1. Initial Inspiration
The initial inspiration for Backroom DoGoJo came from a simple dog-merging game I played as a child. In that game, dogs would generate money, which players could then use to purchase more dogs and combine them into higher-level creatures.
What I enjoyed most was watching my income steadily grow and discovering new, bizarre creatures through the merging process. Although the gameplay was quite simple, the constant sense of progression kept the experience engaging and satisfying.
I was also inspired by farming games like Stardew Valley and Slime Rancher. These titles introduced me to the joy of gathering resources, raising creatures, and gradually developing a homestead.
Another key concept stemmed from my personal aversion to horror games. I began to wonder: what would it be like to create a warm, cozy home within a terrifying environment? This contrast became one of the central ideas behind Backroom DoGoJo.
2. Initial Brainstorming
During the initial brainstorming phase, I developed three core game concepts.
Idea 1 — “Backrooms” Creature Farming
A game centered on farming unique creatures within the “Backrooms.” These creatures can replicate themselves when damaged and can be combined to evolve into higher-tier forms. Players use them to generate economic value and gradually expand their living space.
Idea 2 — Shield-Based Action Game
An action game set in a magical world. The protagonist, unable to learn magic, turns to the worship of a “God of Muscle” and wields a massive shield to battle enemies. His goal is to reach the highest mountain peak to claim a legendary sword.
Idea 3 — “Meat-Bashing” Action Game
An unconventional boxing-style action game. In this world, animals are gargantuan, and their flesh retains a degree of vitality even after being severed. Players must fight these chunks of meat—using attacks, dodges, and blocks—to improve the quality of the meat and earn money.
After comparing these concepts, I decided to pursue the “Backrooms” project.
I already have a functional first-person character system in Unreal Engine, which provides a solid foundation for the project. Furthermore, the “Backrooms” environment is an excellent setting for practicing 3D environment art and hard-surface modeling.
The shield-based game would require complex character animation and rigging, making it difficult to complete within a limited timeframe. While the “meat-bashing” game features an intriguing core mechanic, I am concerned that its gameplay might eventually become repetitive and monotonous.
In contrast, the “Backrooms” project offers a better balance between engaging gameplay, opportunities for technical skill development, and a manageable scope for implementation.
3. Game References & Research
Slime Rancher
Slime Rancher serves as a key reference for me regarding creature husbandry and resource collection. I am particularly interested in how players raise exotic creatures, earn currency, upgrade their equipment, and gradually expand their own farms.
Stardew Valley
Stardew Valley has helped me understand the appeal of farming and growth-oriented games. I am especially focused on how simple activities—such as gathering resources, earning money, and improving one’s living space—can provide players with a long-term sense of accomplishment. This inspired me to connect creature farming with exploration, so players have reasons to leave their farming area and discover new things.
The Backrooms
The Backrooms provide the primary inspiration for the game’s environment and atmosphere. Its vast, empty spaces and non-Euclidean, reality-defying nature make it a compelling backdrop for dangerous experimentation and exploration-based gameplay.
I do not intend to create a traditional horror or escape game; rather, I want to leverage this setting to craft a different kind of experience: building a comfortable life within an unsettling world.
4. Mind Map & Moodboard
The central gameplay idea was based on creature merging and an economy that grows increasingly quickly.
When two creatures of the same level merge, the new creature produces more money than the two original creatures combined. This makes merging more rewarding and creates a strong feeling of progression as players unlock higher-level creatures.
For the atmosphere, I wanted to combine two opposite feelings: fear and comfort.
At the beginning, players should feel slightly nervous while exploring the large, unfamiliar Backrooms environment. However, as they explore more areas, collect resources, and build their own living space, this feeling should gradually become weaker.
For the visual direction, I chose a realistic style. I believe this suits the strange architecture of the Backrooms and also gives me opportunities to develop my environment art skills using Unreal Engine.
Backrooms – Background & Visual Research
The Backrooms is an internet horror concept that became popular in 2019. It describes a mysterious space outside normal reality, where people may become trapped after accidentally passing through reality.
Level 0 is one of its most recognisable environments, featuring yellow wallpaper, empty corridors, carpets, and fluorescent ceiling lights.
I’d like to provide some further clarification regarding the content of my game. The “Level 0” (or other levels) I’ve created are, in essence, finite game maps rather than the near-infinitely generative spaces found in the actual “Backrooms” lore; as such, there are still certain limits to exploration. That said, the background, themes, and environmental design of the Backrooms are a perfect fit for the subject matter and content of my game.
I plan to incorporate more “Backrooms” levels for players to explore in future game development; here are some reference images for other potential levels.
5. Concept Development
One reason I chose the Backrooms was its unusual relationship with space and reality.
The Backrooms feels extremely large and follows strange rules, making it a suitable setting for scientific experiments that might be dangerous in the real world.
At first, the main idea focused on duplicating and merging creatures to generate money. However, I also wanted players to make use of the large environment rather than spend the entire game farming creatures in one location.
This led me to combine creature farming with exploration and building. Players could use the money they earned to purchase equipment, explore different areas, and create their own living spaces.
This combination also helped give the world a stronger purpose. The Backrooms was no longer just a background for the farming system, but a space that players could gradually explore, use, and change.
6. Final Concept Selection
I finally chose Backroom DoGoJo because it offered a flexible combination of gameplay systems and development opportunities.
The game could include the excitement of shooting, the satisfaction of collecting money and merging creatures, the curiosity of exploring unknown areas, and the comfort of building a personal living space.
From a development perspective, it also allowed me to practise useful game art skills, especially environment creation, hard-surface modelling, and working with Unreal Engine.
Another advantage was the flexibility of the concept. New creatures, weapons, environments, and building features could be added without changing the main idea of the game.
Overall, I believed Backroom DoGoJo had the best balance of gameplay variety, creative potential, and achievable development goals among my initial concepts.
6. Explanation regarding in-game weapons
During the prototyping and testing phases, I used a firearm model that appeared quite realistic and lethal. Visually, this could be highly misleading regarding the nature of the game. In my vision, this “weapon” is actually an experimental device rather than a conventional gun that fires bullets. Its design draws inspiration from real-world medical equipment and syringes. The entire process—replicating and synthesizing biological entities—is intended to be an experimental procedure, not a form of cathartic, violent shooting. Below are some reference images I have gathered.
