#rawmen

RAWMEN is a very messy arena shooter where half-naked soup chefs get in a massive food fight!

Indie Game Spotlight: RAWMEN

Get ready to eat your heart out with this week’s Indie Game Spotlight. RAWMEN is a light-hearted, soup-slinging, third-person food fighter packed with puns and explosive portions of hot, steamy fun. We are inclined to agree with Steven Messner who says it’s a “multiplayer game where you play a customizable naked man and run around hurling spoonfuls of ramen to defeat your opponents. I feel like I don’t need to communicate the appeal here." So we asked Dustin Mattock and Eric Keshishian of ANIMAL to spill the tea (er…soup) on RAWMEN. Read on!

Rawmen has been likened to Splatoon, but with naked men and soup. Where did this idea come from?

We were at Tsujita Annex here in Los Angeles and came up with an idea for a Ramen-themed video game. The original concept had players serving soup to patrons by chucking it at them from a distance, which would lead to even weirder situations and chaos. We didn’t have the resources to develop clothes, so we stuck with naked character models for our prototype. People enjoyed the comical nudity and we made the joke "Oh, Ramen! We thought you wanted a game about Raw Men." And that’s how the name came about. 

Following the fun of soup flinging and mess-making, we developed a multiplayer battle scenario within the same theme—which proved to be so much more enjoyable! We get asked a lot whether the game is a gimmick built around a pun, but it’s quite the opposite. Gameplay always comes first. We put a lot of effort into creating engaging and satisfying gameplay mechanics as a top priority. The aesthetic, sound design and overall feel are all developed to complement this foodie world.

We drew inspiration from some of our favorite cartoons: Rick and Morty, Adventure Time, Futurama, The Simpsons. We greatly admire the interjection of adult humor and themes in these shows, it creates an entertaining product that’s enjoyed by audiences of all ages. We aim for the same qualities in RAWMEN, with nuances and humorous subtleties sprinkled throughout the world.

What type of gameplay mechanics can we expect?

RAWMEN isn’t just about pure, food flinging chaos. We believe in teamwork, and that comes into play with some of the game modes we’re designing. Our newest addition is “Claim Chowder,” where you and your team battle the opposing team for control of broth-gushing ramen pots that drop randomly across the environment. It’s already a favorite within our community.  

We also have a wild set of random pickups in-game that transform gameplay mechanics on the fly. Each item has unique actions and characteristics that suit various gameplay scenarios. 

Mobility and sliding contribute hugely to the action-packed feel we want players to experience. Jumping, sliding, and performing tricks while flinging food at your friends all make for really fun gameplay. This type of rad skate, or surf, style mobility is a design pillar of our game mechanics, and we hope to reflect that in every game mode we develop.

Do different types of soup in the game have different properties, like more damage, etc.?

Yeah, totally! Right now, there are actually lots of different types of food—Matzo balls, Naruto, and Dim Sum, just to name a few. Each weapon has different properties and effects. Some are extremely volatile and pack an explosive punch, while others may stun or disorient opponents, or even make them scream deliriously.

Weapons aren’t the only means of mischief, though. We have great plans for our utility items as well.  For example, our “Bro Back Mounting Backpack” forces opposing soup saviors to work together and share points as a team, piggybacking straight into Hell’s kitchen together. Utility items like this are distributed randomly around the maps, making encounters dynamic and often leaving players in sticky situations.

What do you hope players will take away from your game?

We'd like players to come away from the game with their friends' pride, a good laugh, and silly conversations. If you walk away from our game with a big smile on your face, chatting with friends about the stupid shit you just saw—even if you hated it—we feel like we’ve succeeded. We hope the passion that has gone into the game translates into fun and laughter for everyone who plays it.