Swapmeat: First impressions of a very meaty roguelite

The inspiration for creating video games is everywhere and often stems from the desire to create something that captures your attention. For One More Game, a studio created by members behind titles such as Warcraft, Diablo, and Guild Wars, it was time to create something completely new, but that would remind them of the features they enjoyed so much when playing. Last week, we had the opportunity to play Swapmeat before its new open beta and talk to Jamie Stormbreaker, director and co-founder of the studio, to find out everything behind this game.

Swapping limbs

Swapmeat is a cooperative rogue-lite third-person shooter that has been in development since 2023. According to its director, the game is based on three pillars: it should be third-person, have rogue-lite progression, and have a cooperative mode that is seamless for players to join and leave, just like it was back when they played Diablo.

As its name suggests, its main and very distinctive mechanic is “meat mixing,” a system that allows players to swap body parts and exchange them with certain enemies they defeat. This mechanic is central to the game’s identity and emerged as part of a prototype created by Jason Stokes, art director. The developers embraced this idea and saw potential in this surreal and funny concept, helping to establish both the aesthetic and tone of the game. Among the various influences mentioned by the director are titles such as Risk of Rain 2, Helldivers 2, and Quake 3, but also animations such as Rick and Morty and Adult Swim shows such as Aqua Teen Hunger Force and Smiling Friends, and honestly, it shows.

Full screen

Focused on gameplay

Beyond being a gimmick, swapping body parts is an integral part of the gameplay. The roguelite element is crystal clear, as in the trial, I encountered not only a variety of weapons to choose from before starting the mission,n but also parts from other enemies that complemented my character. From the ninja head that allowed me to throw shurikens to the spider legs that made me move faster, to the strong body that allowed me to leave a turret to support me in attacks. Sometimes it was difficult to decide whether it was worth changing any of the body parts, but I had to try them out and see if they suited my playing style. This allows the player to experiment, as well as adapt to different situations constantly.

Complementing this, Stormbreaker commented that each body part is also designed to have context in terms of what we are going to play. For example, octopus legs allow players to move faster in the water. The developers designed each part so that they would not have the same power in the same situations, thus creating a balance so as not to create something that was always good, all the time.

Test and launch

For now, Swapmeat is set to launch in Early Access in October and has an open playtest from September 18 to 21 via Steam.

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