How to “Bastardize” a Game

What, exactly, does “Bastardizing” other games mean? It means paying tribute to some of our favourite features in strategy games and then building upon it with our own twisted take (and new features) in Happy Bastards! To be clear, we are drawing inspiration from features found in some great strategy RPGs. We also took inspiration from games not typically categorized as strategy–think of them as genre blenders. The fun for us here at Clever Plays is exploring how we can take the genre in our own bastardly direction.

In future blogs, we plan to go deeper into how we’re building something wholly unique. For today, though, let us show you some of the inspirations behind Happy Bastards’ gameplay.

Open World, Tactical RPGs

High atop the list of our inspirations has got to be Battle Brothers and Mount & Blade.

In these games, you move your character freely on this seamless world map and set your own objectives. The world evolves dynamically and you are free to decide how to interact with it.

Battle Brothers in particular focuses on assembling a band of mercenaries. Heal them, equip them, level them up, and customize them. Most important aspect – and Kev’s favorite: Mercenaries are disposable!

In Happy Bastards, NPCs of all types (merchants, armies, monsters) also move on the map according to their AI-simulated actions in the world. Attacking or allying with NPCs changes how they act, giving the impression of an emergent, living world! We want our world to feel alive and the alliances you make – or break – determine the direction of your quest for fame. 

In the world of Happy Bastards, though, there’s also a larger focus on non-combat situations—maybe you’re talking yourself out of a fight, maybe you’re trying to con your way into some elf’s bed. Most NPCs are willing to talk to you and, as a fame-obsessed bastard, your character considers all offers at negotiation. You can forge alliances with any of the towns on the map or just as easily piss them off. Get on the good side of local heroes and VIPs…or negotiate a treaty with the nearby monster hordes, which can lead to a lot of shady endeavours. 

[Also, it was a huge thrill for Kev’s minion, Angela, to meet Jan Taaks and Paul Taaks, the actual brothers behind Battle Brothers at Gamescom 2024. Missing from this photo is Christof S., the third founder of Overhype studio and programmer behind Battle Brothers.]

Tactical Combat

When it comes to the actual combat, we looked to two different sources that I think can work well together. The combat for Into the Breach and Darkest Dungeon is all about tactical choices in the thick of the fight. There’s no sneaking around, no turns wasted approaching the enemy.

There’s a LOT to love about Into the Breach, but let’s talk about the small grid combat focused on three characters. Like ItB, our small battlefields play out like a bloody version of chess where every combatant is in each other’s faces the whole time. That, and there will be clear terrain effects during battle.

Now compare that with Darkest Dungeon. There, you have tactical 4v4 combat occurring on two fronts: Keeping warriors alive and maintaining their sanity. Combat is only about tactical decisions, weighing a team’s strengths and weaknesses rather than navigation through an environment.

We want to marry the two concepts. A focused battle grid that’s as important as how your mercenaries work together – and, frankly, if their heart is into the current mission. Don’t think a mercenary is cut out for the job? Swap them out!

Sandbox Interaction with NPCs

NPCs need to stand for something – more to the point, make you feel like they are a part of this weird and wonderful world we’re building. I’ve played games like Crusader Kings II and love how you interact with any NPC through a systemic list of actions. In Happy Bastards, you can socialize and interact with anyone, in any way you choose: Talk, gift, seduce, trade, team up, and so on. These choices directly impact the rewards you gain and which opportunities players will miss.

Besides the amazing art style in Griftlands, we also love how this conversational roguelike deckbuilding game turns NPCs into allies and enemies. Depending upon situational choices, you gain bonuses or penalties—so how you act socially has strategic implications.

Long story short, don’t expect a hero’s welcome into a town where you previously kidnapped the local celebrity. 

Make a Choice, Pick a Path

I’d be a fool to not mention Slay the Spire. Besides obviously being a great game, it ushered in – among other things – quick player choices that help randomize runs through the game. I love how you’re often presented with a choice to make between two or three specific options. There’s benefits, sure, but you have to weigh them against your current needs and what could be lurking around the next move.  You’re forced to choose and press on. 

We want to insert those quick choices into the world as well. You can be randomly roaming the countryside and stumble upon all sorts of encounters. My current favourite: You can stumble upon skeletons that want to retire and are willing to sell you a map of their loot-filled dungeon, if you ask them nicely enough. 

NPC Personality and Dialogue

Sure, half the fun around the mercenaries in Happy Bastards is that they seem pretty disposable – in every sense of the word – but we also want to give them some personality. Each has quirks and unique traits. These mercenaries (and the other inhabitants in the game world, for that matter) will react to what’s happening based on their personality and your standing with them. 

In Death Road to Canada, your team members (randomly-generated NPCs) have unique personalities, reacting to situations with dialogues based on their stats and traits. It breathes a whole new kind of life into fighting the undead.

Now compare that with the randomly-generated NPC Orcs in Shadow of War! These Orcs talk to you directly, exposing their personalities and giving personal reasons to the player to kill them. If they escape and meet again, they procedurally refer to their common past. There are times I’ve actually talked back to them while playing! 

When we blend these concepts together in our own way, we’re aiming to have a world full of characters that are different enough, but also make sense in this kingdom full of jerks. There could be that one guy in your squad that only wants to go to brothels. Another mercenary constantly takes risks…or that guy constantly complaining about travelling.  Basically, think of that one friend that makes you roll your eyes all the time. You know the one. 

Learn More About Our Bastards!

Right after the reveal of Happy Bastards at Summer Games Fest, we shared a bit of my excitement – and the kind of questions we’d heard from attending press. What? You missed that post? Take a minute and catch up here. More recently, Yohan talked about the art inspirations behind Happy Bastards…you should definitely check that one out as well. 

We’ve got a long way to go as development of the game continues, but we’re planning to give you more looks behind the development curtain (like this one). Our tiny team wants to be as transparent with you as possible as we craft this crazy world. So, please consider following us on our socials.

You Have Questions? Want to Talk More with Us? JOIN OUR DISCORD!

Maybe this paints a clearer picture for where we are planning to take Happy Bastards. Maybe this sparks a bunch of other questions for you. Ask away! In fact, we love talking with our Discord friends about everything from game design to what we’re building. After all, we couldn’t do any of this without you. So, please consider following us – and wishlisting the game on Steam.