Angelos Mako’s journey with Dungeon Rampage began at the tender age of seven, when he first ventured into its vibrant, pixelated world alongside his older brother. The game, a whimsical hack-and-slash adventure on Facebook, offered not just entertainment but also a refuge from the everyday. Fast forward a decade, and Mako found himself in a position to revive this cherished title.
Gamebreaking Studios, led by CEO Taylor Hellam, was on the lookout for co-development opportunities. Mako reached out, curious about the potential for remaking Dungeon Rampage as a Steam game using Unity. However, financial constraints soon emerged as a significant hurdle. Hellam recalls the initial skepticism, “My first engagement was getting added to a LinkedIn message. I was curious but cautious, questioning whether Mako had the IP license to the game.” Despite the enthusiasm, an agreement remained elusive, leaving the project in limbo.
A careful girl saves the day
Determined to push forward, Mako eventually connected with the last engineer involved in the game’s original development. In a twist of fate, the engineer revealed that the last build of Dungeon Rampage was stored on a laptop—one that had been entrusted to his seven-year-old daughter. “When we got the source code off of a laptop and were told that this hasn’t been running in years, we were like, ‘We could solve this thing,'” Hellam recounted, reflecting on the moment they realized the files were still intact.
With a mix of relief and humor, Mako noted, “We were very happy that she didn’t accidentally delete the files.” Gamebreaking Studios, inspired by Mako’s passion and the technical challenge ahead, decided to partner with him to breathe new life into the game. However, the task proved more complex than anticipated, as the original game utilized a combination of Flash, C++, and a PHP backend, leading to a series of technical hurdles.
The first boot
After months of collaboration, a pivotal moment arrived when Gamebreaking co-founder Sean Saleh urged Mako to join a video call for a test run. Initially met with another error, the atmosphere shifted dramatically when the game finally booted up successfully. “I thought I was trolling,” Hellam admitted, but the excitement quickly turned to joy as they entered the game’s lobby and began to play. Mako, overwhelmed with emotion, found himself immersed in the world he had once cherished. “It was a very emotional time,” he shared, recalling the sleepless nights spent rediscovering the game.
Getting it ready for prime time
With the game operational, the team launched a Kickstarter campaign that exceeded its ,000 goal, currently sitting at ,000. They also revitalized the original game’s Facebook page, which sparked a wave of excitement among fans. “All we did was change the cover photo there and everyone reacted like crazy,” Hellam noted, highlighting the community’s enthusiasm. The game, originally freemium, is now set to be a complete, one-time purchase, and it has garnered over 100,000 wishlists on Steam.
Hellam remarked on the significance of Mako being the first player in over a decade, stating, “He definitely deserved to be the one to play. He was the one who got it to come back.” Mako himself reflected on the experience, likening those early days of gameplay to “the first days of discovering fire as a caveman.” The revival of Dungeon Rampage stands as a testament to passion, perseverance, and the power of collaboration in the gaming industry.
