Nic Duchesne, a producer on the recently released Serious Sam: Shatterverse, has revealed an unlikely source of inspiration for the frantic, monster-blasting shooter: Stardew Valley. While Shatterverse plunges players into a universe of "ridiculous guns" and "gory bits," Duchesne found valuable design lessons in the quiet appeal of the beloved farming simulator.
Duchesne's personal connection to Stardew Valley began as a Christmas tradition with his wife. They sought a game to "zone out of the world for a couple of days," and Stardew Valley, with its rural fantasy and cooperative potential, proved to be a perfect fit. The couple found themselves returning to the game for multiple Christmases, drawn by its enduring charm and consistent updates.
"I like to fish," Duchesne shared, describing his personal gameplay loop. "Living the fantasy of being a regular man. You start the day together, you do your chores, and then you live the rest of your day. Which is something we don’t get to do because we work all the time. It’s like the fantasy of having free time."
Beyond personal enjoyment, Duchesne sees Stardew Valley's design as a masterclass in accessibility and intuitive gameplay. He contrasts this with many modern games that rely on extensive tutorials. "Stardew Valley is very simple," he explained. "It tries to be complex in what you can do in the sandbox. But on the tin, anyone, like, a young audience can also pick up the game because it’s, like, two buttons. And a pickaxe does what you think a pickaxe does. And a shovel does what you think a shovel does. I’m a very big fan of simple designs that have interesting interaction."
This philosophy of clear, understandable mechanics directly influenced Shatterverse. "Your love language is violence. And shooting. And when you shoot, things go boom, because that’s what you would expect them to do," Duchesne stated, highlighting the game's commitment to predictable, satisfying action.
Another key takeaway for Duchesne from Stardew Valley is the importance of player satisfaction, regardless of strict success metrics. In Stardew Valley, there's no real way to "fail"; goals like community center completion can always be pursued. This emphasis on a rewarding experience, even without achieving every objective, is something Duchesne strives for in Shatterverse. "The more I work in games, the more having that satisfaction at the end of your gameplay, regardless of what you’ve done, I think is very important," he said. He noted that many modern games demand an "absurd amount of time to get to your goal," and failure to do so can feel wasteful. Stardew Valley, he believes, teaches that "anything you do in a game should bring you something."
Duchesne also champions couch co-op, a feature shared by both Stardew Valley and Shatterverse. He emphasizes Shatterverse's low barrier to entry for cooperative play, aiming for a "beer-and-pretzel experience" where friends can easily jump in and enjoy their time together without lengthy setup or mandatory solo progression. "I wanted [Shatterverse] to be a beer-and-pretzel [experience]. Low barrier to entry, not expensive. You see it on Steam, you see it on PlayStation and you’re like, I don’t know what to do between my season of Call of Duty, League [of Legends], whatever. But like we have three hours together. Let’s get this game, just enjoy our time. It’s part of our rotation."
Looking ahead, Duchesne jokingly expressed a desire for a Stardew Valley and Serious Sam crossover, envisioning a scenario where players might defend their farms from mutant hordes. "I think that’s what’s funny about Serious Sam and like the concept of Shatterverse is that anything is possible because it’s the Sam-verse. You could have a universe that’s just farming and you need to go in and the objective of the mission is to water your crops while hordes of Mental are attacking your farm. Everything is possible."