Any fan of idle games might be familiar with Clicker Heroes, which is famous for its addictive clicking mechanics.
In Clicker Heroes, you embark on adventures to conquer monsters and collect gold. As you progress, you can level up your heroes, unlock special skills, and achieve incredible feats.
But Clicker Heroes isn’t just about your journey. It’s also the incredible story of its developers, who started from scratch to achieve huge success.
Today, we bring you an exclusive interview with the CEO of Playsaurus – Austin Oblouk – to reveal the incredible journey of one of the best clicker games. Let’s jump into the interview!
Back to Where Clicker Heroes Began
Let’s look back to 2014 when Clicker Heroes was created and positively impacted the idle gaming community. Due to its addictive clicking mechanics and gradual progression, players were captive in the world of accomplishment for long hours.
It also received positive reception from critics and was known as the inspiration for various titles then.
How did the idea for Clicker Heroes come about, and what inspired the game mechanics?
“Much like other idle games developed in 2014, Clicker Heroes was heavily influenced by Cookie Clicker, which really established the genre. Fragsworth and Doogog recognized that the simple yet satisfying idle game loop could be done in an RPG/fantasy style.”
Overcome Development Challenges
The development of the Clicker Heroes game was far from easy right from the start. The creators of this game had to face various challenges, including technical requirements, financial burdens, and more.
Although it was not a straightforward journey from the beginning, overcoming these obstacles made the journey a rewarding one.
What were some of the biggest challenges you faced during the development of Clicker Heroes, and how did you overcome them?
At the time, Playsaurus was a three-person operation on the brink of folding. This motivated us to release quickly and experiment with ways to keep doing what we loved. We were able to fully focus on creating something entirely new rather than getting bogged down in optimizing an existing product.
It’s Not Just About Waiting and Clicking!
While there were various tapping games created at that time, how Clicker Heroes stood out as a phenomenon, you may ask.
The answer lies in its unique approach to gameplay.
Clicker Heroes introduces 2 reset layers in the game: Ascension and Transcendence. Each allows players to reset their progress and grants for powerful resources.
Also, the game offers different builds and playstyles, allowing players to explore various strategies and tailor their approach to suit their preferences.
How do you create a sense of progression and achievement in a game that relies primarily on clicking and waiting, and how do you keep players engaged long-term?
It’s a misconception that the game is merely about clicking and waiting. While it may appear that way on the surface, many idle games offer considerable depth. We believe multiplayer content helps with engagement and are considering it for future projects.
The Fancy Cartoonish Art
In Clicker Heroes, the art is something special. The characters and monsters are charming, and this playful art style is a big reason why people stay engaged with the game.
Clicker Heroes has been widely praised for its art style and graphics. Can you tell us about the process of developing the game’s visual design?
Many of the Clicker Heroes assets were designed back in 2011/2012 for a game called Cloudstone. The heroes in the game were created using a tool that allowed us to assemble characters from various parts. Like many early Flash games, Clicker Heroes’ assets were vector assets, which remain crisp and pixel-perfect at any size.
Where Success and Passion Meet
As Clicker Heroes gained huge success right from its first release, it’s not simply a matter of luck.
The game development was a long process, during which developers put in a lot of effort and crafted different small pieces of the game that they themselves would enjoy.
This dedication was then well-received by the gaming community, leading to substantial success.
What sets Clicker Heroes apart from other idle/clicker games on the market? What do you attribute the success of Clicker Heroes to?
Clicker Heroes was developed without targeting a specific market or demographic. We simply created a game that we personally would enjoy. In-game purchases were only added long after the release.
Until now, the game holds a prominent position in the gaming industry, even as new games have emerged.
We, therefore, can not deny the game’s lasting impact on the idle gaming community and its contribution to the success of Playsaurus.
How has the success of Clicker Heroes impacted the growth and development of Playsaurus as a company?
