ABOUT US HEYEYE STUDIOS

The two of us

We're a team of two: a game designer, and a level and UI designer. We've spent a number of years in the games industry working on smaller projects, and we've always wanted to make an MMO.

We know that's a huge responsibility. We also think our concept is focused and simple enough for us to pull it off. That doesn't make it easy. It gives us something we believe we can build and keep working on.

Yes, we use AI.

Let's be upfront about it. Claude codes the game. The game design, from maps and quests to classes and systems, comes from us.

Claude also builds the game's art and assets through code, taking our ideas and concepts and turning them into the old-school PS1 feel we're aiming for. We don't use image-generation or model-generation software for the game's assets.

Claude builds the game. We design it.

We're not coders, server specialists, artists or animators. We don't have the time or budget to assemble a team covering all those roles. What we do have is the ability and stability to keep working on this game.

We've kept the team small on purpose. Low costs give this project a better chance of supporting itself if it finds an audience.

If you're not a fan of AI, that's fine. We're comfortable using these tools responsibly to make a game we want to play. We aren't going to pretend otherwise. We only ask that you give the game a try with an open mind.

Building it with you

AI lets us get features into the game and playtest them quickly. We can try an idea, see how it feels, listen to feedback and make changes without every experiment becoming a huge production.

That means the game can evolve quickly. It also means things will change. We'll release things when we think they're ready, and we'll keep working on them with the community.

We're excited about what today's technology makes possible, so we've decided to go for it. We'll be open about where the project stands. If something goes wrong, or our circumstances change, we'll tell you.

Some things are a hard no.

This is a game about smashing through large numbers of enemies, exploring the land and finding cool little things along the way. Features need to serve that.

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  No instant fast travel.Getting somewhere is part of playing.
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  No flying mounts.The places we build should matter from the ground.
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  No instant party finder.We're keeping the social side rooted in the game itself.
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  No pay to win.We won't sell you a way past the game.
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  No transmog.Your equipment should still mean something.

If a feature breaks that core experience, it won't get added just because it's convenient.

The game needs to pay its bills.

We'll be honest about this too. The game needs players, and it needs to make money. We have a benchmark we need to reach for this to feel sustainable for the two of us. We can't keep developing indefinitely if we can't cover server bills and the costs of running it.

For now, we're okay to keep working. We'll add ways to spend money, but pay to win is off the table. The aim is to keep making a funny, entertaining MMO that can support itself.

Smash slimes. Then dress for dinner.

We plan to offer cosmetics, with limits. They'll be actual items you equip, rather than appearances you apply over your gear, and they'll only show up in safe zones.

Think of coming home after brutally smashing slimes, putting your fighting gear aside and slipping into your evening wear. We think that's a happy medium: room to have fun with how you look, while keeping the adventuring side grounded.

Support without piling it on.

The game is free to play. We'll most likely offer an optional subscription, because regular support would be one of the best ways to keep the project going.

We're also looking at donations, titles and other extras. We have some funny ideas for how the game could react to donations. Those details are still being worked out.

A premium currency is likely, but we haven't settled how it would work. We think you should also be able to earn it through play. One idea under discussion is an auction house where gold or premium currency could be used. That's an idea we're exploring, not a confirmed system.

We don't want to keep layering paid features on top of one another. If an optional subscription becomes the main way people support the game and brings in enough, that should shape what else we actually need to sell.

This isn't a plan to get mega-rich. We want to make a pretty funny, entertaining MMO and keep it running.