Mushroom-Infested Deckbuilder Shroom & Gloom’s Prototype Success Prompts Full Development

Indie game developer Team Lazerbeam has announced that it’s taking its humble prototype game, Shroom & Gloom, and will be working on it to produce a fully-fledged game.

It’s a fantastic example of what can happen if the concept for an indie game is good enough to resonate with fans worldwide and gain traction across various social and forum platforms. I’m incredibly excited about this one, and I think you will be as well.

From Fun Guys to Fungi

During a seven-day game jam back in 2021, Team Lazerbeam put together a first-person roguelite deckbuilder about eating, roasting up, and cutting your way through dungeons filled with monstrous mushrooms and fungi.

The resulting concept excited the team, spurring them to create a full prototype within the next three months and throw it out to the world on Itch.io. From there, Shroom & Gloom grew in popularity as more and more people picked it up and shared gameplay on TikTok, Reddit, and YouTube.

The popularity caused publishers to reach out, and before the team knew it, they were digging in to make Shroom & Gloom a full game. In a recent blog post, the developer explains how events panned out on its side in a lot more detail. What strikes me the most about this story is that the title had very little marketing behind it.

In fact, the most marketing that went into Shroom & Gloom was a short, hastily put-together trailer and a phenomenal-looking Itch.io page.

I first discovered the game during Steam Next Fest. While our Amanda was looking at the best cooking game demos, I was busy being overwhelmed by unique indie titles that take you to places you’ve never gone before. Shroom & Gloom certainly does that.

What is Shroom & Gloom?

Shroom & Gloom is a game that throws you into dungeons with nothing more than a deck of cards to defend you against the frightfully massive and pretty damn gross mushrooms that’ll try to kill and eat you along the way.

The visuals are a combination of punk rock, fantasy, and that pile of wood in the local park or your garden that’s slowly growing its own ecosystem. When it comes to gameplay, it does what all good digital card games do. You’ve got to strategize using the hand you’re dealt while anticipating the attacks and powers each ferocious fungi has.

You can download the prototype for Shroom & Gloom right now, but keep an eye on Team Lazerbeam on Itch.io to ensure you don’t miss the full game’s release. There’s currently no word on when the game will be done and out the door, but it’s definitely worth the wait.

Before you go

Thank you very much for reading up on the latest Shroom & Gloom news. While this game isn’t out for a while, you can satisfy you’re fantasy itch by playing Dragon Age: The Veilguard, just be sure to take our walkthrough with you.

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About the Author

Jamie Moorcroft Sharp

Editor

Jamie adores the indie games that you don’t hear about until you’re on a video essay binge at 3AM and suddenly the sound of them changes your life. He’s played games all his life and loves looking at the intricate details that make them magical and different. If there’s a wierd list, embarrassing feature, or something else far too out there on Bonus Action, there’s a good chance he wrote it. But that’s not all! He’s also an absolute fiend who never knows when to stop when he puts on his dirty robes and takes on his D&D persona as a Mud Warlock who acts on that tiny voice in your head when it wonders what would happen if you did something really dumb right now. He’s easy to beat in a TGC, though, just keep an eye out for his crazy card combos.

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