Casual Brothers on Hot Rod Mayhem – Interview Series

Buckle up, RC enthusiasts — Casual Brothers, an indie  game studio known for its third-party collaborations, has just announced its plans to launch a fresh karting chapter for consoles and PC. Aptly titled Hot Rod Mayhem, the game will reportedly feature a familiar “formula” that will allow players to embark upon a collection of different offline and cooperative game modes. And that’s barely scratching the surface.

In an effort to learn more about the studio’s upcoming game, I decided to reach out to two of its torchbearers, Fco “Xavi” Espejo (Producer), and Carlos Martin (COO).

Hot Rod Mayhem is absolutely bursting at the seams with all sorts of asphalt-smitten pandemonium, and we’re all for it! With that said, it appears that there’s still a lot that we don’t know about the upcoming racing game. So, enlighten us, if you’d be so kind. What is Hot Rod Mayhem, in a nutshell?

First, thank you for your interest. We're a tiny studio making most of our work for 3rd parties and we don’t have many chances to auto publish stuff like with Hot Rod Mayhem. So this is a joy of an opportunity for us!

Our way to define Hot Rod Mayhem and our reasons to create this game, was to create a Kart Racing game where players go through wild, alive tracks and having fun with friends in both competitive and cooperative modes. It’s the Kart formula up there that we all love, but where putting the fun and uniqueness in the lively circuits, the immediate fun physics and the challenging cooperative focus of the Campaign.

Our Hot Rods are tiny RC like cars, and the tracks do reflect the scale. Do you imagine going through a dinosaur theme park where dinosaurs are chasing humans crossing the road and you need to skip their feet? Race over a futuristic city where android peasants don't care about stepping on you? The list goes on by racing over different crazy themes such as Space Station under an alien attack, a ghostly Halloween house, a wild farm filled with animals and machinery, etc.

The dangers ahead on our wild tracks, the fine tuned controls with drifting techniques and the smart usage of items, makes the fun clearly a Mayhem!

Let’s talk some more about the modes that’ll feature in Hot Rod Mayhem—Campaign and Racing. What’s the difference between the two, if you don’t mind me asking?

We call Campaign to our core challenge of our title. It’s designed so players, alone or with their friends, complete the trials and win the championships that unlock new circuits and customizable content to keep the title fresh. There are 3 difficulties that help in accessing the gameplay, but of course Hard it’s going to be a challenge and we expect players to play with friends to succeed, and you’ll need to complete it to unlock all the content we have in the game.

Racing mode, on the other hand, allows for more flexible gameplay, whether it’s a quick race, multiplayer showdown, or free exploration of the game’s content and tracks. Campaign is about progression, while Racing is about instant fun.

You’ve briefly spoken about ten different tournaments, all of which will reportedly include a “unique trial” and a set of  “tricky” challenges. Would you mind telling us a bit more about these cups and the challenges that they’ll introduce to the circuit?

Campaign keeps the progress of our players on the championships at Hot Rod Mayhem, where players have to beat a trial to unlock each championship and then go to compete with all the legendary CPU driven characters that may not play fair in the higher difficulties. Each Championship unlocks new content and championships, with new trials to overcome. These are the tricky trials that push your skills to the limit. For example, a challenge might involve navigating a track while avoiding obstacles or environmental hazards like sudden traps. These championships are designed to keep the experience fresh and unpredictable, requiring adaptability and quick thinking.

You’ve also touched base on “signature styles” and other customizable elements that will be available to the public. Please could you tell us about these styles, as well as what sorts of upgrades, abilities, and cosmetics we will have access to over the duration of our racing journey?

In Hot Rod Mayhem, while you can’t change the Hot Rods parameters themselves, each vehicle comes with its own unique properties that define its playstyle, even though you can choose from a range of textures to fit your tastes on each car.

The customization focuses on the drivers aesthetics, letting you personalize their appearance, gear, and even their unique style to match your personality. This approach ensures a strong connection between players and their racers while maintaining the balance of the vehicles’ core attributes. Whether you prefer speed, control, or chaos, there’s a driver style for you!

We would certainly appreciate a few quick pro tips while we have you here with us today. Any words of advice for those who might be interested in picking up a copy of Hot Rod Mayhem?

In Hot Rod Mayhem, we have a satisfactory drifting technique that pro players are going to love, and that will set the difference between experts and newbies. Of course, always keep an eye out for track shortcuts—they can make the difference in a tight race, but more than this, be aware of the dangers that the living things bring into the Mayhem. Don’t underestimate the power of environmental awareness—knowing when and where to boost or drop an item can win you the race.

Hot Rod Mayhem brings items and power ups to use during gameplay, like many other kart games does, it’s key to learn to use them strategically; for instance, the star gives you turbo but doesn’t drive for you, so timing is crucial.

Would you mind if we asked where Hot Rod Mayhem is in regards to its ongoing development? Are we edging a little closer towards the checkered flag, or are we still a fair ways from seeing it on the track?

The game is in its polishing stage. The tracks, items, and mechanics are in place, and the team is focused on optimizing the gameplay experience and ensuring all modes, from Campaign to Racing, run seamlessly across platforms. While it’s not quite at the finish line, the team is closing the gap.

How can we stay up to date with Hot Rod Mayhem and other upcoming projects in the Casual Brothers catalog? Are there any important social handles, newsletters, or event details that we should know about?

We have been pretty silent up to this point, but it seems that Hot Rod Mayhem is leveraging our needs to post about news. Please, follow Casual Brothers on YouTube and on our website (currently WIP). We will try to post some news there as we will share on the usual gaming channels.

Would you like to add any final comments to this thread before we go ahead and close the book?

We are very thankful for your support and the support we are receiving from people all around the world. Hot Rod Mayhem is shaping up to be an opportunity for us, from people that love the art direction to people that are interested in the crazy gameplay we are offering, thank you!

We’re thrilled to bring Hot Rod Mayhem to life and can’t wait for players to experience the chaos, competition, and creativity it offers. Whether you’re here for the racing or the customization, there’s something for everyone. Buckle up—it’s going to be a wild ride!

Thank you so much for your time!

You can find more information on Hot Rod Mayhem by visiting the official website here. You can also add the game to your wishlist on Steam for additional updates and pre-launch coverage here.