Interview with Lars Rongen: The journey behind 'Pizzapocalypse'

Tell us about this project 

Lars: 'The project kicked off in block C of our second year. Designers received a brief and began laying out the game’s basic mechanics and core concept. In block D, we advanced to development, focusing on the art and programming. ' 

What is Pizzapocalypse about? 

Lars: ‘The main character is a pizza chef with his own pizzeria. He is dedicated to making quality pizzas with love, but the city has been taken over by a big corporation that churns out pizza quickly, without any heart. The chef is determined to keep delivering his authentic pizzas across the city, despite the robots sent by this corporation.’  

Find the game Pizzapocalypse on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/3224960/Pizzapocalypse/  

Can you walk us through the process of creating this project? 

Lars: 'We began with team introductions, and the developers presented the game concept. Our group was big, eighteen people in total, split into specialised teams. We had a fantastic producer who coordinated everything and kept us organised, which really helped. Each team had a lead for clear communication, and I was one of the co-leads for the art team.'  

'We started with concept work, sketching out ideas and brainstorming as a team. Each week, we shared our progress with lecturers and got feedback. The process went smoothly. We put in a lot of hours, but it was really enjoyable.' 

What did you contribute to the game? 

Lars: ‘I enjoy environment art the most. I was mainly responsible for the setting of the game. We agreed to create a typical Italian town, inspired by the animated film “Luca.” I began with concept sketches, deciding on the style, and creating textures. I set up the basics in Unreal Engine so we could start working immediately. Most of the in-game elements, like walls and floors, and their textures, were primarily my work.’ 

‘I liked working on this project. Every day felt productive, the team atmosphere was great, and I learned so much.’ 

How did you experience the Dutch Game Awards? 

Lars: ‘We heard about the Dutch Game Awards through our lecturers, who encouraged us to enter. We thought, why not give it a shot? So, we went ahead and submitted’  

‘I couldn’t attend the award ceremony myself, but our producer and a few teammates did. It was a good networking opportunity for them. I was a little disappointed we didn’t win, but just being nominated was a huge achievement. Now, I am focusing on promoting the game, like sharing it in online communities.’ 

What are your future plans? 

Lars: ‘Right now, I am working on a film project that will take the entire year. My role is to create environment art, and working in a team that is going to use tools like the XR stage and motion capture suits. It is a creative project centered around dance, and it has been an exciting challenge working with a small team of seven. It is very different from game development.’  

'For my final year, I am considering an internship. We also have the option to start our own business and continue developing Pizzapocalypse. Quite a few team members are interested in that idea.' 

For more insights into Lars' work, visit his LinkedIn profile or ArtStation profile.