A Two-Person Team on Creating a Fun & Social Co-Op Game
Wetcoat Games joined us to talk about their game Rogue Fist, sharing why and how it was created and what inspired the style of the video game.
Introduction
Steven: My name is Steven Kearney. I'm Canadian, and currently I reside in Vancouver, BC. I've basically been making games my whole life. I started when I was about 11, experimenting with anything I could get my hands on, including RPG Maker, StarCraft map editors, and HTML forums.
Professionally, I've spent the last 10 years working in the game industry. I've worked from small studios to big AAA companies such as CAPCOM. I've also been teaching game development at Vancouver Film School in the Game Design program, which has been incredibly rewarding.
I got into game development because I loved the idea of building worlds and systems people could actually play with. The moment I first tinkered with the StarCraft editor, I was hooked, and I never really stopped.
David: My name is David Hinds, I'm Canadian, and I'm the co-founder and Art Director of Wetcoat Games in Vancouver, Canada. I've worked in games for 14 years, creating art, leading teams, and building pipelines across indie, mobile, and AR/VR projects. Before starting Wetcoat with Steven Kearney, I was the Studio Art Director at Truly Social Games on titles like Archer: Danger Phone, Draw a Stickman AR, and Gold Mania.
At Wetcoat, I handle 99.9% of the visual development. Steven is known to slip in an art asset from time to time. I also handle aspects of marketing, art, and business operations. Being a two-person studio means wearing many hats, but I love the freedom that comes with it.
I got into games early because my dad often brought home 3D software and game demos, sparking my passion at a young age. I spent my childhood customizing board games, making maps in StarCraft and Myth: The Fallen Lords, and experimenting with 3D tools like Poser and Bryce 3D.
In high school, I discovered Unreal Tournament 2003 and began importing my own assets, giving me my first real taste of game development. Well, at least as much as I thought I understood it back then.
Rogue Fist
Steven: Wetcoat Games started with a friend I worked with at Truly Social Games. We discovered that we not only collaborated well, but shared a similar sense of humor and love for games that don't take themselves too seriously.
Our aspiration was simple: make games we'd want to play with our friends. We want to build experiences that feel energetic, chaotic, silly, and full of personality. Wetcoat Games became our outlet for that.
David: Like many studios, Wetcoat Games started from a shared vision: creating games that deliver fun social play. We first met at Truly Social Games and quickly became friends, bonding over our shared interests and sense of humor, often gaming together after hours.
Working on other people's projects wasn't enough, we wanted to channel our energy into our own games, creating experiences full of humor, personality, and that are a blast to play with friends together.
From the start, we've focused on co-op games, aiming to create lasting social memories, just like the countless memories we have from the games we love.
Steven: Rogue Fist is our love letter to couch co-op chaos. It's a 4-player local co-op dungeon crawler where survival isn't just about fighting enemies. Sometimes it's about surviving your friends.
We were inspired by games like Brotato, Tiny Rogues, Castle Crashers, Soulstone Survivors, and Binding of Isaac, but honestly, the bigger inspiration was the energy of being a kid playing couch co-op with friends: everyone yelling, laughing, and blaming each other.
While working on Rogue Fist, one of our biggest goals was to make sure no one got stuck sitting on the sidelines. A lot of co-op games have this problem where, if you fall behind or die early, you spend way too much time doing nothing, or worse, you miss out on upgrades and rewards for the rest of the run.
As a player, that always felt frustrating to me and often made me want to end the run immediately. We wanted to fix that! In Rogue Fist, even if you're not doing great in the moment, you're never punished with long downtime or left out of rewards. The game keeps everyone involved, keeps the energy up, and makes sure you and your friends can jump right back into the chaos without feeling like anyone has fallen behind.
David: Since Steven has already discussed game design, I'll focus on the art design. For Rogue Fist, I had three personal goals: develop a character style I'd envisioned since 2018, craft environments where the perspective is inspired by Binding of Isaac and early Zelda games, and push myself to make all the art in 2D.
Together, Steven and I aimed for a distinct, streamlined style achievable as a two-person team. Our inspirations came from roguelites like Brotato and Hades, co-op games like Deep Rock Galactic and TF2, and late-90s/early-2000s cartoons. The style aims to support expressive, customizable characters, emphasizes movement and personality, and allows for playful silliness in the visuals.
Steven: Our marketing has been pretty small-scale so far. We're a tiny team of 2, so we've mostly focused on things we know we can realistically handle ourselves. A lot of that has meant showing up at local events, meetups, and in-person showcases.
It's one of the best ways for us to get the game in front of people, see their reactions, and talk to players directly. On Steam, our main strategy is simple: get into as many events and festivals as possible. Each one gives us a little boost and helps new players discover the game.
We've tried social media too, but we're still figuring that out: what to post, how to present it, and how to actually catch people's attention. It's a learning process for sure, and one we're trying to figure out for ourselves.
David: As a small studio, we approach marketing with flexibility, focusing our limited resources where they have the most impact. That means quick pivots; if something isn't working, we move on. Steam is our primary tool for exposure, especially during Steam events, while socials are still a space we're learning to navigate.
We also attend local indie and gaming events to share, interact, and watch new players engage with our game. Marketing for us is a marathon, not a sprint. Each month, we refine our strategy and learn more.
Steven: The biggest challenge is visibility. Making the game is one thing, getting people to notice it is a whole separate job. With so many games coming out every year, standing out is tough, especially for small teams that don't have a dedicated marketing person. It's not enough to make something good, you have to make sure people actually see it.
David: I echo Steven's answer. The biggest challenge today is finding the right mix so a game stands out, the unique hook, fun factors, and making it marketable. With so many games online, players often stick to familiar franchises, so we aim to reach those looking for something new.
Development is manageable for experienced teams, but publishing and sales are a bigger challenge. Self-publishing is easier than ever, yet visibility often depends on marketing investment. Steam helps small studios like us gain exposure through events and sales, but even with that sturdy rope, publishing and sales remain a steep mountain to climb.
Conclusion
Steven: I see game distribution for indies becoming more community-driven and platform-agnostic. Steam will still be important, subscription platforms, creator partnerships, and emerging storefronts will continue to grow. Players are increasingly discovering games through creators, online events, festivals, and tight-knit communities.
It's a challenging landscape, but also full of opportunity. Players are hungry for fresh, inventive experiences, and small studios can move faster and take creative risks that bigger studios often can't.
David: I agree. I'm optimistic about the future of indie games and their distribution. Steven is right. Big studios often struggle to pivot due to investor pressures, sticking to safe bets that generate revenue. Many risk falling behind, leaving gaps in the market.
Indies thrive on creativity, driven by what games can be rather than what they've always been. Small studios can respond quickly to trends and player needs, finding niches where larger studios fail. This flexibility and creative freedom make me hopeful for the next decade of indie development.
