Tonda Ros, founder of the tiny French studio Dogubomb, made quite a statement with the unexpected hit Blue Prince. It provides a fresh approach to the puzzles. In a late-April interview, Ros admitted he still struggles to slap a genre label on his game. While many call Blue Prince a “roguelite puzzle-adventure,” he insists he never set out to make a roguelite.

Ros draws direct inspiration from classics like Carcassonne, Labyrinth, and Seafarers of Catan. He also credits the Snowfly Forest level in the action-RPG Vagrant Story for sparking ideas—its maze-like layout reminded him of tabletop boards.

Here are some other fun tidbits from the interview:

  • Eight-year journey: Ros worked on Blue Prince for more than eight years before pitching it.
  • Smart pitch: He waited until a playable build existed, then emailed publishers with a few eye-catching key arts and a download link. Raw Fury bit.
  • Creative mash-up: Ros blended mechanics from many sources and urges fellow indies to take bold risks.
  • Indie golden age: He believes we’re living in a golden era for indie games and hopes AAA fans will jump in.
  • Marketing by proxy: Ros only learned about Steam Next Fest from his publisher—he focused on design, while Raw Fury handled metrics and marketing.
  • Demo wins: Public testing revealed sneaky bugs that internal QA missed.
  • Accessibility & reach: He sees Game Pass and PlayStation Plus as vital ways to lower barriers. 

With glowing reviews and legions of fans now flocking to Blue Prince, Ros’s board-game-meets-roguelike fusion is proof that fresh ideas—and a little persistence—can pay off big.

Main image: steampowered.com

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