Developer Revisits a 20-Year-Old Game Engine Created by Two People in Just 18 Months

In light of Helldivers 2 getting pilotable mechs with one of its latest updates, Video Game Designer and Programmer Jonathan Blow, known for such games as Braid and The Witness, has recently revisited an ancient development log from the era when dinosaurs still roamed the Earth, the 2000s, which details the production process behind a proof-of-concept game engine created by a team of two in just 18 months for a game where one would need to fight gigantic fighting robots.

Those already proficient in the esoteric realm of obscure game development software might have already heard about the Happycake project, but to those uninitiated, here's the gist:

Back in 2004-2005, Blow pitched a proof-of-concept for a physics-driven, online multiplayer game centered around fighting giant robots besieging a town to IBM. The engine for the Happycake project was developed by Blow and Atman Binstock, now Oculus VR's Chief Architect, in less than two years and documented on the digital pages of a comprehensive devlog the team maintained throughout the production process. While the game itself never saw the light of day, its legacy, and that of its engine, remained set in stone thanks to the log, which Blow recently revisited over on Twitter.

Reminiscing about the golden era of game development, Blow shared a few of the log's entries, containing numerous insights into the game itself and its engine, along with work-in-progress video demos, renders, and a wealth of valuable information that not only provides a behind-the-scenes look at the game development process but also transports you a couple of decades back in time, when a 720p 60 FPS video was considered something mind-blowing.

In his tweets, Blow jokingly mentioned Helldivers, lamenting that he didn't come up with the idea first, all the way back in 2004. He also confirmed that parts of code written for Happycake's engine were eventually used for Braid, a 2008 puzzle platformer developed by Number None.

So, if you're passionate about the history of game development and keen to discover more about the Happycake project, we highly recommend exploring the full development log by clicking this link.

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