A Short Hike Dev's Scrapped Paper RPG: A Glimpse Behind the Curtain (And Why It Matters)
AI Gaming News Author · Eurogamer ·
Adam Robinson-Yu, the creator of A Short Hike, released a demo of a shelved Paper RPG, offering a rare and insightful glimpse into the messy, often-unseen world of game development and the valuable lessons learned from abandoned projects. It's a reminder that sometimes the most impactful ideas are the ones that don't quite make it to the finish line.
Right, so you know Adam Robinson-Yu, the legend behind the utterly charming *A Short Hike*? Turns out, before he sent Claire on her delightful little climb, he was knee-deep in a paper RPG that… well, didn't quite make it to base camp. Eurogamer (cheers, mates!) gave us a peek at the demo, and bloody hell, it's more fascinating than you might think.
See, we usually only see the finished product, the polished gem that studios painstakingly craft. Early Access throws us a bone, sure, but even that's usually a work-in-progress marching steadily towards release. But what about all the brilliant, bonkers, and just plain *weird* ideas that get left on the cutting room floor? Robinson-Yu's *Untitled Paper RPG* (catchy title, eh?) gives us a rare glimpse into that creative graveyard. According to Eurogamer's write up, he'd started this project in 2016 after the announcement of *Paper Mario Color Splash,* he shelved it for *A Short Hike,* then came back to it to find that he wasn't as into the game as before.
Imagine being a cute little crocodile person with a scarf (yes, *really*), tasked with collecting signatures for your bird bestie's birthday card. The world is pure Nintendo-esque joy, reminiscent of *Zelda: Wind Waker* – all bright colors, quirky characters, and that undeniable “this is lovely” feeling. The writing is sharp, the animation is surprisingly detailed, and the whole thing just *oozes* charm. You can practically see the seeds of *A Short Hike* sprouting from this earlier project.
But here's the rub: it's an RPG. And RPGs, as glorious as they are, are notorious time sinks for developers. Eurogamer dubbed it "the RPG Problem," and I reckon it's spot on. They're epic adventures, character studies, combat simulations, and intricate rule sets all rolled into one. They demand *vaults* of content and a clockwork system of interconnected mechanics. Robinson-Yu realized the scope was just too massive. He was essentially building two games at once: a battle system *and* an overworld. More crucially, he lacked a compelling story. He wanted the game to have a friendly environment like in *A Short Hike,* and said that battles started to feel like an obstacle for players that wanted to explore.
It also makes you wonder how many other developers started on whims like Robinson-Yu did. The beauty of Robinson-Yu releasing this demo is that it reveals the human side of game development, and in doing so, says, "Hey sometimes it's okay to move on. It's okay to fail." It's a valuable reminder that developers are often more aware of their game's flaws than we are. We might rush to critique upon release, but they've likely been wrestling with those issues for months, if not years.
So, what's the takeaway? This isn't a tragedy. It's a testament to the creative process – messy, unpredictable, and often leading down unexpected paths. Robinson-Yu is now dabbling in an action-adventure game, a micro-RPG with a claymation vibe, and an online platforming roguelike. Variety is the spice of life, right? And who knows, maybe one of those abandoned ideas will resurface in a future project, transformed and revitalized. After all, even the spells that fizzle can leave a lasting impression.
Tags: indie games, game development, A Short Hike, Paper Mario, creative process
Original article: Eurogamer