Footy Bash is an arcade-style Aussie rules video game, the debut release from three-person team Danger Thumbs, was playable at PAX Rising this year.
In the vein of something like NBA Jam or NFL Blitz, Footy Bash has stripped down Australian rules football to its core elements, making the gameplay more over-the-top and approachable for a broad audience.
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What sets Footy Bash apart from other Aussie rules games is the brutal interpretation of the sport. As much as you want to score a goal, you also want to belt the living daylights out of your opponents on the field.
By the end of a quarter, the field is usually left covered in a smear of blood, but it’s all very cartoony and playful.
Astoundingly, the game has only been in development for six months and the team is aiming for a release in time for the 2024 AFL season, a very quick turnaround in the modern video game space.
I had a chat with Daniel Utkovic about the development journey of the game.
“We want to drive making our own game the way we want to make it, as opposed to having people who are stakeholders saying, ‘we’ve invested x amount, this is our deadline and this is what we want,” Utkovic told Quest Daily.
“Our deadline’s ridiculously short, six months to have a feature complete game at PAX. But that’s what we want to see,” he continued.
Aiming to make a game that isn’t just for footy diehards, the team at Danger Thumbs are keen to make Footy Bash as approachable as they can.
“The whole thing is we’ve got kids of our own and nieces and nephews. So, a game that they can pick up and play – kick, punch, sprint, put the ball through the goal and that’s it.” Utkovic said.
“We want to be as inclusive as we can. It’s really, really nice seeing a group of people playing, but to see parents with their kids playing and laughing and smiling. Yeah, that’s nice for us.”
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I’m surprised more developers haven’t attempted to represent our Australian game in a more over-the-top arcade manner. Utkovic compared Footy Bash to the NES title Aussie Rules Footy and you can see the similarities in the slower, deliberate style of movement and easy to understand controls.
Multiplayer options look set to create some chaotic on-field battles with your friends and it seems like it’s shaping up to be a breath of fresh air in this genre.
The development journey of Footy Bash is still in the early stages, but it’s progressing quickly and Quest Daily will be keeping an eye on it towards release.
