Catt Small, a New York City-based designer and game developer, released the early access version of Breakup Squad on October 30, 2016. The game was created as part of NYU Game Center’s 2016 No Quarter exhibition. Small was commissioned to design and build the game within about nine months.
She tapped Chris Algoo, Ethan Gooding, and Hillmon Ancrum to help with code and sound effects, music, and art. The game was built in Unity using C#. Breakup Squad is a fast and asymmetrical team-based game for five players. Two people play as former lovers who spot each other at a party after their toxic breakup. Three players are the lovers’ friends who suffer from collateral damage after each makeup and breakup session.
“I love making games that make people laugh and feel awkward at the same time,” Small said about the game. “People are drawn in by the cute characters, but stay for the hilarious subject and tactical strategy-making.”
In Breakup Squad, players can choose whether the lovers will be together again or if the friends can keep them apart until the party is over. The lovers must reach each other before the timer runs out. Meanwhile, the friends must make distractions and obstacles to ensure that the lovers stay separated. “I thought it would be a great point of discussion to make a party game about the very common situation of running into your ex.
We’ve all had relationships that don’t, or shouldn’t, continue. This was an opportunity to make a game that is not only fun, but easy to emotionally connect to.” Brooklyn Gamery, the company she operates with Chris Algoo and Dennis Liaw, is distributing the game for Mac, Windows, and Linux. The team plans to make many updates in the near future. As more features are added, the minimum price will increase. For more information about Breakup Squad, visit https://brooklyn-gamery.itch.io/breakup-squad. You can also follow Catt Small on Twitter @cattsmall.
About Author
