Video game creator Greg Lobanov left Philadelphia for Vancouver almost a decade ago, but the city's monumental sports culture never left him and that passion was used as inspiration on his latest project "Beastieball."
In the colorful role-playing adventure, the player recruits creatures called "Beasties" — including one modeled after Flyers mascot Gritty — and coaches them on a volleyball team. The game launched on Steam on Nov. 12 in early access, meaning it can be purchased and played even though it's still in development.
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Lobanov, who was born in the Philly area, started using GameMaker software at age 13. He studied digital media at Drexel University, learning skills in web development, 3D animation and video game development.
With GameMaker, Lobanov made role-playing and platformer titles that would be played by tens of thousands of people. GameMaker developer YoYo Games eventually worked with Lobanov directly during his first year at Drexel, leading to his first commercial video game "Pollushot" in 2011.
"That was a huge break for me," Lobanov said. "That paid for my rent for like a year or two."
Through college, Lobanov made and released games with varied success. He graduated in 2014 before deciding to move to Vancouver in 2015. While he had peers in Philly, he took an opportunity to live with friends he met online in what he called an "inflection point" in his early career.
"(They) were doing crazy stuff," Lobanov said of his former roommates, who were developing independent games that would go on to be critically acclaimed, such as "TowerFall" and "Night in the Woods." "And I was just interested in learning from them."
In Vancouver, Lobanov went on to make two games that would receive their own accolades: the musical fantasy adventure "Wandersong" in 2018 and the artistic and uplifting "Chicory: A Colorful Tale" in 2021.
How Philly's sports culture ties into the game
In "Beastieball," players recruit characters that are similar to Pokémon — each with their own traits, strengths and weaknesses — as they try to move up the ranks in the volleyball league.
Matches are turn-based, letting players choose strategic actions like passing, setting or spiking. The overall structure of the game is open-ended — players can choose to take on rivals in any order they wish. While the game can be beaten in 10 hours, many players take up to 25 hours to get the full experience.
Thematically, the game tells a story of the relationship between a city and its teams — something Lobanov reflected on while watching "Welcome to Wrexham," the sports documentary co-starring Philly native Rob McElhenney.
While Lobanov didn't religiously follow sports in his youth, he still considered it a part of his background growing up in Philly.
"In a lot of ways, you can say those teams are, at least in some sense, the story of the city," he said. "We see our rise and fall as a population tied to how the Eagles are doing. And when they're not doing well, we're not doing well. And that's baked in the story of the game, too."
He acknowledged the large economic impact that sports have on cities, mentioning how his game's stadium storyline coincidentally resembles Philly's ongoing saga over the proposed Sixers arena.
"It matters to people, and people get serious about it," Lobanov said.
As a bonus for players in Philly, there is a Beastie in the game named Mascurry that's inspired by Flyers mascot Gritty and designed by artist Tia Rohrer, a Royersford native.
"We put (Mascurry) in because I f------ love Gritty," Lobanov said. "I really wanted a goofy face, a funny, scary, loud, obnoxious type of guy. ... This Gritty-based version is more music and dance-oriented, so they make lots of musical effects on the field."
Reflecting on his roots
Though Lobanov has thrived in Vancouver, there are still aspects he misses about Philly.
"Vancouver is a very new city in the grand scheme of things," he said. "... There's not a lot of history or roots there, whereas, in Philadelphia, that's soaked into everything."
Lobanov describes Philly's game development community as going through a "roller coaster," but he admires the spirit that persists in the community.
"The vibe ... still feels really close to what I remember it being when I was here, which is more punk, more experimental, more hobbyist, which just means there's a lot more flavor," Lobanov said.
In comparison, the game industry in Vancouver is more commercial, which Lobanov said "changes how you do everything."
"I'm kind of part of that process now," he said. "I mean, obviously I'm making a career out of it, but I definitely miss some of the weird maker energy that Philadelphia is so infused with."
"Beastieball" is playable on PC and Mac. Those looking to try the game before buying it can download a free demo. Watch a trailer for "Beastieball" below.