Bounce Castle Interview – Robot Monkey Brain’s Chris Stevens Talks Inspiration, Balance, and Unity Development

Precision, physics, and bouncing a-plenty await players in Robot Monkey Brain’s turn-based strategy game Bounce Castle.

With their Steam Spooky Graveyard Playtest now underway, we met with Robot Monkey Brain’s Chris Stevens to chat all things Bounce Castle – learn more with our interview.

Bounce Castle Interview – Robot Monkey Brain’s Chris Stevens Talks Inspiration, Balance, and Unity Development

Gamers Heroes 

I really appreciate the time today!

Checking out the recent Steam Graveyard Playtest, I was told by our PR rep David to play defensively – and it worked! 

I didn’t heed that advice at first. When I first started, I told myself I’d just go for it…

It did not end well. 

What I liked is there’s a method to the madness – it’s certainly unique!

I’ve noticed elements like Kirby’s Dream Course for the Super Nintendo – what other games inspired Bounce Castle?

Chris Stevens

Into the Breach was a major inspiration for its elegant strategy! 

I think they nailed things by having players move units around to defend, all while granting very limited resources. You have to think about how to really defend objectives and just survive. 

It’s not a necessarily a kill everything type of game. 

Board games were also an inspiration. There are dexterity board games like Catacombs or Flick ’em Up! – and even the little paper football game you may have played back in grade school.

I also heard about the early development of Hearthstone; they asked:

“What could we do in a digital environment that we can’t do in a physical environment with a card game?”

I tried to do the same thing with Bounce Castle. 

What can I do with a kind of billiards or a mini golf-style of gameplay, but something that you couldn’t do in real life? 

That’s where things like explosions and pits that you can throw things into come into play. 

I tried to kind of combine all of these things and bring it together with the art style of games like Card Hunter from back in the day, or Paper Mario.

That’s where a lot of the inspiration came from! 

Gamers Heroes 

Absolutely!

So I know the Steam Playtest has been going on for a little while, and that it’s going to be extended.

Have you noticed any insights from players?

I mentioned my aggressive approach that didn’t end well, but were there any instances on the opposite end? 

Any MVP plays or things you never thought of doing that basically broke the game?

Chris Stevens

I do really appreciate when people get in there and try to break the game!

Being a game that uses physics, there’s an avenue for that. 

While we try to protect against most of it, it is one of those things where one can find a way to really mix things up – that’s how you know you’re doing a good job. 

One of the interesting things I noticed from Playtests is that there’s really two types of players… 

There are the players that really want to go in for precision, and then there are the players that are okay with being chaotic. 

It’s interesting the way that they view the Wizard character in particular right now during the Playtest. 

If you’re a precision character, the Wizard is useless to you – but if you’re someone who can embrace the chaos, the Wizard character is the best.

What I found was that some players would do a lot of their precision plays first, then using the Wizard to clean up.

However, other players would look at the board and be like, 

“This is not a good state. I’m just going to gust everything with the Wizard and then clean up from there.” 

It was interesting to watch these two different play styles! 

When I saw that you could really go at it with two different play styles and find success, I thought this was like an idea worth really pursuing.

Gamers Heroes 

On that same note, I saw that you were at PAX East back in 2023 and that you’ve got a Discord! 

What’s it been like interacting with the community?

I always say “strength in community” – your fans are your advocates! I’m sure there are a lot of great insights, great memes, things like that.

Chris Stevens

It was really cool doing PAX East!

At the time, I was still just starting out. I didn’t have a booth; I just had my laptop and a sign.

From there, I just set up my laptop and just said:

“Come play my game!” 

And it worked!

I was really eager to do this kind of off-booth thing, something you didn’t have to wait in line for hours to do. 

This was another case of where I learned a lot about what needed to be said in a tutorial or shown – and what didn’t. 

There was a lot of trying to figure out how I say the least and still get the idea across of what you’re supposed to do. 

I found a lot of places where players picked that up and that it was working. I also found places where it wasn’t so.

I was basically trying to help engineer the game in such a way that you can just get in there and start playing, getting it after a run or two.

That came from just watching players, along with their feedback on Discord. 

That’s been very helpful!

Gamers Heroes 

I also saw that Bounce Castle is powered by Unity! 

I previously interviewed Allan Smith, who did Soulstone Survivors, and he mentioned how Unity allows them to rarely have bugs and that they really need to rework systems. 

“It just works,” as Todd Howard says!

What has been your experience using this tool?

Chris Stevens

Unity has been great!

The best thing I learned to do with Unity is embracing its way of doing things. 

Coming from a software engineering background, I had my kind of preconceived notions as to how to work with the code.

When it came to working with the engine’s components like prefab, scriptable objects, and other tools, delegates, and whatnot that Unity provides…

Once I really embraced that, it became very smooth sailing. 

The physics have been great to work with. 

There are certainly some quirks…

One of the things I like to note – for any other developers interested – Bounce Castle is a 3D game that uses 2D physics.

The game itself is designed more like up on a wall. 

I like to say that it’s not like a board game on a table; it’s more like a board game on a wall because it’s using “X” and “Y.”

Anyway, Unity has been really great, and I couldn’t do without it.

Gamers Heroes 

I saw on the Bounce Castle splash screen that you credited two voice actors! 

