Embracing the "Singles" Approach: How Ant Workshop is Revolutionizing Game Development

In a bold move, UK studio Ant Workshop has embarked on a significant shift in its game development strategy, abandoning the traditional "album" approach in favor of a more agile, portfolio-centric "singles" model. Managing director Tony Gowland believes this shift could benefit a wide range of developers, offering a more sustainable and flexible path to success in the ever-evolving gaming landscape.

Unlocking the Power of Smaller, Faster Game Development

Scaling Down for Quicker Turnaround

Ant Workshop's decision to pivot towards a "singles" approach was born out of the studio's experience with Dungeon Golf, a quirky mini-golf game that underperformed despite positive feedback from players and critics. Recognizing the limitations of investing heavily in a single, large-scale project, the studio has embraced a new strategy that prioritizes speed and agility.The key tenets of Ant Workshop's "singles" approach include keeping the scope of each game simple, allowing for faster development cycles of four to six months. By focusing on more focused, self-contained game ideas, the studio aims to reduce the risk associated with larger, more ambitious projects. This shift in mindset has also enabled the studio to be more flexible in its co-development efforts, as smaller teams can easily adjust their time and resources to accommodate external projects without significantly impacting their own game development.

Revisiting Past Ideas with a Fresh Perspective

Ant Workshop's first "single" game, Into The Restless Ruins, is a prime example of the studio's ability to breathe new life into past ideas. The game's core mechanic of expanding a dungeon by snapping on new rooms was originally conceived for a different project, a top-down 2D title where players controlled a plane. While the plane-flying concept never quite clicked, the team recognized the inherent satisfaction in the modular expansion mechanic and decided to build upon it, ultimately creating the foundation for Into The Restless Ruins, a roguelike deck-building experience.This approach allows Ant Workshop to leverage existing ideas and prototypes, streamlining the development process and reducing the time and resources required to bring a new game to market. By isolating and refining specific mechanics or concepts from past projects, the studio can quickly spin out focused, standalone experiences that have the potential to resonate with players.

Prioritizing Replayability and Expandability

Gowland emphasizes that the "singles" approach is not about abandoning the concept of larger, more ambitious "album" projects entirely. Rather, it's about finding the right balance and building a foundation for potential future expansions or sequels.Each of Ant Workshop's "singles" is designed with replayability and expandability in mind. The goal is to create games that can be launched at a lower price point, allowing for impulse purchases, while also leaving room for potential content updates, downloadable expansions, or even full-fledged sequels if the initial game finds an audience.This strategy not only helps manage the studio's development resources but also provides a more flexible and responsive approach to meeting the evolving needs and preferences of their player base. By starting small and iterating based on player feedback, Ant Workshop aims to identify and nurture the most promising game ideas, laying the groundwork for potential long-term success.

Embracing Failure and Iterating Quickly

Integral to Ant Workshop's "singles" approach is the willingness to pause or even abandon a project if it's not quite coming together as planned. Rather than forcing a game to completion, the studio is comfortable with pausing development and revisiting the concept at a later time, allowing the team to shift their focus to other promising ideas.This flexibility and openness to failure is a crucial aspect of the "singles" strategy. By not being beholden to a single, large-scale project, Ant Workshop can afford to take more risks and experiment with different game concepts, knowing that the potential impact of any individual failure is relatively limited. This mindset enables the studio to learn from its mistakes, iterate quickly, and ultimately deliver a more diverse and engaging portfolio of games to its audience.

Engaging with Players Early and Often

A key lesson Ant Workshop learned from the Dungeon Golf experience was the importance of engaging with players early and often. By keeping the game under wraps for too long, the studio missed out on valuable feedback and the opportunity to build anticipation and wishlists among potential players.With the "singles" approach, Ant Workshop is committed to showcasing its games at local events, industry shows, and through early access programs. This allows the studio to gauge player interest, gather feedback, and make necessary adjustments before the final release. By involving the community in the development process, Ant Workshop can better align its games with the preferences and expectations of its target audience, increasing the chances of commercial success.

Pricing for Impulse Purchases

Ant Workshop's "singles" strategy also includes a focus on lower price points, with the studio aiming to sell each game for a maximum of £5. This approach is designed to position the games as impulse purchases, similar to the way players might have browsed and purchased budget titles in the past.Gowland recognizes that with lower price points, player expectations around production values and feature sets may also be adjusted. However, he believes that by setting clear expectations and emphasizing the replayability and value proposition of these smaller games, Ant Workshop can still deliver engaging experiences that resonate with players.The lower price points also have implications for the studio's success metrics. Ant Workshop estimates that it would need to sell around 20,000 units of each "single" to break even, a more achievable target compared to the larger sales figures required for a more ambitious, higher-budget project.

Redefining Success in the "Singles" Era

Ultimately, Ant Workshop's shift towards a "singles" approach represents a fundamental rethinking of how the studio measures and defines success. Rather than relying on a single, high-stakes project to carry the studio, the studio is embracing a more diversified portfolio strategy, where individual games may not need to be blockbuster hits to contribute to the overall success of the business.Gowland acknowledges that not every "single" will be a financial success, but the studio is willing to accept that reality in exchange for the increased flexibility, reduced risk, and potential for long-term growth. By spreading its bets across multiple smaller projects, Ant Workshop can afford to experiment, learn from its mistakes, and gradually refine its approach, ultimately delivering a more diverse and engaging lineup of games to its audience.As the gaming industry continues to evolve, Ant Workshop's "singles" strategy offers a compelling alternative to the traditional "album" approach, providing a blueprint for other developers looking to navigate the challenges and opportunities of the modern gaming landscape.