From Hearthstone to Nif Nif: Masha Mallet’s Inspirational Story

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We had the opportunity to chat with Masha Mallet, the game director of Nif Nif, who shared insights into the game and its development. After spending time with the demo, we were convinced that Nif Nif is not your typical deckbuilder. Intrigued, we wanted to explore the game’s creation, its origins, and what to expect from the ongoing Kickstarter campaign.

Masha’s journey is quite remarkable. She started playing games at the age of 5, assisting her father, a game journalist, by testing games he reviewed for magazines. Over the years, she delved into various indie games and even played Hearthstone competitively, streaming her gameplay on Twitch. Interestingly, this path eventually led her to start creating her own game.

In addition to her gaming background, Masha has an impressive professional career. She spent 12 years in the education field, founded a language teaching startup, and has a family with two beautiful children. She also served as Managing Director for a Louis Vuitton subsidiary, which she developed from the ground up in Hong Kong. Ultimately, her passion for games inspired her to study game production, with the goal of creating a gaming company and developing games that are strategic, poetic, and kind—ones she wants her children to play.

If you’d like to try the demo yourself, you can find it on Steam. If you’d like to support the game, consider backing it on Kickstarter.

You’ve emphasized that Nif Nif is a game designed for all ages. Why was it important for you to create a non-violent, family-friendly game?

At Springfox Games, we believe good games transcend age and gender limitations. It’s more about the presentation – dark vampires or fluffy unicorns – and the accessibility of the difficulty curve. Strategy games, especially turn-based ones, resonated with me because they allow for thoughtful planning and breaks without penalty. Perfect for those mid-game family moments! Many real-time games can be overstimulating, which isn’t ideal, particularly for an audience with physical and mental impairments. With Nif Nif, we offer a welcoming experience that’s fun for everyone.

Nif Nif offers a unique take on the deck-building genre by focusing on cleaning rather than combat. What inspired this approach, and how has it been received by the community?

When my son was young, he was completely averse to violence in games. “Pet fighting” and character death upset him. We brainstormed with my daughter (then 8) and this cleaning concept emerged. Based on early feedback at GDC, Gamescom, and from content creators, the reception has been fantastic! People find it humorous and enjoy coming up with “cleaning” equivalents of typical combat terms. It’s hilarious to see them grapple with “lethal damage” alternatives!

The game features a wholesome, wacky world filled with quirky characters. What inspired the art style and the overall aesthetic of Nif Nif?

Growing up in the USSR, cartoons had a distinct artistic identity. Arriving in France, things were less so. Now, Netflix seems dominated by a few children’s art styles. We wanted to forge our own path. Drawing inspiration from classic USSR cartoons, we assembled a team of Eastern European illustrators and Asian game artists to create a unique blend that resonates globally.

The mysterious goo plays a central role in Nif Nif’s story. Can you tell us more about the lore behind this goo and how it influences gameplay?

The goo’s concept is inspired by the corruption of the boar god in Princess Mononoke, driven mad by human pollution. We loved this idea! In Nif Nif, your goal is to cleanse the ancient forest god of this corruption. However, the pollution inevitably returns, cleverly tying into the roguelike gameplay loop.

Can you walk us through the core gameplay mechanics?

While we haven’t tried to reinvent the wheel, Nif Nif offers a streamlined deckbuilder experience, focusing on accessibility and strategic depth. To progress, upgrade your deck through non-combat encounters and in-game interactions. The difficulty scales gradually, ensuring a rewarding challenge. Our first character introduces basic archetypes based on attack, defense and draw, while future characters will offer more complex strategies.

Customization seems to be a fun aspect of the game, from the Viking helmet to playing as different animals. How do these cosmetics and alternative characters impact gameplay?

Customization adds a fun layer to Nif Nif. While “Skins” don’t directly affect gameplay, they offer a way to personalize your experience. Characters, on the other hand, have unique decks and abilities, offering distinct playstyles. We’re planning to introduce more characters and customization options in the future.

Hats are unlockable starting items that give various bonuses. You will need to finish the game with each to unlock the next one, and some will be particularly useful to gain specific achievements in the game.

The demo for Nif Nif is now live. What can players expect from the demo, and how does it represent the final game?

In the Nif Nif demo, players can experience the core gameplay with the first character, explore the soup menu, unlock cards, and embark on a full run. The final game will feature a more robust progression system, collectible skins, additional characters, enemies, bosses, a gardening system, and engaging challenges to delve deeper into the lore. 

You’ve mentioned that Beta access will be available to certain backers. What can they expect from the Beta, and how will their feedback shape the final game?

Beta backers can enjoy early access to the second character from September onwards and experience the game’s evolution as we iterate on updates. Through dedicated Discord channels, their feedback will be invaluable in shaping the final product to meet the needs and preferences of our community.

What challenges did you face in developing a roguelike deck-builder that avoids combat and focuses on positive themes? How did you overcome them?

Designing a non-combat roguelike presented unique challenges, especially when compared to traditional combat mechanics. In most games, attacking and defending are parallel actions, visually represented in a similar manner. Our system, where players clean enemies and they “dirty” us is mirrored, so it required careful consideration of color codes, icons, and overall clarity to avoid confusion. We are still working on it!

As a game designed to appeal to both kids and adults, what do you think is missing from the current gaming landscape for younger audiences?

The gaming landscape is dominated by big-name titles, which can be great for specific skills (reflexes, hand-eye coordination), but lacking in others. We need more indie games and better promotion for them, both from the press and from gamers themselves. Let’s celebrate the unique experiences and poetry that indie games can offer.

What do you hope players, especially children, take away from their experience with Nif Nif?

We hope Nif Nif offers a positive, thoughtful, and rewarding experience. We want players, especially children, to learn the value of taking their time, strategizing, and enjoying the journey.

The Kickstarter campaign is crucial for determining Nif Nif’s release date. What milestones are you hoping to achieve with this campaign?

Our Kickstarter campaign is essential for ensuring Nif Nif’s timely release (hopefully March 2025). Our primary goal is to reach our funding target, allowing us to bring the game to players worldwide. Visibility is also crucial, so we’re working to spread the word about Nif Nif.

If the Kickstarter campaign is successful, do you have plans to expand Nif Nif with additional content, such as new characters, locations, or cards?

A successful campaign will allow us to expand Nif Nif’s content. We’re planning to add a third character, a new river biome, and additional cards and skins. Stretch goals will determine the extent of this expansion.