Magic Design Studios’ roguelike game, Have a Nice Death, leaves early access on March 22. The launch of build 1.0 adds an eighth and final world to the game, the Inevitable Time Department, concluding Death’s rampage through his company and answering any lingering questions fans may still have about Death Inc. and the unsupportive Sorrows that have caused Death to feel overworked and burned out.
Ahead of the 1.0 launch, I caught up with narrative designer and marketing coordinator Mérédith Alfroy, lead game designer Simon Dutertre, and creative director and animation director Nicolas Léger to talk about Have a Nice Death’s time in early access, how the team approached storytelling for a roguelike game, and whether fans can expect more from this universe in the future (spoiler: yes we can).
How has this early access period shaped and influenced the direction of the game’s development–both in terms of gameplay and narrative–if at all?