Interview with PAX RISING Super BAWK BAWK Chicken’s developers Daytime Devs
By Drawza
Drawza: Firstly, please introduce yourself and your game?
Daytime Devs: Howdy! 👋
We’re Daytime Devs, 3 brothers from South Australia who teamed up and made an indie games company!
This is our first game, Super BAWK BAWK Chicken! It’s an infinite runner with a twist, there are no lanes. You play as a super powered chicken called Clucky and your goal is to catch a raccoon thief and get as far as you can.
What is your background?
We grew up playing games together as kids. It’s one of the ways we bonded as brothers, and it’s what has brought us together to work on games as Daytime Devs. What started as playing local multiplayer games on the Nintendo 64, and playing card games with our grandparents, has grown into a passion for gaming and making games.
What made you decide to journey down the path of game development?
We’ve always enjoyed playing games together growing up. But it was more than that for us too. Since we were in school, we were always making games for each other. We really enjoy the process of making a game. Being able to express something that we thought was cool, or really fun. The best part was sharing it with friends and family, seeing people work together, take on challenges, and having fun playing an experience we made. We really want to share this with everyone, hopefully we can inspire others to have as much fun together with games as we have!
What previous games have you created/worked on?
Super Bawk Bawk Chicken is our first released game.
We have a history of making small games, prototypes, card games, mods, and quizzes since we were kids. We have shared these with friends and family and it’s allowed us to hone our skills in game development and learn what’s fun, and what’s not!
Although not officially released, some of our most enjoyed games were a cooperative puzzle game called The Amazing Maze Game, and a tower defence game called Turret Tactix. Both were made while we were in school, both were using Game Maker. Hours of fun were spent playing these games, and not only by us! They hold a special place in our hearts, and one day we’d love to recreate them.
In the recent past we have produced many prototypes in Unity including a wordle like hex puzzler, multiplayer platformer, and virtual board game. Some of these games may one day be released while others are learning opportunities that we can use to enhance our future titles.
What are the core concepts?
In Super BAWK BAWK Chicken, you play as a chicken with super powers. You can jump and glide over rivers, dash through hay bales, and Bawk everything out of your way!
Rascal, a thieving raccoon, has stolen all the items from Wesley’s store, it’s your job as a super hero chicken to catch him and get them back. Catching Rascal in a level unlocks that level’s item, and you can then buy it from the store with the eggs you collect in game. Each item changes your look as well as providing a buff to Clucky’s powers, some even change the way you play the game!
Your secondary goal is to get as far as you can in a run. There are three yellow stars to collect that help unlock more levels to explore. But as you hone your skills, you’ll also be able to reach the three red, and then purple stars. With the ultimate goal of being the top score on the global scoreboard!
What were your inspirations?
We have fond memories of playing Nintendo games growing up. We love the way they embrace the silly and wacky styles of characters and gameplay. The cartoony art style also is exciting and has a timeless feel. This inspired the fun, family-friendly and quirky nature of Super Bawk Bawk Chicken.
Super Bawk Bawk Chicken initially started as a weekend project Luke made for his partner Tabitha. Focusing on a simple game with a heavy emphasis on mechanics over strategy. Having seen the positive feedback the game received from family members, Alex then stuck with the project and eventually we all came back to it to create what it has become today.
How long have you been working on this game?
We've worked on Bawk Bawk for about 4 years now. But the first 2 years were slow in terms of progress due to a split focus. It was really in the last 2 years that we picked up pace. Especially the year before our Steam release in July 2023. Since then we have pushed to be really active - with 10 updates to the game since launch that have honed the game’s experience and added depth for existing players to enjoy.
What is it like to have the game showcased at events such as PAX Aus?
It’s honestly amazing! It’s so great to have tonnes of people come past your stand and enjoy your game. We’ve showcased at AVCon, SAGE, and PAX AUS, each one has been so much fun, and incredibly rewarding. The feedback is invaluable, and it’s not only the feedback people give you, which is great. It’s also watching them play, seeing how they play, and how they navigate your game.
These events are a great place to make connections with others in the industry, and with players. The players themselves like to share their gaming journey and history with you and how it affects their experience with your game. As well as all the people showcasing, we’ve had other exhibitors run an internal highscore competition over the weekend, and met a bunch of friendly indie devs that help share their experience in the scene.
It’s also full on! In the best way. But you need to be prepared. Come with a water bottle, bring throat lozenges, bring a friend to tag team in-out with, and if you can afford to, take the next day off work.
What advice have you got for upcoming game developers?
If you can, chat to other Devs about your game, get friends and family to play test your game, and seek honest feedback. Share what you are doing on socials and try to build a community around your game and get ready to have an amazing, challenging, but immensely rewarding time.
In regards to development some valuable advice would be to keep your game as simple as possible. Scope creep is a real thing and the smaller the scope you start with the more manageable the creep later. Being able to identify which part of your game is core and which is bloat can help keep your game on the right path.
What advice have you received that you have held on to throughout your journey?
Marketing is a very important part of game dev. We received this advice when we sought some consultancy after releasing our first game. It was a lesson we learnt the hard way. We were very focused on aligning our release with an in-person event and were heads-down working on our game the whole time. We didn’t leave enough time, or funnel enough effort, into marketing prior to release.
Have you had any mentors in the gaming industry?
We’ve met some amazing people over our journey so far. None have fit the “mentor” role, but so many helpful indie devs have offered us advice and reflections on their own experience. Especially at local meet ups, everyone we’ve met has been friendly and helpful. We’re keen to participate more in the indie dev scene and continue to learn more from everyone. As well as give back some of what we’ve learnt too.
We also watch lots of GDC and other similar talks, and read lots of write ups and blogs about game development. These are great for staying aware of how others are succeeding in the industry. Providing inspiration for solving tricky problems, game design tips, and other invaluable info.
How many PAX Aus events have you attended (as both a developer and as a regular attendee)?
PAX AUS 2023 was the first time any of us had attended PAX, and it just so happened to be our first time exhibiting at PAX too! It was so nerve wracking, but also very fun and an amazing opportunity for us. We can’t wait to attend again in 2024, and show off some of the cool updates we’ve made to our game!
Additional info:
Chris Norton is the composer behind Bawk Bawk's soundtrack. He has put together an epic OST that is on-par with the best! We highly recommend you check it out along with Chris’ other work https://www.therealchrisnorton.com/
Check Out the website for Super BAWK BAWK Chicken
Be sure to check out Super BAWK BAWK Chicken and other PAX RISING games
And make sure you check out PAX Aus 2024 in October.
