Swords & Slippers - The long road to a Grimm Fairytale Revolution

Hey there, rebels! ⚔️

If you’re reading this, you’ve stumbled into a tale that’s been brewing for over a decade - one that’s seen ideas rise, fall, get scrapped, resurrected, mutated, and now, finally, take shape as Swords & Slippers.

This isn’t a devlog, and it’s not a "We’re so thrilled to be on this journey!" post. This is more of the real story - where the idea started, why it sat in the vault for years, and what finally made us dust it off and say: "Alright. It's time."

So, before we dive into where we are today, let’s rewind. If you love fairytales with an edge, fast-paced brawler combat, and a bit of playful chaos, get comfy.

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2013 - The first spark: Grimm Hunt

Once upon a time (2013, to be precise), we had an idea:

"What if fairy tales weren’t just stories? What if they were propaganda? What if Red Riding Hood, Hansel & Gretel, and Rapunzel weren’t heroes, but enforcers of a rigged system?"

That was Grimm Hunt - a dark fantasy beat ‘em up where the "villains" (wolves, witches, trolls) were actually the resistance, fighting back against a world where fairy tales were a tool of control.

It was ambitious. Maybe too ambitious. It wasn’t too ambitious for our minds, though, but for what we were capable of delivering to the world at the time.

At the time, we were a small studio, and tackling something this big would have prolly buried us (or left a mark that’s not epic, but ugly). So, reluctantly, we put it on hold and focused on making games that would teach us what we needed to know.

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2015-2020 - Learning the craft: Corridor Z and Shing!

Knowing we weren't ready to bring Grimm Hunt to life yet, we turned our attention to smaller projects - games that would sharpen our skills and teach us what we needed to know. We focused, then, on learning, growing, and making games that helped us gain the experience we needed.

We worked on many smaller titles in the meantime. We’ve also focused on Corridor Z - a fast-paced, story-driven endless runner with a horror twist and zombies. Then came Shing! - our stylish beat ‘em up that taught us a ton about combat systems, player feedback, and what makes a brawler feel good. And regarding development, as well.

Those games taught us a portion of valuable lessons - and Grimm Hunt never really left our minds. And in 2020, we started thinking…

"What if we came back to this idea? But bigger, better, and built for the kind of game we now know how to make?" - With our experience, we were in awe of how far we had come.

Corridor Z (2018) - PS, XB, NS, PC

Shing! (2020) - PS, XB, NS, PC

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2020 - The return: Fable Wars - almost, but not quite

After finishing Shing!, we finally had the technical know-how to take another look at our long-abandoned fairy tale project (to which we sighed from time to time, in silence). But instead of just dusting off Grimm Hunt, we wanted to expand it into something bigger, more strategic, and more replayable.

We asked ourselves:

"What if, instead of a straightforward beat ‘em up, we made a roguelite? Something that felt fresh every time you played?"

The result was Fable Wars - a mercenary-driven, faction-based roguelite brawler set in a world where fairy tale legends were locked in an eternal war between three dominant factions. 

As a player-controlled mercenary, you weren’t tied to any one side. Instead, you took contracts, pledged temporary allegiance to one faction, and fought their battles - until someone else paid you more.

The world was alive and ever-changing. Every run, the balance of power shifted based on who won battles, which faction controlled the most territory, and where players put their loyalty. Your choices mattered - but in a world where no side was truly good or evil, survival always came first (sounds epic, right?). That was the important turn, which we highlight. A roguelite turn.

What Worked in Fable Wars

✅ The faction war concept was strong, making the world feel dynamic.
✅ The mercenary system gave players the freedom to choose who they fought for.
✅ The roguelite combat felt fun - each run offered new upgrades and challenges.

What Didn’t Work

❌ Too broad, not personal enough. Playing as a nameless mercenary meant players never really got attached to specific characters - just factions.
❌ The world felt more like a war simulation than a story. Players influenced who won battles, but there wasn’t a strong enough narrative hook - straight outta fairytales.
❌ Factions were interesting but lacked emotional stakes. Why would a player truly care about one side or another?

We had built a world that felt alive, but maybe it lacked heart.. Players needed someone to fight for, not just a system to navigate. And we still wanted to learn more and get the better know how, perfecting ourselves, not to stomp on some stump, that we didn’t have it coming.

So once again - on hold.

