Diving into the world of indie games often feels like unearthing hidden gems, and Break the Loop is no exception. It’s a quirky blend of turn-based strategy and time-travel shenanigans, crafted by a team that’s as passionate about their game as they are creative. I recently caught up with Valerian Schneider, one of the creative brains behind the innovative roguelite, who peeled back the curtain on how his France-based studio Mastodonte is shaking up the genre, the rollercoaster ride of developing a game with a small team, and the unique challenges that come with it.
What is Break the Loop?
VS: Break the Loop is a turn-based roguelite where you control four heroes determined to save the world from the apocalypse. You travel back in time and create a timeline by choosing different events during your run to strengthen your team and prepare for the final boss battle.
What sets Break the Loop apart from other games in the roguelite genre?
VS: I think what sets us apart the most is our “Map Creation” system. Instead of having a branching path where players can choose between several routes leading to different events, in Break the Loop, we have only one path that can be customized. Players choose the events and their placement, and there are even what we call “modifiers” that can alter the events and their effects. We’re very proud of this mechanic, firstly because it’s quite innovative in the genre, and secondly because we see that there’s no typical route, and each player has their preferences and approach to it.
Tell us a bit more about this Map Creation system. Was that always a part of the game’s development from the get go?
VS: Not at all. In the first version of the game, we had a traditional map a bit like in Slay the Spire or other similar games. At that time, we were looking for a publisher, and one of them was interested in our game and asked us to find a unique mechanic to differentiate ourselves a bit. We brainstormed ideas over a weekend, and at one point, we thought, “Wait, when we go back in time, it’s to change events and alter the future…what if we allowed the player to completely create their own path?” And there you go! Unfortunately, the publisher didn’t follow up, but hey, it allowed us to improve the game, so it’s not so bad.
Speaking of games like Slay the Spire, what inspired the creation of Break the Loop?
VS: In terms of video games, the most obvious influence is Darkest Dungeon, but we wanted to add roguelike mechanics, which ultimately brings it closer to Darkest Dungeon 2. And in a more unusual way, I would say League of Legends or Heroes of the Storm for the “heroes with skill kits” aspect. Aesthetically, I went for characters in flat design after discovering a tutorial on the internet that explained how to animate characters in Adobe After Effects. Many people mention the (very good) YouTube Channel Kurzgesagt, but I discovered it a few years after starting Break the Loop (but it’s flattering!). As for the environments, my reference is Samurai Jack!
Let’s talk a bit about the game’s development. What’s that been like and what sort of challenges have you faced along the way?
VS: I handle all the visual aspects of the game and part of the game design. I really love both aspects of the job, and they complement each other well. Typically, I think about the appearance of a hero or monster before considering its mechanics, but I’ve also done it the other way around. But that’s the fun part of creating a video game. The challenge, when you’re a small team just starting out, is everything that eats into our main activity: finding people to work with, seeking budget, contacting publishers, doing marketing. For me, that’s the hardest part (and the current market doesn’t make it easier).
Following up on that, can you give us an example of how a monster design can influence the mechanics?
VS: It can be very simple things like a monster with very long claws, so we think that it should cause bleeding with this kind of attack. But there’s also a water elemental where its shapeshifting nature made me think of a mechanic where it would alternate between an offensive and a defensive phase.
We’ve seen a lot of games start as one thing and then become something else entirely over the course of development. Has anything drastically changed with Break the Loop from where it began to where it is today?
VS: The game has drastically changed! The initial version was a curious blend of a runner and RPG played with a controller. Players alternated between phases where they had to press the right buttons at the right time to accumulate bonuses before moving on to combat with QTE mechanics. It was fun, but the gameplay became quite repetitive unless we focused more on the runner aspect. However, balancing the two parts of the game seemed too complex at the time, so we decided to switch to a more classic gameplay style where we could showcase our uniqueness.
Let’s switch gears a little bit and chat about you and your team. Where is Mastodonte located? What is the indie development community like there?
VS: Our team consists of three people and we’re a French studio located in Strasbourg. As for the indie community in the region, I know it’s quite active, especially with Game Jams, but I admit I tend to keep to myself. It’s my brother (with whom I founded Mastodonte) who is the sociable one in the team.
What are some games that made you to want to be part of the games industry?
VS: I’m not sure if there’s a particular game that inspired me to make video games. I grew up in the 90s, and at the time, it seemed like a job that was out of reach, so I didn’t pursue studies in that direction at all. Then the indie market developed, and that changed everything. So I guess the first big indie games released 10 years ago paved the way for me.
What did you do before deciding to develop videogames?
VS: I studied multimedia and then worked for 10 years in the communications department of a bank. However, transitioning to the videogame industry didn’t happen overnight. I started reducing my hours at the bank to work on video games in my spare time. After about a year, I quit altogether to pursue videogame development seriously.
Looking at Break the Loop, I’m really glad you decided to make games full-time! Now, onto some fun rapid fire questions! First off, would you rather have the power of flight or invisibility?
VS: Becoming invisible, I’m afraid of heights!
Is cereal a soup?
VS: I…I don’t know…I can’t remember, it’s true that it has all the parameters of a soup…
What is your favorite snack?
VS: Well, I often snack on cereal but without milk, so not in soup form.
When you are trying to get yourself in the zone to work on Break the Loop, what song do you put on to pump you up?
VS: The Ultimate Remix “Just do it” by Shia LaBeouf!
You’ve had a 48-hour layover at the airport. Besides game dev, what are you doing to occupy your time?
VS: I’m trying to learn meditation.
Let’s say when you die, you get to go to the world of the last videogame you played. What game are you playing before you croak?
VS: Ouch! So I’d be fighting giant bugs in the name of Democracy for Super Earth, so Helldivers 2!
Well, Valerian, I’ve really enjoyed our chat and I’m excited for Break the Loop’s release on May 16th! Is there anything else we can add before we say goodbye? Where can we find out more about Break the Loop?
VS: Thank you! You can follow us on Twitter/X, but most importantly, we have an active Discord Server!
For those drawn to a mix of strategy and storytelling, or anyone seeking a novel twist on roguelite games, Break the Loop is a thrilling journey worth following. I’ll be picking up my copy next week!
Break the Loop on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1331340/Break_the_Loop/
