a hands-on educational initiative that introduces students to real-world game development practices. Through PGJED, students get to experience what it’s like to plan, build, and iterate on games in a collaborative environment, guided by experienced mentors from the industry. The Student Showcase is the natural extension of that mission — a chance for these young creators to step into the spotlight and share the results of their hard work.
Whether you’re a teacher, a program organizer, or a student developer working on your first big project, we’d love to feature you at CCS! This is your chance to share your creativity, learn from peers and professionals, and be part of Sacramento’s growing creative community.
If you are a student developer still in high school or below, or if you’re submitting on behalf of multiple students as part of a school or organization, please contact: 📧 ccsregistration@sacdevcollective.org
You’ll receive instructions on how to proceed with your application and your 100% student discount code.
When emailing:
For organizers: use the subject line: Student Showcase – [Your Organization Name]
For individual students: use the subject line: Individual Student – Student Showcase – [Your Name]
Reminder: This discount code is available for students in elementary through high school, as well as for student organizers, per certain conditions.
We can’t wait to see what you’ve been working on and to celebrate your creativity at Capital Creative Showcase 2026, happening May 9th at The Jones Hall @ The Grounds in Roseville!
For more information about CCS, check out the website here!
Progressive Game Jam returned with a full room and a clear goal: build together, learn together, and arrive at Capital Creative Showcase with projects the community can be proud of. Session 1 took place at Valhallan Esports in Folsom, where about twenty developers, artists, writers, and students gathered to pitch ideas, form teams, and set their plan for the season.
Two familiar faces helped get things moving. SDC veterans Brandon and Jim circled between groups, asked sharp questions, and encouraged anyone with an idea to speak up. That made the pitch round fast and friendly, which is exactly what you want on day one.
A few early moments stood out. One team is exploring a revival of the old school RTS feel, complete with clear resource loops and snappy match flow. It’s the kind of back-to-basics pitch that gets heads nodding. We also heard genuine passion from a couple of high schoolers who came ready to learn, contribute, and ship something real. PGJ thrives on that mix of experience and fresh perspective.
How this season works
Teams will collaborate online between meetups, then check in monthly in person as they build toward Capital Creative Showcase. The format keeps scope realistic, gives accountability, and leaves room for course-corrections as prototypes evolve. Expect each session to include quick progress updates, focused problem-solving, and time for informal playtesting.
Everyone is welcome. If you missed Session 1, you can still jump in to help a team with code, art, audio, design, writing, testing, or production support. PGJ is built for contributors at many levels. If you bring consistency and curiosity, you’ll fit right in.
Progressive Game Jam is where Sacramento’s game dev community meets momentum. It’s a low-pressure way to practice teamwork, finish a playable slice, and learn modern tools by doing. You’ll leave each month with something concrete to show, feedback to act on, and a clearer path to your CCS deliverable.
Get involved
Want in? Join a team, volunteer as a mentor, or stop by the next in-person session to meet the group and see what’s in progress. Share your role, what you’d like to learn, and how many hours you can realistically commit. That’s all teams need to plug you in.
The Progressive Game Jam (PGJ) is back for its twelfth season — and we’re more excited than ever to help local developers build awesome games and connect with a thriving community of creators.
Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned dev, PGJ gives you the tools, time, and team to actually finish a game. Each month on the third Saturday, we’ll gather for structured, supportive in-person jam sessions where you’ll:
Set development goals and track your progress
Get feedback from other local developers
Learn from guest speakers and industry pros
Showcase your game at public events like CCS
PGJ Season 12 is your chance to bring your game to fruition — with the support of the Sacramento game dev community behind you. Returning games are welcome!
The Progressive Game Jam (PGJ) is back for its twelfth season — and we’re more excited than ever to help local developers build awesome games and connect with a thriving community of creators.
Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned dev, PGJ gives you the tools, time, and team to actually finish a game. Each month on the third Saturday, we’ll gather for structured, supportive in-person jam sessions where you’ll:
Set development goals and track your progress
Get feedback from other local developers
Learn from guest speakers and industry pros
Showcase your game at public events like CCS
PGJ Season 12 is your chance to bring your game to fruition — with the support of the Sacramento game dev community behind you. Returning games are welcome!
