Update log
Full HoverGrease 2 update
The complete published notes, normalized for clean reading and source attribution.
Extracted changes
- Gameplay
- Performance
- UI and audio
- Maps
As the new year started and our launch date draws near, we find ourselves reflecting on the long and winding road that brought us here. It’s been six years since HoverGrease began as a spark of inspiration, a wild idea born from an image, and what a journey it has been! From humble beginnings, through heartbreak, to an incredible rebirth, this is the development story of HoverGrease 2 (so far).
2018: From a Quirky "Sexy Frog Lady" Concept to a Passion Project and Beyond
It all began in 2018, with a single render titled "Sexy Frog Lady".
HoverGrease didn’t start as a game, it started as a weekend fooling around, working on a new 3D character — an unconventional character design, inspired by cartoons and films from the 80s and 90s, such as Biker Mice, TMNT, Space Ghost, Planet of the Apes, Street Sharks, etc.
There was no game plan, no big vision. Just a desire to create something fun and visually distinct!
Looking back, that single image became the seed for everything that followed. It was the start of a concept for a world we couldn’t help but want to explore.
The Wonky Beginnings: Early Prototypes
The first prototype of HoverGrease was a top-down arena shooter that ran in a web browser. It was simple and scrappy. Players would pick up weapons, blast enemies, and try to survive as long as possible.
It wasn’t much, but it was the foundation. In a way, that first prototype was like a reimagination of Quake, mirroring those rocket launcher deathmatches, but in a top-down format.
Some of the code for the in-browser logic was used later on 2 of our special events builds: the Reindeer Squabble (Chirsmass Special version of HoverGrease where you play with reindeer shooting snowballs) and the Cyber Lounge web-space (that won an FWA Award).
It was around this time that Alexandra started working on the project too, leaving me more time to focus on the code.
Alexandra didn’t just bring talent, she brought vision. Kimmy got her iconic orange pants, and we added custom animations, which made everything feel alive for the first time.
She also came up with the name: "HOVER", inspired by a backstory of Dr. Hover, the scientist responsible for the first animal-human mutations, and "GREASE", the Global Regulatory Entity Against Species Entanglement.
The two words, and the sound of them together, felt like it perfectly captured the identity of our project: a mix of futuristing elements with a cheesy-glossy art direction — HoverGrease.
December 2018: The First Playthrough
Just before Christmas, on December 17th 2018, we released the first-ever open build of HoverGrease. It was rough around the edges, but full of potential, gathering thousands of downloads in a few days.
Back then, it was a simple 5v5 top-down arena brawler.
5 mutants were available: Kimmy Frog, Johnny Cockhead, Foxy, Labrat Perry, and Piggy.
Weapons weren’t tied to heroes — you picked them up from the ground.
And there was just 1 map: Skyrise.
The industrial-cyberpunk aesthetic began to shine through. Red and blue neon, greasy metal — HoverGrease was starting to find its identity.
2019: Alpha 6 Brings Major Gameplay Changes
Alpha 6 (HoverGrease 0.6) marked a turning point in development. It introduced key gameplay mechanics that made HoverGrease stand out:
Mutants were no longer just picking up weapons.
Round-based system with credits to buy weapons, allowing players to "build" their mutants.
Source