Naughty Bear is one of my favourite games ever made. The concept is unrivalled and so silly and adorable, as well as brutal and psychotic. My love for the games led me to Dave Richards, Game Designer for the first game and then Lead Game Designer for the follow up, Panic in Paradise. It was truly an honour to speak with him, and to receive answers to some of the questions that had been pressing their grizzly paws unbearably into my fuzzy moustache for years.

Hi Dave, thanks for your time.

Where did the idea of Naughty Bear come from? What inspirations did you draw from?

At the time we made Naughty Bear we were playing around with different concepts of horror games. The whole team are passionate about the horror genre from books to movies and more. A week before the holidays when the team were getting ready for well deserved break, we decided to have fun with our game prototype and change all characters for bears. It was hilarious. We fell in love with the clash of horror and cuteness and decided to make a full game out of it.

The special kills can be incredibly gruesome, and an integral part of the game, did you end up not using any of the kills or kill-phrases? If so what were they?

When we get in production on an animation we have to make sure we’ll use it. These things are expensive and take time to build. Some ideas we got out of our brainstorm session did not make it into the game because they were too complex to create in our schedule restriction. I can’t reveal anything that did not go in the game.

Why did you decide for the art style to be the way it was?

The inspiration was a mix of north American and English (UK) kids show. Most of us grew up in the 80’s and were attached to this style. It was important that the juxtaposition between horror and adorable cuteness was as strong as possible.

What made you decide to create a sequel?

As you might imagine, it’s not as simple as deciding to do a sequel but if it was only up to us we would still be making Naughty Bear games. We are attached to the characters and wanted to continue growing the Naughty bear universe and make people laugh.

What were the reasons behind the decision to not include multiplayer in Panic in Paradise?

Multiplayer is a game by itself and takes a toll on the team, budget and schedule. We decided to completely focus on the single player experience, the core of the game for this title.

Is there any chance of a third game, even as a crowdfunded project?

Never know what the future holds!

My hopes are high for a third Naughty Bear game, and I’d have to get my paws on a current-generation console if one was announced. The wait has been unbearable, but the original two have a hell of a lot of replay-ability through their trophies, countless assassinations and unlockable outfits. If you’re rich and reading this, start a kickstarter!

Behaviour have recently released a new game titled Dead by Daylight, be sure to check it out!

You can read my Naughty Bear review here and my Naughty Bear: Panic in Paradise review here.