Cuphead
A run-and-gun game with hand-drawn 1930s cartoon animation.
Where Cuphead comes up1 episode or test
- 1Build rough prototypeGrey boxes, programmer art, free assets
- 2Playtest run-and-gunJudge whether the mechanic is fun
- 3Commit to hand-drawn artCostly frames drawn only for proven mechanic
From Prototyping advice citing Cuphead
What was said about Cuphead
Cuphead's studio built a rough prototype before drawing thousands of hand-drawn frames. Before committing to the hand-drawn 1930s cartoon animation, the studio made a rough version of the game to test the run-and-gun gameplay. This kept the costly art work from being spent on an unproven mechanic.
The source is about prototyping in general and cites Cuphead alongside Breath of the Wild, whose top-down 2D prototype used Zelda 1 sprites. The advice: use grey boxes, programmer art, stolen sprites or free assets, and skip music, UI and tidy code. Polish on a disposable prototype is wasted, and art and story distract playtesters from judging whether the mechanic is fun. Quote: "A prototype is designed to be disposable".
What's the Point of Prototyping?
Its studio made a rough version before drawing thousands of hand-drawn frames.
Cuphead's studio built a rough prototype before drawing thousands of hand-drawn frames. Before committing to the hand-drawn 1930s cartoon animation, the studio made a rough version of the game to test the run-and-gun gameplay. This kept the costly art work from being spent on an unproven mechanic.
The source is about prototyping in general and cites Cuphead alongside Breath of the Wild, whose top-down 2D prototype used Zelda 1 sprites. The advice: use grey boxes, programmer art, stolen sprites or free assets, and skip music, UI and tidy code. Polish on a disposable prototype is wasted, and art and story distract playtesters from judging whether the mechanic is fun. Quote: "A prototype is designed to be disposable".
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