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2022-2024 - Diverse ventures: Hamsters and High School Romance

While Fable Wars had potential, we felt something was still missing. Rather than force it, we decided to explore new creative directions - projects that would challenge us in different ways and help us refine our design philosophy, bringing us closer to realizing Swords & Slippers.

Hamster Playground: Small Creatures, Big Lessons

We ventured into the flighty world of Hamster Playground, a game that, on the surface, seemed lighthearted but offered profound insights into game development. This project allowed us to:

• Explore casual gameplay mechanics - designing engaging yet straightforward mechanics that appeal to a broad audience.

• Enhance player engagement - understanding what keeps players invested in a game without difficult narratives or, on this take, intense action.

• Refine system design - balancing simplicity with depth to ensure that even casual games have layers of strategy and replayability.

Hamster Playground (2024) - PS, XB, NS, PC

Date Z: Navigating love and survival

In 2024, we released Date Z, a blend of high school drama, romance, and mystery, packed in VN ribbons, with a slight comedy jam. This project taught us:

• Complex narratives - crafting branching storylines where player choices greatly impact outcomes.

• Character development - making relatable characters with depth, pushing players into caring for their faiths. 

• Genre fusion - successfully merging genres that broaden our design horizons.

Date Z (2024) - PS, XB, NS, PC

Lesson learned and path forward

Though quite different from our initial ambitions, these projects were instrumental in our evolution. They emphasized the importance of:

• Personalized player experience - moving from impersonal to character-centric.

• Focused storytelling - prioritizing depth over breadth. 

• Innovative design - seizing genre-blending to make the game’s flesh truly fresh.

And the time has come to revisit our long-standing vision. Armed with that ancient knowledge of what we piled throughout the journey to day, we also understood we wanted something more fun, a little mischievous, and more focused on what players need - by NEED we mean what truly activates neurons.

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2024 - Swords & Slippers is forging

With these projects behind us, we had gained new perspectives on what makes a game compelling. It was time to take another look at our fairy tale rebellion - this time, with everything we had learned along the way.

We had a decade of lessons behind us. We knew what worked from our past projects and, just as importantly, what didn’t. We suppose that we understood what made an action game feel satisfying, what kept players invested, and what drew people into a world.

So, we brought everything we had collected before - the Grimm fairy tale world, themes of rebellion and war, high-speed combat, roguelite systems, and faction struggles - and reforged it into something new, with a bit of extra spice. And yes, that something was Swords & Slippers. 

We focused on a tight-knit, character-driven rebellion. Instead of mercenary contracts, we built a world where players would lead the revolting princesses, forge relationships, and fight for something that could feel more real. And we changed the core villains - now, the wicked Stepmothers (the truly evil ones) command a heck-ton of scoundrels for players to scrabble during runs.

The grand war of ideology from Fable Wars had become a battle of independence and survival.

The wew core of the game:

• A squad of fierce fairy tale princesses, fighting back against their wicked stepmothers.

• A hack-and-slash spectacle fighter with roguelite upgrades

• A mix of combat, heroine interactions, and dating-sim elements.

• A tongue-in-cheek, darkly humorous take on classic European tales, with fighting, slashing, thighs, and cleavages.

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Going Forward

Now that we’ve shaped Swords & Slippers into what it was meant to be, there’s only one thing left to do - bring it to life. And that’s exactly what we’re doing in 2025 and the following years.

We’ll share more about the game, show off development progress, and let you on the ride.

For now, tell us:
- What do you think of Swords & Slippers’ journey?
- Do you like the design of Snow White?
- What aspect of the game makes you most in it - combat, story, or relationships?

At this moment, we’re shouting the words in various places, but we’re asking you, without beating around the bush, to tell others about Swords & Slippers. At this stage, we need all the attention we can get. Share the news with friends; it really helps!

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🔹 TL;DR (For the scroll-happy rebels)

• 2013 - Grimm Hunt: Reversed fairy tale oppression, but too ambitious at the time.

• 2015-2020 - Corridor Z & Shing!: Learning the craft.

• 2020 - Fable Wars: Roguelite faction warfare but lacked a personal touch.

• 2022-2024 - Hamster Playground and Date Z: More experience, more refining.

• 2025 - Swords & Slippers is handled! A brawler roguelite with rebellious princesses, wild combat, and kinky aesthetics.

Thank you, guys.