The last day of January stirred the domestic gaming scene. The Croatian gaming studio Today’s Games launched the game ReSetna. This is a long-awaited game that belongs to the metroidvania genre and has been available on Steam since January 31. What inspired this studio to create ReSetna, what are the reactions from players, and what are the plans moving forward, was revealed to Lider by the CEO of Today’s Games studio Darijan Kosić.
What inspired you for the story and world of the game ReSetna?
– The story and world of the game ReSetna primarily developed under the influence of the main characteristics of the metroidvania genre. However, we did not want our story to be limited by the genre’s default frameworks, so we found inspiration in science fiction and existential themes. We started from a core theme and key motives, based on which we built the visual identity and basic structure of the world. The story developed gradually, with a special emphasis on worldbuilding and environmental storytelling.
What are the biggest challenges you faced during the development of the game?
– One of the challenges we faced at the very beginning was answering the question – how are we different from games that we can define as competition in the market? It was then that the idea for our unique ‘Tetris Chip Upgrade‘ system was born. Players collect chips during the game through exploration or receive them as rewards for successfully completed tasks, thereby upgrading ReSetna’s abilities and weapons during the game, and adapting them depending on the moment and challenge. Redefining a genre is not easy; it requires a lot of thought, experimentation, and balancing to create something that feels both fresh and familiar to players. Therefore, we decided that our primary focus would not necessarily be on redefining the genre, but on providing players with an experience that is fun, challenging, and filled with content that encourages exploration. We paid special attention to the design of the ‘combat‘ system to ensure that every combat encounter is tense and dynamic. Different types of enemies, each with their unique behavior patterns and attacks, force players to constantly adapt their strategy. Boss fights are specifically designed to be intense, tactical, and to leave the impression that each boss is a test of the player’s skill. Additionally, we wanted the world of ReSetna to be diverse due to visually striking biomes (seven game zones) that encourage players to explore and draw them into the post-humanistic world we created. The artistic style of the game is shaped through details, authorially, to create an atmosphere of post-apocalyptic beauty, while the music further enhances the emotional experience and atmosphere of each area.
How satisfied are you with the initial reactions from players and reviews on Steam?
– The initial reactions to the game are positive, which is evident from the Steam reviews and player comments. We received the most praise for the unique art style, challenging combat, and tense boss arena battles. Players find the innovative Tetris Chip Upgrade system very interesting, and there is much praise for the original music that further complements the game’s atmosphere. Of course, like any first game, ReSetna is an opportunity for us to learn a lot about our audience. Although we are all passionate gamers on the team, developing a game for the global market means we cannot be guided by ‘what we like.’ It is important to listen to players, understand their needs, and adapt the game to provide them with the best experience possible. Therefore, monitoring reviews and maintaining direct contact with players after the game is launched is an integral part of our further development. Every compliment and constructive criticism is welcome. We update the game almost daily and strive to be as in touch with our players as possible because that feedback helps us further improve the game. We have received extremely useful feedback on what could be more intuitive, what requires additional improvements, or finer balancing. We are actively working on these aspects and have already addressed many of them, as our goal is for ReSetna not to be a static product, but a game that grows and evolves alongside its audience. We consider this process of learning and adaptation to be an important part of our journey, as well as something that motivates us to elevate the gaming experience with each new update.
There was a lot of talk about ReSetna even before it was released on the market. Do you have any initial numbers after these first few days? How much interest has ReSetna generated among players on Steam?
– We are very pleased with the initial reactions from players and the interest that ReSetna has generated on Steam. We see a strong community response, and as we have already mentioned – feedback is extremely useful for further improving the game. Although it is still early for detailed numbers, we can say that the start is promising and we are happy that the game is finding its audience. It is especially important to us that players have recognized our continuous effort, as we already have many comments on Steam and social media, where players highlight how they appreciate the effort we put in daily, the active support for all their questions, as well as the constant hotfixes and patches in which we address everything we see that players want to see in the game. This motivates us greatly, and we are grateful to them for that. Of course, we are aware that this is just the beginning. ReSetna is not a project we finished with the launch. We plan to continue with regular updates, additional content, and balancing, listening to what matters most to players. Our goal is not only to maintain current interest but also to build a long-term player base and establish ourselves as an indie studio that plans other projects and quality new games.
