Drool's 2016 "rhythm violence" game Thumper was created by a two-person team lacking significant experience in engine programming, graphics, audio, and game design.

At GDC 2017, co-creator Marc Flury hopped onstage to showcase how he and fellow co-creator Brian Gibson were able to pull it off thanks to strong art direction, constant experimentation, and commitment to simplicity.

Flury delved deep into Thumper's custom engine, tools, and the development of a unique and modern look without advanced shader tools, particle systems, or sophisticated lighting techniques. He also highlighted some major design problems and solutions, including the challenges of adapting the game for VR.

It was a great talk, so don't miss your chance to now watch it for free over on the official GDC YouTube channel!

About the GDC Vault

In addition to this presentation, the GDC Vault and its new YouTube channel offers numerous other free videos, audio recordings, and slides from many of the recent Game Developers Conference events, and the service offers even more members-only content for GDC Vault subscribers.

Those who purchased All Access passes to recent events like GDC, GDC Europe, and GDC Next already have full access to GDC Vault, and interested parties can apply for the individual subscription via a GDC Vault subscription page. Group subscriptions are also available: game-related schools and development studios who sign up for GDC Vault Studio Subscriptions can receive access for their entire office or company by contacting staff via the GDC Vault group subscription page. Finally, current subscribers with access issues can contact GDC Vault technical support.

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