Bugsnax developer Young Horses shared some early design concepts for its what-if-we-ate-the-Pokémon-instead, body-horror game, and they are as out there as you’re probably hoping.
Starting on the more mild but technically ambitious front, the developers original experimented with making the Grumpus’ relationships more dynamic and fungible:
Procedurally generated relationships between Grumpuses could’ve been interesting! It would have been cool to see how intricate (and messy) the relationships could have become and how those entanglements impacted the development of Snaxburg. I also love how, among all those weird-ass Grumpus names like Beffica and Wambus, there’s just a guy named Steve.
Rock on, Steve.
People who worked on the game also shared footage of early builds, including a somewhat disturbing clip in which Filbo, the blue Grumpus you see in most Bugsnax art, gags on a proto-bugsnak. Or, I think he’s gagging? Maybe it’s some sort of disturbing digestive method.
But one of the more shocking reveals was that the muppet-like Grumpuses were originally frogs:
WITH BIG OLE DUMPTRUCK ASSES.
Young Horses, you’re on main.