Prerelease:Bugsnax
This page details pre-release information and/or media for Bugsnax.
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Bugsnax was first teased in 2014 and underwent numerous changes in design and gameplay before being released in 2020. Thanks to the developers at Young Horses, we have a lot of concept art and videos that show off how the game came to be.
According to Kevin Geisler, inspirations for the game came from Viva Piñata, Ape Escape, Pokémon Snap, and Dark Cloud.
Gameplay Changes
On Rails
The Pokémon Snap influence was very evident in early development, when the core idea was that you moved in an on-rail system within a food truck and could throw objects at Bugsnax to interact or catch them. There weren't many well-defined models for the Bugsnax in this phase.
Preparing Bugsnax
Bugsnax once had to be prepared (or "peeled") to be put on a plate prior to feeding Grumpuses. Showcased is a potentially early version of Banopper, with a much more realistic model style.
Another video of the peeling concept, with added squeaking sounds. Two early Bugsnax are here: a worm-like mozzarella stick and a centipede-like waffle Snax.
The game started to move away from the on-rails style, but still kept some early concepts like the food truck and the idea of preparing Snax before they could be fed to Grumpuses. Some early Bugsnax models are present, as is Green Lollive's early name - "Olove".
Feeding Grumpuses
Another concept was that you would shoot food from a cannon to Grumpuses from your Food Truck.
Early on, feeding the villagers would change their personality points and how well they worked with others. There are basic Grumpuses here with the unused names of Chumbly Funbungle, Doubg Snublmud, Snedra Magnificar, and Wemby.
Later on, when Bugsnax were fed to a Grump, they would not transform them but instead give them various accessories. An early frog-like Grumpus design is showcased here, along with more-recognizable Bugsnax.
A humorous scene was made by developer Kevin Geisler and was shared on his Twitter, featuring an early Filbo and a Pinkle.
Snaxburg
Showing off influence from Dark Cloud, the town of Snaxburg would have once been built by the townspeople. They would approach you and ask what project to work on, with several other townspeople then helping to build the structure or what have you.
The villagers would have had a procedural relationship system, which would have influenced how Snaxburg was designed. It also showed early versions of characters and some others that were removed or reworked.
Early Tools
Many traps were designed for the game, and for awhile there was the concept to combine them together. These include a hammer-like net launcher, early Buggy Ball with a claw attachment, a balloon, a red ball containing a sticky strip, and a "hovercraft" made of Black Lollives. The early name for the Orange Peelbug is seen here as "Orbinge" and Shishkabug is known as "Kabug".
Near-Final Gameplay
A demo video from 2017, it shows an early Snaxburg and Scorched Gorge. Early "mumble speak" is heard from Filbo, and Cromdo has a placeholder voice.
Early Debug Footage
While mostly showcasing various bugs encountered during development, early UI can be previewed in these short sequences recorded by Kevin Giesler. The early Quest system had text on solid color blocks and apparently could show more than one task at a time. The font seemed different for names and possibly dialogue.
Early footage of Wiggle. Note the pineapple slices.
Early quest list UI, and use of debug tools.
Debug tool use and mention of "Grump camp" instead of Snaxburg.
Much earlier Simmering Springs without seashells.
UI Changes
The interview UI changed in development, initially focusing on a clipboard element. The dialogue boxes were tweaked as well. As outlined by jmarieray, "The chat and interview systems went through a few different iterations before landing on the ones inside the current game! We wanted to explore organic but scalable to fit whatever length dialogue we had. The interview system also shifted to corporate a voice recorder that you see in the present game, moving to feature it more heavily than the clipboard. It made more narrative sense to fit in the player’s journal with the rest of the notes."
Using a clipboard instead of the journal
Chat bubble style
Transparent bubbles
With a white background
Concept Art
Grumps
Early Grumps went through a number of design changes, from sheep, frogs, and jellybeans, to their current look. The stuffed frogs are a reference back to the old concept.
Filbo concept art, shows off the many stages Grumps went through.
Frog sketches
Sheep sketches
Jellybean sketches
3D Render of back of frog model
Snaxburg
Concepts include a different layout missing the outhouse, and general planning of how buildings would look.
Early Snaxburg
Early town layout
Early huts
Early interior
Lures
Before there were sauces, there was the concept of lures, each one with its own taste (meaty, salty, fruity, etc.) They were replaced fairly late in development. Textures for the various lures were found in the finished game by WolfosB.
Modeled Lure Plants
Concept sketches of Lure Plants
A Shishkabug carrying a meaty lure
Sketch of a meaty lure
Fruity Lure Texture
Sugary Lure Texture
Salt Lure Texture
Meaty Lure Texture
Super lure texture
Sauces
When the decision was made to change lures into sauces, the sauce sources themselves went through many designs. Honey was scrapped for being too similar to the other sauces, but the bottle that was modeled survived and is placed in Shelda and Snorpy's respective homes.
Various "fruits"
Plant sketches
Containers
Snax
Some Snax have stayed relatively close to their finished design, while some went through pretty radical changes. The initial style of Snax were rather realistic, with beady eyes. Eventually, the googly-eyed designs emerged and were finalized.
Ribbler and Sweetiefly
Sandopede and Big Bopsicle as 'Ramsickle'
Chillynilly and Buffalocust
Kweeble and Preying Picantis
Cheepoof and Charmellow
Cinnasnail and Incherrito
Scorpepper and Orange Peelbug
Strabby and Bunger
Shiskabug and Spuddy
Fryder and Crapple
Pinkle and Banopper
Early Sandopede?
Early Buffolocust
Queen of Bugsnax Concept Art
The idea of the "Queen of Bugsnax" seems to have been quite literal in development, with the "Amalgam Queen" and "Mimic Queen" showing the food truck as scale. Likewise, the Mimic Queen obviously uses the early frog Grump design as a base, and may have influenced the crumbling animation of the game's Snaxsquatch.
Amalgam Queen Concept 1
Amalgam Queen Concept 2
Mimic Queen
Other Changes
Feeding
According to developer Kevin Geisler, eventually transformed Grumpuses would get rid of said parts every time they visited the outhouse.
Scrapped Bugsnax
Some designs that didn't make it: A "Wafflepillar", a grilled cheese crab, a baconfly, and a spaghetti snail.
Ending Changes
According to Kevin Zuhn, the ending was originally going to be much darker, with the Grumpuses turning into mindless zombies and eating the player.
Also, at one point, the end battle was going to feature tower defense-style gameplay.