I love voice actors – they bring so much life to games. 

There’s a lot still under wraps, but what’s it been like working with Ian and Katarina?

Chris Stevens

They’ve been great!

So Ian is a close friend of mine who has a great voice for Viking-like characters – I had him come in and do some of those.

And Katarina – I just happened to find her as I was hanging out in a game dev Discord. I just instantly heard her voice, and said:

“You would be perfect for these characters!” 

She does the Goblins, the Archer, the Wizard, and soon we’ll reveal that she’s the Queen and Bishop. She’s been great.

It’s been really fun letting them be creative; I tried to be as hands off as possible. It’s kind of like nudging the flow of a river, as opposed to a straight direction. 

That’s been fun!

Gamers Heroes 

I’ve heard that a lot as well!

Interviewing previous voice actors, they say some of their best lines come from stuff that’s off the cuff, that’s improv. 

Are there any particular lines or moments you’re especially proud of?

Chris Stevens

We don’t have actual words – a lot is more guttural-like!

Once it got to the point of being integrated into the game, and you saw the characters responding – that was the moment things started to click.

When showing it to them, they were like:

“Oh, let me make a couple tweaks to this one, or do a little different take over here.” 

That’s when it was the most fun! 

When we recorded Ian’s parts, he just came over and used my setup here. 

That was fun, just because we could go back and forth doing Keanu Reeves impressions for the night!

We’re like:

“It’s got to be more surfer dude.”

Just having fun! 

Gamers Heroes 

I see you’ve got a killer setup too! 

Since they’re on the call, what’s it been working with Violet Moon – and Scarlet Moon for that matter?

Violet Moon [David Bruno]

You don’t have to answer that! [laughs]

Gamers Heroes 

You can be diplomatic! [laughs]

Chris Stevens

Seriously, they’ve been true.

It’s funny, because where I’ve struggled the most has changed as the project progresses. 

What I keep butting up against with this project is:

“Oh wow, I’m not as prepared for this part as I thought I might be.” 

But then I have this attitude of:

“Well, if I’m not good enough, I’m going to find somebody who is!” 

And I was lucky enough that [Violet Moon’s] David Bruno found me, and then we started from there. 

I had been in need of marketing and community outreach help for a while.

I tend to be off social media in general myself, so it was an avenue. It was an area I was not very prepared for, but he’s put a structure around it that is understandable. 

It put a lot of structure to the just kind of nebulous space I was in.

I felt like I was just dropped into an ocean before, and David has let me know where to go from here. 

Gamers Heroes 

I totally understand! You’re safe in loving hands.

Violet Moon [David Bruno]

Going back to the voices, I absolutely love the Archer. I want a sound test – it’s just the cutest little sound.

I am definitely one of those people that does the Force Push with the Wizard and cleans up after!

Gamers Heroes 

That was my strategy too! I thought to myself, “Okay, I see how this is going!” 

Violet Moon [David Bruno]

I immediately leveled up with the Wizard and then tried to expand that skill set first.

Chris Stevens 

Yeah!

I get the feedback that the Wizard needs a buff, that they can’t do enough with it.

And then some people that say: “The Warrior is useless; I just all Wizard all the way.”

I’m glad it can fit both!

Violet Moon [David Bruno]

It’s fun once you start learning how to use them to combo off one another! 

Chris Stevens

There’s going to be more of that too!

There are a lot more abilities coming out that are going to have synergies between them, as well as teams that have passive abilities that suggest a particular play style. 

One of the teams we have art of on our Instagram is the Viking team, which consists of one big Viking King and then two Shield Maidens. 

The Viking King himself can’t move on his own but has attacks, whereas the Shield Maidens can move, but don’t have attacks on their own. 

So the idea is that it’s kind of like a cue ball; you’re kind of nudging him into positions so that he can do these big AoE attacks, all while using the Maidens to push him alongside the other units.

Gamers Heroes 

You just segued to my last question!

I know we’ve got the Steam Playtest, but I saw there’s going to be new regions and chambers, enemies and challenges, and characters and abilities.

You’ve already talked about a little bit about them, but what else are you looking to add between now and release that you can talk about right now?

Chris Stevens

We’re looking at like the next demo, and then Early Access followed by its full release.

The playtests will continue after the Graveyard Playtest is over, with us doing Playtests for both the Castle and Forest Regions. 

This will be closely aligned with what the demo is going to look like, but, but there’s going to be more content and more abilities in the demo.

What I’m hoping to have ready for the demo – which I guess this is going to become a promise! – is to have the Viking team playable for one region. 

For those things, we’re really making an example of what the full game is going to have to offer. This includes multiple teams beyond the two that will be seen in the demo and four regions, along with a final region that will be the final boss fight. 

Basically, expect a lot more content in both the regions and the teams – and a lot of unlockable stuff!

Gamers Heroes 

I look forward to experiencing it!

I know this is a super, super busy season – thank you for giving me these heartfelt responses, and just letting me do a deep dive with you!

Chris Stevens

Thanks Casey! 

Bounce Castle’s Spooky Graveyard Playtest can be checked out as of this writing – for free! – via its official Steam page.

Be sure to wishlist the title while there!

Feeling social? Be sure to follow the official Robot Monkey Brain Instagram, Bluesky, and Discord social media channels!

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