Murder Kitties Assemble! Gori: Cuddly Carnage Is Here

Gamers have been desperate to get their claws into this twisted toy story since 2023 when the demo of Gori: Cuddly Carnage arrived with its riotous blend of ultra-violence and adorability, underscored by dark humor and buckets of, well, gore. Before the fur starts flying on release day, we took the opportunity to speak to John Kalderon, one of the co-founders of Angry Demon Studio, the offbeat auteurs behind this highly anticipated title.

The question John has for gamers is simple: “Ever dreamed of being a murder kitty on a death-dealing hoverboard?” (Well, who hasn’t?) “Then,” he says, “Gori: Cuddly Carnage is for you! This game is for anyone who craves the thrill of being an action hero, with vibes straight out of an early 2000s game, all powered by Unreal Engine 5. In our world, humanity is toast, and it’s up to Gori—along with his sassy sentient hoverboard F.R.A.N.K. and morose A.I. companion CH1-P—to take down the evil Adorable Army with some seriously lethal combos.”

Murder kitties? The evil Adorable Army? What happened here? Well, “Ultra Pets” did. Synthetic toy pets that never age, never hunger, never ruin the rug… But then a mutation runs riot, the toys turn murderous, and before you know it, you—as Gori—are slicing and dicing unicorns. John describes the game as “a hoverboarding skate-and-slash extravaganza that marries fast-paced movement with heavy combat and powerful attacks … [It] draws inspiration from some truly iconic games. Alice: Madness Returns gave us fantastic and unforgettable enemies and levels, while AirBlade wowed us with its brilliant hoverboarding mechanics and early 2000s feel. We were also inspired by the vibrant colors, awesome movement, and humor of Sunset Overdrive, and the over-the-top action with a comic-book feel from Lollipop Chainsaw. These influences blended together to shape our unique mix of skateboarding and hack-and-slash gameplay, resulting in a game that’s as dynamic and engaging as it is colorful and fun.”

John is uniquely placed to talk us through Gori, as not only the co-founder of Angry Demon, but a lead writer, designer, and 3D artist. “I wear many hats here,” he jokes. “The magic behind Gori: Cuddly Carnage comes from our incredibly dedicated team of just five people! That’s right, our small but mighty crew is bringing this full-length game to all platforms … We’re immensely proud of our hard work and ingenuity in making this happen, and we hope it shows in the final product.”

It certainly does. We asked John about the challenges Angry Demon had faced, and, given that dedication, the compact team was not one of them. “One of the coolest yet trickiest challenges we tackled was designing the combat system on a hoverboard,” John explains. “Imagine slashing through enemies while zipping around on a futuristic board. It’s as fun as it sounds, but making it feel just right was no easy task … The toughest part? Making the controls feel both responsive and intuitive. We had to interpret player feedback and create ‘exceptions to our rules’ to improve the game’s controls. There are hundreds of these specific functions in both combat and movement to ensure that Gori’s actions feel natural and intuitive. We continuously tweaked and tested until every move felt just right … Players can expect a seamless blend of hoverboarding and hacking and slashing that’s as exhilarating as it is smooth.”

To keep things running smoothly, developers and gamers alike know that performance is key, and this is where Intel comes in. “Intel has been a game-changer for us,” John enthuses. “They shipped us hardware to integrate their fantastic Intel^Ⓡ X^eSuper Sampling (X^eSS) software and their technical support was invaluable. With their assistance, we were able to integrate the XeSS plugin seamlessly and optimize it for peak performance. The back-and-forth with Intel’s team helped us fine-tune the game, ensuring it runs smoothly and looks stunning … As long-time users of Intel^Ⓡ technology, this partnership feels like a dream. The hardware and engineering assistance we’ve received mean that players with Intel^Ⓡ graphics hardware, even those with integrated graphics, will be able to play Gori: Cuddly Carnage smoothly. We’re incredibly grateful for Intel’s help in making our game the best it can be.”

And what’s next for the fab five of Angry Demon? “We’re super excited about the release of Gori: Cuddly Carnage on August 29th!” John says. “We can’t wait for players around the world to finally get their hands on it.” After that, they’re not intending to rest on their laurels—or hoverboards. “We’re already brainstorming our next big project. We’re thrilled about exploring new ideas and continuing to push the boundaries of what we can achieve in game development.”

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