The Principles behind Princesses vs Dragons: Part 1

We have been working on Princesses vs Dragons for about a year now, and as we reach this milestone, it seems like a good time to reflect on the underlying principles the game was made on. As the lead designer, I have devoted most of my time to these principles, as they inform the core experience we’re trying to create.

What is Princesses Vs Dragons?

Princesses Vs Dragons is a local multiplayer arena based game for up to four players, where princesses and dragons compete to collect fairies to fuel their abilities to catch each other. There are different game types for different ratios of princesses to dragons.

While we have different princess and dragon characters, all princess abilities are the same, as are all dragon abilities. This allows players to choose their favorite character without it impacting their strategy.

Style

We drew on inspiration from games such as Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker and Breath of the Wild, as well as early 3D platformer games such as Spyro the Dragon. Princesses Vs Dragons aims to draw on the nostalgia of these early titles using simpler graphics and bright colours while using modern graphics for a clear, colourful cartoony style. The bright colour scheme enhances the playful, low violence gameplay, appealing to a broad audience, from young children and their parents to adults.

We made a conscious decision to make our characters as diverse as possible, drawing on a broad range of cultures and skin tones for inspiration, seeking to let everyone feel that there are characters they can relate to. This also allows us to make a wider range of level designs in different styles and themes, making each level and character feel more unique.