EXTREMELY POWERFUL CAPYBARAS

If you've also somehow ended up on capybara-TikTok, you'll understand why this game really stood out. Extremely Powerful Capybaras, produced by Studio Bravarda and published by PM Studios, uses the internet's favorite goofy rodent to take on waves of enemies. Studio Bravarda is Brazil-based, so it was only right to include capybaras in the ridiculousness. This studio loves to throw in odes to their country, and even though the music and theming already do a great job, capybaras are perfect, as the developers described them as ‘an animal that is found in the weirdest places’. 

It was exciting to see that this game seemed to also attract the attention of the chronically online, as there wasn't a time that we stopped by where the line wasn't wrapped around the booth or time slots were booked up. However, a free demo is readily available on Steam which we got to play post-PAX. Extremely Powerful Capybaras is a bullet hell, action roguelike game that also boasts a colorful artstyle, fun music, and a family friendly theme, making the rare occasion where a bullet frenzy game can be family friendly too. Made for 1-4 players, Extremely Powerful Capybaras can be played solo, via couch co-op, or even through Steam’s remote play.

If you’re a fan of Vampire Survivor, couch co-op games, or even just little capybaras, then be sure to wishlist Extremely Powerful Capybaras on Steam, and keep up to date with their Discord too. The release date of Extremely Powerful Capybaras is not yet finalized, but they do have updates to their available demo coming soon.

Sarah: This is Sarah, and I'm interviewing with… Names again?

Nick: Nick.

Yann: Yann.

Sarah: Nick and Yann! From PM Studios who are working on Extremely Powerful Capybaras. How are you guys?

Nick: Yeah, we are exhausted but in a good way. 

Sarah: Yes!

Nick: Yeah, just the last day of PAX, but we are so happy.

Yann: Absolutely. Also, PM Studios is our publisher. We are Studio Bravarda, the developer. But no problem!

Sarah: Even better. We want to get the names of you actual developers. 

Yann: Yeah, no problem at all. But yeah, we’re super excited. We’re feeling extremely powerful and also extremely tired. So that's a great match. (laughs)

Sarah: (laughs) All right, so tell us, I guess, a little bit more about… is your studio working on anything else? So what are you guys doing? What's your lowdown? 

Yann: So, we released a game before that's nothing to do with capybaras. I mean, they have a capybara in the game, but it’s an adventure called Sky Caravan. After that, we started prototyping Extremely Powerful Capybaras. And once we got picked up by PM, we started developing it, and then we came to PAX. 

Nick: Yeah, we're pretty much focused on it since August last year. Yeah.

Sarah: Awesome. All right, so what originally got you guys into indies and working on this game?

Nick: So this game is, I mean, we have been working together for six years plus right now. We met in college, and we had this dream of like creating an indie studio that could do any games with personality and flavors. So we got six Brazilians involved. We opened the company back in Portugal, so four in Brazil, two in Portugal, we are all Brazilians. So we got together after this and started making games. Right?

Yann: Yeah, like it's all about connecting with people in college whenever you can, and finding people that want to do the thing you want to do as much as you want to do it. Yeah, it was like, it was really fortunate to meet Nick, Mabel, Joao, Mateus, Cezar. Those are all the names of the like six people on our team. So, yeah. 

Sarah: So you're a six person team then? 

Yann: Yup.

Sarah: Oh my gosh, that's amazing. 

Nick: Thank you.

Sarah: So what are you guys most excited about for this game? It's not fully released yet. Right? It's the demo? 

Yann: Yeah.

Sarah: So what are you excited for, looking forward to, with the actual release?

Yann: So we saw that families are playing the game at PAX and it's so wholesome. I mean, we grew up playing couch multiplayer games. Castle Crashers, I played some Halo with my friends, Magica. And I mean when when a family got together on a couch and play, the kids got all sparkly-eyed and big eyes. 

Sarah: Aw!

Nick: The colors are so bright, so they got like mesmerised and that was just so cool. We had some families go to the Discord channel, and just thanked us for bringing a fun, cartoony game to the family to play together. 

Sarah: Yeah!

Yann: Again, for everyone, which is something. This game is so accessible. I mean, you only move and dash, it's pretty much it. So I think one thing that I'm really proud about it is exactly this: like everyone from all ages will be able to play it and have fun. So in a little bit, it's kind of like a toy. And I'm really happy with that because I mean, the most cherished moments of my life were like playing with family and friends. So, yeah.

Sarah: Yeah. I know I've loved actually seeing you guys literally have a couch in front of the game. So it's really nice to see a couch co-op again. And every time I walked around, I've seen different people and kids and stuff like that. So that is that is so awesome. I'm sorry, we're getting distracted by the game. (laughs) 

Yann: (laughs) It happens. 

