Internal experiment becomes Insomniac’s first PC title

A project that began as a personal experiment from a member of Insomniac Games has become a fully-fledge PC title, and is due for release next week.

Slow Down, Bull was conceived by the studio’s designer Lisa Brown and sees players controlling a bull that wants to create works of art – but his rage threatens to destroy everything he has made.

According to the studio’s blog, Brown’s experiment began when the studio gave her the chance to explore some of the scripting she had developed that didn’t fit with the console game the main team was working on – presumably the Xbox One exclusive Sunset Overdrive.

Brown listed several concepts that she was interested in, but one stood out to both the designer and the studio.

“It was a different kind of gameplay mechanic, one that asked the question: ‘what if pressing a button made the action stop rather than go?’,” CCO Brian Hastings wrote. 

“She drew a bull as a character and allowed you to stop it from running by pressing a button. But if you held the button too long the bull would get enraged and trample everyone in sight. It was simple, unique and fun.

“That first prototype had taken a single day. The full game ended up being a much longer adventure and the team grew to be five people at its peak.”

Slow Down, Bull will be released via Steam on Monday, April 20th. It continues Insomniac’s partnership with Starlight Children’s Foundation, with the charity receiving 50 per cent of the net proceeds from the game’s sales.

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