This article was originally published on April 18, 2025 - read the full issue here

By Marie Dealessandri

Peeling Blue Prince's carefully crafted layers is a thrill that is difficult to describe to someone who's not played Dogubomb's debut videogame. Its gradual difficulty curve, its lore shrouded in mystery, the excitement of drafting rooms, its many puzzles to solve: it leaves you wondering and thinking long after you've put the controller down, imagining more theories and paths you could follow to finally uncover the mystery of Mt Holly.

"I think the game works best when the player is juggling multiple objectives at the same time and has multiple theories they are eager to put into practice," says Blue Prince director Tonda Ros. The puzzle-cum-roguelike title has enjoyed an overwhelming amount of attention on social media since its release last week, and met both commercial and critical success – a rare trifecta.

"To be honest, when I'm told the game has launched, a big part of my brain refuses to believe it," Ros tells us. "After so many years in development, it has certainly been a surreal experience reaching the finish line, but I'm overjoyed to see the game in so many players' hands."

Resisting the urge to look ahead

Ros has something of an unusual career for an indie developer, and is living proof that all paths can lead to games. He initially moved to LA to pursue a career in film, and spent eight years providing freelance cinematography for short films, music videos and low-budget features. He founded production studio Dogubomb in 2013 and started directing commercials for bigger brand clients and agencies, before beginning work on Blue Prince in 2016.

"I think my approach and process was atypical for a number of reasons – I didn't do any research before I began, and once I had started, I purposely tried to avoid referencing other games, mechanics and systems," Ros reminisces. "I wanted to leverage my inexperience as a way to approach development in a novel way. To try to break free from some of the most overused elements that have wormed themselves into games. In order to subvert expectations, you need to be able to take risks. And it's much easier to find your own path if you are not starting on the main road."

He considers Blue Prince's development journey to be a "prime example of supreme inefficiency," since he didn't really have a production schedule in mind, nor long-term plans for the game.

"Perhaps the scope of the project was so daunting that it felt easier to just take it one step at a time, focusing on each individual task at hand, and resisting the urge to look ahead," he suggests.

While long stretches of development time were spent solo, Ros did get some help on the project – specifically from art director Davide Pellino, systems architect Cosimo Manzione, Axel Haavikko in production and sound design, and Trigg & Gusset, the noir jazz group behind the eerie soundtrack.

"Every once in a while I would need some help on something that was above my capabilities. Sometimes these tasks would take years, like the modelling of all our rooms, or the composition of the game's soundtrack. I'd say that it never really felt like a solo project given the enormity of their contributions."

Fitting the same pieces into a smaller frame

Dogubomb also benefited from the support of Raw Fury to release Blue Prince, the Stockholm-based publisher helping to get the game noticed via marketing while also applying its expertise to bring it to PS5 and Xbox Series consoles.

"After working on the game for so long, my only objective was getting it into the hands of as many people as I could," Ros explains. "I'm not really a self-marketing type, so the game didn't have any socials or a community or anything. So I knew early on I needed to partner up with someone who could handle marketing, bizdev and porting. After meeting with Raw Fury, it became apparent just how much they connected with the game, and the partnership seemed ideal."

As a player, Ros believes the indie game scene has never looked better. "It's great for me because I only play indie games," he says, before offering a more cautious view on the bigger picture. "Of course, as a developer, I realise that this surplus in great games comes from the sheer quantity of indie games being released each month. And I know that competition puts a lot of pressure on the sustainability of indie teams as it becomes harder and harder to stand out among so many titles. I just hope more people will take a chance and try out some indie games, because to me this is the scene where true risks are being taken, and it's thrilling to play something and be surprised."

Blue Prince and Dogubomb feel like a classic example of taking years to become an overnight success, but despite the game's accomplishments, Ros is hesitant to suggest that anyone should follow in his footsteps too closely.

"Eight years is just too long, and this project got way out of hand. I would advise devs to figure out a way to identify the best pieces of their concept and figure out a way to fit those pieces into a smaller frame. And include massive margins in your schedule! If you're planning on spending two years on a project, it'll likely take you five."

This article was originally published on April 18, 2025 - read the full issue here