Ape Out
A fast-paced, jazz-scored action game where you play a rampaging gorilla escaping captors.
Where Ape Out comes up1 episode or test
Ape Out began as a time-looping stealth game with push and grab moves. Gabe Cuzzillo found that holding and throwing guards was the best part, cut the rest, and swapped the human for a 300-pound gorilla. The sources give no sales or player figures. The lesson: build a prototype, then rebuild around its most fun part, and start building instead of waiting for the perfect idea.
- 1Built stealth prototypeTime loops; push and grab along walls
- 2Found the funThrowing held guards at walls was best
- 3Cut everything elseRemoved stealth and time loops
- 4Swapped in a gorilla300-pound gorilla replaced bald protagonist
From Ape Out development notes
What was said about Ape Out
Ape Out was rebuilt around its prototype's single most fun mechanic. Gabe Cuzzillo's game began as a time-looping stealth game where you pushed and grabbed along walls. Holding guards hostage and throwing them at walls turned out to be the best part, so he cut the stealth and time loops and swapped the bald protagonist for a 300-pound gorilla.
The push and grab moves were meant for sneaking along walls, but because guards were in the game the same moves worked on them. Cuzzillo removed everything that didn't need to be there, and every later choice served that one core idea.
Start building a rough prototype instead of waiting for the perfect idea. Ape Out only looks like it came from a single insight. It formed as Cuzzillo built something, tried ideas and played the prototype, then chose which avenues to follow.
Mark Brown groups Ape Out with Crypt of the Necrodancer and Crashlands as games that emerged this way, and pairs the method with Marc LeBlanc's phrase "fail fast, follow the fun": cheap failures show where the next attempt should go, which matters because open-ended iteration makes schedules unpredictable. Quote: "don't wait for the perfect idea. Build something."
The Games That Designed Themselves
Began as a time-looping stealth game with push and grab moves. Gabe Cuzzillo found holding and throwing guards was the best part, cut the rest, and swapped the bald guy for a 300-pound gorilla.
Ape Out was rebuilt around its prototype's single most fun mechanic. Gabe Cuzzillo's game began as a time-looping stealth game where you pushed and grabbed along walls. Holding guards hostage and throwing them at walls turned out to be the best part, so he cut the stealth and time loops and swapped the bald protagonist for a 300-pound gorilla.
The push and grab moves were meant for sneaking along walls, but because guards were in the game the same moves worked on them. Cuzzillo removed everything that didn't need to be there, and every later choice served that one core idea.
Start building a rough prototype instead of waiting for the perfect idea. Ape Out only looks like it came from a single insight. It formed as Cuzzillo built something, tried ideas and played the prototype, then chose which avenues to follow.
Mark Brown groups Ape Out with Crypt of the Necrodancer and Crashlands as games that emerged this way, and pairs the method with Marc LeBlanc's phrase "fail fast, follow the fun": cheap failures show where the next attempt should go, which matters because open-ended iteration makes schedules unpredictable. Quote: "don't wait for the perfect idea. Build something."
More in Games
GamesNintendo
A Zelda adventure where Princess Zelda copies objects and monsters as echoes to solve puzzles and fight.
GamesThe Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Nintendo's long-running action-adventure series about Link exploring Hyrule, solving puzzles and fighting Ganon.
GamesDead Space
A major video game publisher and the guest's employer.
G
29 sources · 94 tipsMind Over Magnet
A puzzle platformer where you escape a factory using a magnet and a magnetic field.
GamesFar Cry 2
An open world action game where you recruit and play any of London's citizens.
GamesGod of War
A combat-focused action adventure game from Santa Monica Studio with Norse mythology and light puzzles.
Mind Over Magnet
Mark Brown's first game, a puzzle game he made while learning Unity.
GamesDishonored
A first-person stealth action game from Arkane with supernatural powers and the Clockwork Mansion level.