"We all met by doing improv comedy" – The Los Angeles indie studio making a comedy game in one of the most expensive places for game dev in the world

Mad Herons, a new indie studio in Los Angeles, is developing a comedy-focused game called Send In The Clown. The studio's founders include Nick Park, a former SpaceX engineer and Nvidia employee, Jacques Mouledoux, a TV writer and contributor to Hard Drive, and Karen Park, a veteran of the LA improv comedy scene and former professor. The trio aims to create a one-hour long game about a clown saving a 12-year-old's disastrous birthday party.

The founders discuss what makes for a good comedy game, with Jacques Mouledoux emphasizing that comedy should be woven throughout every element of the game, allowing players to be funny themselves. Nick Park adds that successful comedy games, like Portal, Untitled Goose Game, and Psychonauts, have comedy woven into every aspect of the game, from mechanics to characters.

The founders also discuss the challenges of making a short game, with Jacques Mouledoux stating that it's about respecting the player's time. Nick Park agrees, stating that they wanted to give players the best version of their stupid ideas and gags in a single, one-hourish game. They discuss their strategy of bootstrapping the studio and staying self-funded, with Nick Park emphasizing the importance of sustainability and not chasing rapid growth.

They also mention that being first-time developers without an existing audience makes them a risky investment, but being fortunate enough to have savings and other investments allows them to take risks and stay small.