Co-Founder of Cococucumber on Creating the Game Echo Generation 2

Introduction

I'm Vanessa Chia, co-founder of Cococucumber. I started the studio twelve years ago with Martin Gauvreau as an indie team focused on creating original games. Over the years, we've been fortunate to ship more than five titles, including Riverbond, a voxel co-op dungeon crawler, Ravenlok, a fantasy action RPG, and Echo Generation, a turn-based adventure.

I have been involved across all our projects in different roles. For Echo Generation 2, I'm focused on writing, producing, and marketing.

Echo Generation 2

Martin, our game director, wanted to take the sequel in a much bolder direction. The tone is darker, shifting into a galaxy-spanning sci-fi adventure with touches of cosmic horror. This is quite different from the original, which followed kids in a small Canadian town.

What makes Echo Generation 2 stand out is its blend of JRPG and deckbuilder mechanics, especially in a non-roguelike structure. It's a narrative-driven adventure designed to be completed, inspired by the games we grew up with.

Story and Style of the Game

The story structure in Echo Generation 2 is quite different from the original. It's divided into chapters, each focusing on one or two main characters, with a total of six playable heroes: Sister M, Jack, Bulder, Noliva, Fox, and Annata Z. Jack serves as the central thread, connecting the first game, where he is the missing father, to the sequel, where we uncover more of his story.

At its core, the game is still a mystery. Each chapter tells a self-contained arc, giving the story a more ensemble feel with varied tones and themes. For example, Annata Z's chapter is a somber journey of a mother searching for her child in an industrial wasteland, while Noliva and Fox's story leans into high-energy bounty hunting in a neon cyberpunk city.

Players can expect a galaxy-spanning adventure, a mystery woven throughout, and a cast of heroes whose paths eventually converge in the face of the cosmic threat.

The retro-inspired identity has always been at the heart of the Echo Generation series. It's present in the visuals, the music, and the overall atmosphere. In the sequel, we're expanding that foundation with stronger sci-fi influences, including space operas and cosmic horror.

We continue to draw inspiration from 80s and 90s films like Back to the Future, The Thing, Star Wars, Blade Runner, and Akira. Musically, the synthwave influence is still there, but the soundtrack is more tailored to each chapter and setting, which vary widely in tone and mood.

The Game's Mechanics

As players explore, they collect cards, cash, and badges while progressing through each character's story. The biggest evolution is in combat. As a turn-based deckbuilder, there's much more depth in how players build their twelve-card decks and decide the order of actions in battle.

Each character has their own unique deck, and their chapter introduces their playstyle and strengths. Later in the game, players can form a party of three, which opens up new layers of synergy between characters.

Deckbuilders can sometimes feel intimidating, so one of our goals with Echo Generation 2 is to make the system more approachable while still offering meaningful depth.

Development Process

During early development, Echo Generation 2 went through many iterations as we explored different directions for gameplay, characters, and story. It's definitely not what you would call a by-the-book sequel.

We ultimately chose a path that takes some creative risks, and that came with a lot of uncertainty. Will our fans be on board with the new direction? Is it too different? Is the charm of the original still there?

After announcing the game and releasing the demo, the response has been very encouraging. Seeing players connect with our choices brought a huge sense of relief, along with a renewed responsibility to deliver on that promise.

Advice to Beginner Game Developers

One of the biggest lessons for us on Echo Generation 2 has been the value of releasing a public demo. It can feel difficult to justify because it takes time away from production, but the feedback from players, creators, and press is incredibly valuable.

In our case, it's also been very validating. The demo currently holds over 90% positive ratings on Steam and Xbox. Beyond feedback, a demo is a powerful tool for marketing and community building, and it's a great press beat between announcement and launch. For games with a niche audience, it's also one of the best ways to get honest player reactions early on.

Conclusion

The Echo Generation 2 demo is available now on Steam and Xbox, and we encourage everyone to give it a try, even if it might not seem like your usual type of game. You can wishlist or follow the game, and if you've played the demo, we'd love to hear your feedback or read your review on the demo page on Steam or Xbox. Echo Generation 2 will be launching this year on Steam, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox on PC, Xbox Cloud Gaming, and Xbox Game Pass.

If you're new to the series, Echo Generation: Midnight Edition is available on Steam, Xbox, and Switch. You can also find us on Bluesky, X, YouTube, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok. Thanks so much for the support!

Vanessa Chia, co-founder of Cococucumber

Interview conducted by Emma Collins