Sarah: Yeah, every time I walk by, I'm like, “Oh, what are they doing now?” Okay, so what made you guys decide to make this game in particular and then I also just want to know, why capybaras? Because I like capybaras, but I want to know.

Yann: So we're Brazilians. Yeah, so that already explains a lot.

Sarah: Oh yeah, they’re everywhere there. 

Yann: Yeah, like not necessarily everywhere but they are like, in a funny way, present in places you wouldn't expect. So, I literally live near capybaras. Like there is a river beside my house with capybaras. You know, I try not to make Brazil look like our giant rainforest. But then it's kind of stuff just happens. So yeah, so what happens is like we're all about at Studio Bravarda making games with Brazilian flavors. And when we were prototyping the game, it wasn't about capybaras at first, it was pretty much the mechanics of the game. And we were like, “We really should have something that’s family-friendly, accessible, silly.” And we're gonna like, “Yeah, I think we should do an animal.” And it just make all the sense in the world to go with a capybara because it is like an animal that is very bountiful in Brazil, and also, the internet loves it. So it was like, this is a way that we can stay true to ourselves and also have something that people are gonna love. 

Sarah: Yeah.

Nick: I mean, we didn't know they were so huge on the internet. We knew they were big, but it's just lucky I guess.

Sarah: You guys really lucked out. I feel like Capybara-TikTok has like blown up and now they’re on Twitter. Like, I see them everywhere. 

Nick: Yeah. 

Sarah: They're adorable, though. It is rightly deserved, but that is awesome timing, honestly. 

Yann: Yeah. 

Sarah: All right. So I'm gonna ask you guys if you could go back in time and change one thing or give yourself a piece of advice, what would it be? I know it's a toughy.

Yann: Yeah. The advice that you had already received: to make smaller games. Really listen to that advice! 

Sarah: (laughs)

Yann: Because I mean, like, show your game to other people so they can say that your game is big. Because you might not know that your game is bigger than you think. I think that's a real trouble because, you know, smaller indie devs they might think that they're making a small game, but they are not. So I think the advice would be like, show this game to more experienced people so they can tell you to stop working on that game. (laughs)

Nick: (laughs) Yeah, cancel early. Yeah, that's another thing:  this is not the first game, we have released another game and worked on another canceled game. Well, we got pretty far into development and we had to cancel it. So I would say if it's not working out, cancel early, it's better for you. It's better for your company. It's better for your mental health. And it's not a shame. It's not at all. It's just something you had, you have to do to be able to start again with a new project to start with the best tools, the knowledge and all that jazz. 

Yann: Yeah.

Sarah: All right. Well, that's basically all that I have for you guys. Do you want to plug your studio? Yourselves? This is the floor if there's anything you want to tell the people. This is your time.

Yann: Yeah, actually Powerful Capybaras is now on Steam in development, but with a free demo. So if you hop in there, you can play local co-op. And this PAX demo that is currently in the event is not out yet. It is going to be a few weeks’ time. But yeah, you pretty much can play as an Extremely Powerful Capybara today, if you want. All right?

Nick: We are releasing on Steam this Summer. This is our goal. It will launch with local multiplayer and Steam remote play together. 

Sarah: Oh!

Nick: If you want to search it out, our game, we are on Twitter, Steam, YouTube…

Yann: @EPCapybarasGame on Twitter, Instagram, like, everywhere. If you search Extremely Powerful Capybara you won't miss it at all.

Nick: Yeah, we have amazing games under our publishers. Well, that's PM studios. They're all here at PAX. So I'm not going to plug them all. But I mean, we are just a big family, right? 

Yann: Yeah.

Sarah: That's awesome to hear too. I always get so worried when I see like studios that, and like, publishers, that have so many people. But I know PMs always treated everybody good that we've interviewed. So I hope that that is the case for you guys. 

Yann: Yeah, it really does. 

Sarah: So yeah. All right. Do you guys want to plug any of your personal stuff or just your studio? It's up to you.

Yann: I'm not a very social media kind of guy. So yeah, I'm okay.

Nick: Yeah, we just be working on the game. (laughs)

Sarah: On that grind! Well, thank you guy, again. It was wonderful speaking with you. And I hope for safe travels. I would say enjoy the rest of your PAX but you have a solid hour and a half left. So, enjoy. (laughs)

Nick: (laughs) Well thank you.

Sarah: Yeah. All right. And again, this is Sarah, and we just interviewed Extremely Powerful Capybaras. Go check that out. Go demo and wishlist that on Steam!