Although we have other games, Clicker Heroes remains our most significant success. It has allowed us to continue experimenting with new ideas, some fail, but we’re motivated to keep releasing new games.
The Community’s Role
The success of Clicker Heroes also relies on the contributions of the gaming community.
Since players are the ones who directly experience the game, they know how to make it even better, and the community is the place where they share their feedback and ideas.
Looking back on the success of Clicker Heroes, what lessons have you learned about game development, player engagement, and community management, and how have those lessons informed your work on other video games?
Community is everything; without it, it’s difficult to build momentum. We definitely need to improve our community involvement.
Additionally, the ongoing relationship with the community has led to a series of updates and improvements.
By actively listening to player feedback and suggestions, the developers of the game have incorporated the players’s ideas and made the game even more fun to play.
How have community feedback and player engagement influenced the development of Clicker Heroes and subsequent updates?
Community input has been crucial since the early stages of development. For example, player feedback led us to incorporate Ascension early in the process.
Evolving in the Gaming Landscape
As the gaming landscape has continuously evolved over the years, Playsaurus has found new approaches to adapt to the market’s demand.
This adaptability is necessary to maintain Clicker Heroes’s position as a beloved idle gaming title among the vast array of incremental games.
How has the idle/clicker game genre evolved since Clicker Heroes was first released? How has Playsaurus adapted to those changes?
Since Clicker Heroes’ release in 2014, the idle genre has soared in popularity, with massive successes, particularly on mobile platforms. We have primarily focused on PC and Web for distribution, but as our players gradually shift towards mobile, we believe it’s essential to concentrate more on the mobile space.
By enhancing the mobile gaming experience and adapting to the changing market landscape, Clicker Heroes continues to expand and engage players across various platforms.
How has the growth of the mobile gaming market impacted your development process, and how have you adapted your game design to appeal to mobile users?
We have started placing more emphasis on mobile, understanding that many of our players prefer it for the types of games we produce. We recently finished porting Clicker Heroes to Unity to update the outdated Flash mobile version. This 18-month project is a huge milestone for Clicker Heroes, and will finally allow us to go back to regularly updating the game once again.
Playsaurus’s Upcoming Project
With the success of Clicker Heroes, we all have reason to look forward to upcoming projects of Playsaurus.
Obtaining tremendous gaming experiences, they are on the way to embarking on new horizons and preparing fresh games to captivate players with their unique creativity.
Finally, what’s next for Playsaurus? Are there any new games or projects you’re working on that you can tell us about?
We have a few new games in the pipeline. Grindcraft 2 (https://grindcraft2.com) is nearing beta testing, and we have another smaller game set to be announced soon. We haven’t stopped working on the Clicker Heroes brand and hope to share news about our progress in the near future.
Promising Future of Idle Games
Idle games have come a long way from their humble beginnings.
The future of idle games is incredibly promising, with lots of developers continually exploring and developing creative features based on their basic mechanic – clicking.
Also, with the ever-growing community of player engagement, idle games can potentially drive this genre even further.
Looking ahead, where do you see the idle/clicker game genre going in the future, and how do you plan to stay ahead of the curve?
We believe the idle genre will continue to grow, and some idle game mechanics will likely be incorporated into larger AAA games. We’ve started focusing more on tools specifically designed around community intelligence, involving the community as much as possible at each step of development. This approach has already been implemented with Mr. Mine.
Advice for Aspiring Game Developers
Getting started is never easy, and the road to success involves learning, adapting, and opening up to feedback.
We can learn from Clicker Heroes’ success story and capture valuable lessons to prepare for the gaming development journey.
What advice would you give to aspiring game developers looking to create their own idle/clicker games?
Share your work as soon as possible, even if it’s just with friends or family. Early feedback is crucial in creating a good game. While you shouldn’t always follow community advice, developing in isolation is never a good idea.
Remember that this exciting journey opens up opportunities for creative minds to explore, innovate, and gain rewards for their hard work.
