Exclusive - Croak Interview with WoodRunner Games CEO Max Petroff | Secrets Revealed

I had the pleasure of asking CEO Max Petroff of WoodRunner Games a few questions ahead of the release of CROAK, a chaotic, fast‑paced platformer that uses a unique grappling toolset with the game set to launch later this year. I’d like to thank Max for taking the time to answer my questions.

CROAK Q&A With CEO Max Petroff of WoodRunner Games 

What inspired the core concept of Croak, particularly the idea of a Frog Prince using a tongue grapple mechanic to navigate the shifting environments?

We wanted to have a fresh take on a fast-paced precision platformer, and after many prototypes, the grapple hook mixed with a bonk to gain height really excited us. At the time, our main character was a cute duckling, but once we found our core gameplay mechanic, and since we love animals, we thought it was fun and clever to use a gluttonous frog’s tongue as a grapple hook. As for the prince, it was a way to build a world players would already be familiar with, making it easier to get into.

The hand-drawn frame-by-frame animations are stunning and reminiscent of Cuphead. How did you bring on artists with experience from Cuphead and Rick and Morty, and what challenges came with traditional animation in a fast-paced platformer?

We started with a prototype using hand-drawn animation to showcase our idea, along with character concept art. Then we were lucky enough that Tina Nawrocki loved the character design and wanted to join the project. After that, we wanted to find a background art style that would really make the animation stand out, and we thought a Rick and Morty-style approach would work well.

The challenge with traditional animation in a precision platformer is finding the right balance between fluid, smooth movement and gameplay precision. Also, it’s super important to iterate in rough animation before doing cleanup and coloration.

Boss fights seem like a highlight, with over-the-top, goofy encounters. What goes into designing these chaotic battles, and which boss in the demo, or full game are you most proud of?

We know boss fights aren’t typical in a precision platformer, but our team really enjoys them, so we tried to find a way to make them work in a one-hit-death type of game. We ended up liking the idea of having 2 phases or around 5 hits, but some fights might have surprises later in the game.

Right now, I’d say the Bat Boss is my favorite because of its simplicity, but I feel like the Chicken Boss will beat it once it’s finished. 

The demo has received Very Positive reviews 96% on Steam. What feedback from players has surprised you the most, and how will it influence the full release later this year?

It was truly amazing to see the response from players. We honestly didn’t expect such warm feedback. We were confident we were making something cool, but we weren’t ready for that much love.

It’s influencing the rest of production by giving us more confidence to create more content instead of constantly iterating on the same things. I think that will benefit both players and the studio in the end.

Croak features bite-sized levels with dynamic puzzles, mini-games, secrets, and achievements. How do you balance accessibility for casual players with the precision platforming mastery required for 100% completion?

The first thing we did was keep the controls very simple, it’s basically a 2-button game. To make sure the game stays accessible, we’re adding options like multiple jumps, level skip, less boss health, and so on.

It will impact achievements and future leaderboards, but the goal is to make sure no one gets stuck on a specific level or boss fight.

As founders of WoodRunner Games - Rob Marquis and Max Petroff, what led you to start the studio, and how has your background shaped Croak's development?

We didn’t have a background in game development, but we definitely had experience playing precision platformers, putting countless hours into games like Celeste, Super Meat Boy, and Super Mario Maker. At some point, instead of creating free levels in Mario Maker, we thought making our own game would be smarter.

We didn’t expect it to be that hard though haha.

Sound design and music play a big role in the bouncy, energetic feel. Can you share details on the soundtrack creation and how audio enhances the tongue mechanics and boss clashes?

Yeah, the audio and all the “juice” effects make a huge difference in how satisfying the gameplay feels. That’s why we have Jonathan, our in-house composer and sound designer.

I don’t know all the technical details, but having someone in-house is the best way for us to make sure everything blends well, because he’s constantly playtesting and has a strong understanding of the lore and the overall vision of Croak.

What were the biggest technical or creative challenges in implementing shifting environments and the pinball-style movement without compromising smooth gameplay?

I’d say the fast-paced aspect is the biggest challenge, especially keeping the puzzle side to a minimum. We want levels to be easy to understand at first glance, and the difficulty should come from playing, not from figuring out what to do.

Accessibility options like adjustable difficulty and controller support are highlighted. How important was inclusivity from the start, and are there more features planned for the full game?

It was something we had in mind from the start as a key pillar. We wanted to make a fast-paced and challenging game, but also one that more than just 12 people can actually finish.

We believe there should be a minimum level of challenge to feel rewarded, but it shouldn’t become frustrating or block players from finishing the game if certain parts aren’t their thing. Especially since our core mechanic is pretty simple, we push it in some crazy directions, so it might not click with everyone the same way.

Participating in events like gamescom 2024 and Steam Next Fest has built hype. How has community engagement shaped your marketing and demo rollout?

Gamescom was really cool, it was the first time we showed Croak to players in person and saw them try it live. It was also nice for some members of the team to enjoy the beautiful city of Köln.

That being said, releasing the demo on Steam and getting honest feedback from players has been the most impactful experience so far. We try to engage as much as possible through our Discord with an insider program. Every new mechanic or idea, we test it early and gather feedback.

We’re really lucky to have such a motivated and engaged community. You can even see it with our beloved “Larry Bird” that ended up getting cut haha.

We now have more than 1200 engaged members on Discord, and we honestly feel blessed to have them.

If you could pinpoint one 'eureka' moment in development - whether in art, mechanics, or level design - what was it, and how did it transform the game?

At first, we had the grapple hook and wall bounce to gain height, and that was already fun. But we felt like something was missing, like a bit more spice.

When we came up with the idea of launching the frog halfway across the screen by holding a single button, combined with the pinball recoil, that’s when we were like… wouaaaaaaaa haha and that’s when we knew we had something special.

For aspiring indie developers working on precision platformers, what advice would you give based on your journey with Croak?

I think finding your core mechanic and pairing it with a strong, eye-catching, charming character is something you should lock in early.

When your character design actually inspires the gameplay, that’s when you know you have something interesting. I personally put a lot of weight on player fantasy, like being a frog prince using your tongue to climb walls and smack beavers haha.

Also, I think exposing your game early to make sure you have an audience for it really helps with scoping, which is one of the hardest parts of game development imo.

 I'd like to once again thank Max for taking the time to answer my questions and we look forward to the games release later this year.

Max Petroff CEO of WoodRunner Games -