Team Lazerbeam is set to launch its new title, Shroom and Gloom, into Early Access on September 10. The game combines the strategic depth of a deckbuilding roguelike with the immediate action of a first-person shooter, all wrapped in a distinctive punk cartoon aesthetic.
Players will navigate a dungeon environment overrun with mycelium, utilizing two distinct decks. One deck facilitates exploration and movement through the subterranean tunnels, while the other is dedicated to combat against the lurking monsters. As players progress, they will unlock new characters, cards, and additional artwork.
The visual presentation of Shroom and Gloom is a central focus for Team Lazerbeam, with a hand-drawn art style intended to make the game stand out in a crowded genre. Ben Rausch, a key artist and game designer on the project, explained that the team's core aesthetic involves hand-drawn, cartoony, and often humorous or slightly grotesque visuals.
"We only use three colors when we draw — white, black, and grey," Rausch stated. "And we use lighting to add color, variation, and mood. We’re committed to everything being drawn by hand."
Team Lazerbeam’s development process involved several distinct phases. It began with a seven-day game jam to explore the core concept of a first-person deckbuilder, followed by a month-long art test to push the visual boundaries. A prototype developed two years ago combined the lessons learned from these initial stages, distilling the game to its essential elements.
Player feedback played a significant role in shaping the game. Initially, the developers considered a more streamlined experience, but discovered an appetite for greater depth. This led to the inclusion of characters and a greater emphasis on the game's lore and narrative. Feedback from the local game development community in Cape Town was also instrumental in overcoming design challenges.
The game's creature designs were developed through extensive experimentation. The team established a social hierarchy for the in-game "graycaps," detailing their body textures, variations, and how they would interact with the environment. Guidelines were set for line widths and animation styles to ensure a cohesive look, while still allowing each monster to possess a unique identity.
To ensure the creature designs felt grounded, the team created physical clay models. This process helped them establish plausible proportions and understand how the monsters would hold up under gravity, which is why many of them appear stout. These sculptures also served as valuable references for shading and depth during the 2D drawing process.
Inspiration for the game's fungal elements was drawn from nature, with the team actively photographing mushrooms and even growing their own. Mycology books and the food on their plates also contributed to the design process.
Rausch believes that the game's art is crucial to its appeal. "We’ve noticed that the art draws you into the game, and the gameplay keeps you there," he said. With a team background in animation and music, Team Lazerbeam prioritizes creating a strong "vibe" and building gameplay mechanics that support it.
Shroom and Gloom is currently available to wishlist.