Forging a Name: How We Crafted Swords & Slippers

…and how we almost called it Ironellas (which we liked actually).

Hey Patrons! 👋

We thought naming a game would be easy. It wasn’t. Turned out - at all.

This post is all about how we ended up with “Swords & Slippers”, the logo, and all the weird and wild brainstorming that got us there. And yeah - there were some truly questionable ideas along the way.

Brainstorm madness

We started simple - tossing around names, then sketching mind maps, endlessly holding endless meetings, even using AI name generators, which led to weird prompts like “What would a medieval fairy-tale brawler be called if Dark Souls met Grimm brothers?” (Not helpful).

We wanted something that:

• Stuck in your head (for the right reasons).

• Showed action and fairy-tale themes.

• Wasn’t all that absolutely adult-serious - because this isn’t a grimdark murky RPG.

• Was memorable - in a “wait… did they really call it that?” kinda way.

We even tapped into some AI magic to kickstart the ideas. It churned out some wild suggestions, but in the end, we had to forge our own unique path.

A glimpse at some of our contenders

Instead of relying solely on generated images, we preferred to bring our ideas to life by embedding the phonetics and lettering into a dynamic, if rough, generated concept.

So, this is how the journey goes:

• Fiercest One of All - poetic, but kinda long. Tough to manage and to work with it. Mouthful.

• Ironellas - a fan favorite internally, though a bit too niche. We appreciated its Latin-esque, Spanish rapacity.

• Grimm Wars - our working title for a while. Strong, but is it really a full-scale war we want?

As you can see, the heroines on the promo art are an absolute must-have!

Names that were just quite ok, but not really:

• Charmsteel - cool on paper, bland in the lore.

• Maidenscrown - somehow too fantasy and maybe too dull? A real achievement.

• Iron Heels - we actually liked this name, for real, but it missed the mark on humor and felt too much like a damsel’s brutal legend.

And some dropped into the abyss:

• Once Upon a Brawl - mouthful, but fancy, innit?

• Happily Never After - that’s powerful and charming! And dark… way too dark!

• Iron Things - that was funny enough. But those had to be strong, strong ladies.

Some quite directly indicate the target:

• In Blood We Lust - are they vampires, after all?

• War, Lust, and Pixie Dust - that would shine fairytale flair for miles, but repeating it all the time? No thanks.

• Sassy Endings - you know how it will end.

After sifting through all these ideas, we finally landed on one that captured our vision.

So… Why Swords & Slippers?

Want to get the straight answer? It hits the sweet spot - playful, memorable, and with that fairytale twist. “Swords” brings in the action-packed brawler vibe, while “Slippers” hints at the fairy-tale and dating-sim side.

Plus, the alliteration? ‘S’words & ‘S’lippers - we love a bit of wordplay, and it just felt right. A playful symmetry that mirrors the balance between fierce combat and fairy-tale charm. Two opposing forces. It was the moment when the creative storm calmed, and a clear vision took shape.

Someone on our team pointed out that there was a classic game ages ago called Swords & Sandals - total coincidence. We weren’t referencing that at all, but hey, guess the world loves it.

And sure, “sword-and-sandal” has its own legacy (as a genre) - the peplum classics, heroic stances, muscle-bound heroes (ever heard of Hercules? 😉), and all that theatrical Greco-Roman machismo that came with them. In a way, the name lands closer than we expected. Ours trades gladiator six-pack grit for slippered female finesse, but the energy’s still there: bold weapons, bold silhouettes, and stories evolving through action and - sometimes - words. Graceful on the surface, but ready to kick bad guys’ asses.

(Cool, but not yet)

The real inspiration? Our real spark came from the rhythmic simplicity of the word play of Dungeons & Dragons. That “D&D” format is more than just a name. It stands as a celebration of great balance. We love how this title flows - a simple, punchy format that captures two contrasting sides of the same theme.

When we finally saw that little “&” connecting our ideas, it all just clicked, giving us the perfect unity between raw action and subtle grace.

Every wild idea - even the ones we nearly snorted with laughter - ended up steering us in a fresh direction. Each quirky suggestion nudged our thinking just enough to uncover something unexpected. Those late-night brainstorms weren’t just a free-for-all; they were our secret sauce, giving us a title that perfectly mixes hard-hitting action with a playful, fairy-tale twist.

We kept tweaking - shapes, styles - until we landed on this:

(We have a winner!)

Naming a game is hard, y’know? It’s a weird blend of marketing, creativity, and asking yourself, “Does this sound cool or am I just sleep-deprived?”

Obviously, We Want to Hear From You

What do you think? Did we miss a chance with any of these names, or would you have chosen something completely different? Real question here!!

Let us know your thoughts, because you’ve proven to be a dangerously creative squad.