Last month we launched Demeo, a VR tabletop RPG that immerses players in the classic fantasy RPG genre like never before. We recently caught up with the team’s Producer, Johan Donwill, and Game Artist, Yossra El Said, to learn how the game came to be and how they contributed to the title specifically.

You were both part of the team that just released Demeo. Tell us briefly about your role and your contributions to the game.

Johan: As the producer for Demeo I’m responsible for making sure everyone is heading in the same direction as well as setting up goals and plans to make sure we meet deadlines and deliver milestones on time. But the most important thing a producer does, if you ask me, is to bring a good atmosphere into the team. And I think we have that in the Demeo team.

Yossra: I am a concept artist. On the Demeo team, I don't have a general field but rather design various kinds of art assets and also make promo art.

We truly work as a team so most of the art you see can't be credited to just one person alone. That said, I made the designs for the beginner mask, the gloves, several of the character skins, most of the Guardian's cards and the Realm of the Rat King promo illustration.

What were the general main thoughts and principles that drove the concept?

Johan: We wanted to recreate game night in VR, and in particular, the social aspect of it. Playing a great board game with your friends is fantastic and now we have brought that into the digital format.

Yossra: The general principle for the art direction of the game is focused around the idea of a magical board game, or maybe, the magic feeling of immersion even crude board games can instill once you step into the magic circle of the game. We went with a more material rather than ethereal style for the UI to emulate the feeling of board game assets such as cards, boards, tags etc.

What inspired you specifically throughout the process?

Johan: As the game evolved, ideas came up in our team for different features and abilities for the characters. It was fun to brainstorm around these ideas and refine the game to implement them.

Yossra: I was very much inspired by hand crafted Warhammer sets. My co-workers and I would frequently look at Warhammer crafts for inspiration, we even went to a Warhammer workshop to study at one point (before Covid-19 shut everything down).

I'm personally more into single player RPGs (mostly because I'm a recluse haha) so some inspiration from my childhood favorites have probably slipped in unconsciously as well.

Any challenges that you faced and how did you solve them?

Johan: Aligning the team’s goals is hard at times because there are a lot of opinions. But at the same time, when there are a lot of opinions, it means people care for the product. Discussing pros and cons as a group usually gets everyone on the same page and helps us create a clear vision.

Yossra: There is a PC placed in one of the corners of the basement. I did not make the original design, but I was tasked with redesigning it, but since I was born in the 90's, (my first encounter with a PC was an IBM with Windows 95 OS) I had no clue how to design a believable late 80's computer. I had to ask people at the company who actually lived in the 80's to help out, it was pretty funny.

What are you working on now?

Johan: Right now we are working on the first update “Realm of the Rat King”, which will be released this summer. We are also looking at player feedback, our backlogs and our own ideas so we can start planning future updates. A lot of great ideas have come from the community and we’re excited to implement some of them.

Yossra: I'm currently working on designing new assets for the “Realm of the Rat King” update. I can’t wait for you to play it!

Johan - any tips for someone reading this wanting to apply for a role in your team?

- If you put in the effort, you will acquire the skill. Nothing in life is free, except the next update for Demeo.

Do you want to help create titles that actually take players inside the game like Demeo alongside Johan and Yossra? We’re growing quickly and are always on the look for new colleagues. To learn more or apply, visit the Resolution Games career site. Below are some of our current openings:

How the Demeo team created a masterpiece