Last year, Dave the Diver was a breakout hit thanks to the Steam Next Fest, and developer MINTROCKET is back again with Wakerunners, which has a demo available for players to try during the February 2024 Steam Next Fest. While Wakerunners was developed by a separate team from Dave the Diver, MINTROCKET looks to replicate its success with this new competitive, multiplayer title. Players looking to test their skills in a new fast-paced, physics-based competition will find that Wakerunners draws inspiration from a variety of different multiplayer experiences.

Game Rant recently talked to Wakerunners Game Director ChaeHyun Lim about the inspiration behind the game, what players can expect from its gameplay, and how the Steam Next Fest will influence its development. Lim spoke about a passion for action games, and how they could translate this experience to a top-down title, while still making the game accessible to newcomers and giving hardcore competitive players a game that rewards skillful gameplay. This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.

Discovering the Inspiration Behind Wakerunners

Q: What sparked the idea to create a multiplayer team battle game?

Lim: We aimed to deliver a fresh and distinctive gaming experience. While AOS and MOBAs dominate the top-down perspective genre, we aspired to introduce high-speed action games to this viewpoint and craft the most immersive gaming encounter.

Q: Which games or media served as inspiration for Wakerunners?

Lim: I’m a fan of rapid-action titles like Tekken, Call of Duty, and Overwatch. I sought to create an action-packed game necessitating quick thinking, judgment, and reflexes, and our game embodies these aspects. We were cautious not to align it too closely with the AOS genre.

Q: What's the significance behind the name “Wakerunners?”

Lim: Wakerunners represents a pivotal component within the game's universe, encompassing