Meet the tribe behind the Tribe

Welcome, Wanderers.

Over the coming months we'll be posting about the things that have eaten our years. Before any of that, it seems only fair to introduce the shamans most responsible for the ritual.

We're Bad Cog, a studio founded by a programmer, a professor and a professor turned programmer. Yes, the core team consists of only three people who've spent an unreasonable number of years quietly making It Takes a Tribe. We share among ourselves 2 PhDs, 5 children and an unhealthy number of tribal masks.

Blaž – Game design & art direction

Steam post image

Responsible for the way the game works and feels. He designs the rules of the game and the simulation, shapes the visual feel of the world, and has been overcomplicating systems since his first interaction with a system. A university psychology professor who can explain, usually at length and with footnotes, how the simplest of rules, set against one another, conspire into behaviour that nobody explicitly wrote. He has been thinking about making this game for the better part of his adult life. He insists that this is dedication, not a diagnosis.

Norman – Systems implementation & lore

Builder of systems, keeper of lore, architect of spiritual weirdness. Responsible for much of the game’s simulation logic, mythology and interconnected systems, as well as the kind of conversations that begin with prehistoric migration patterns and somehow end in metaphysics of cosmic horror. Myths and algorithms are the same to him, as he finds beauty in both complex systems and engaging narratives. He really sucks at visuals, though.

Alan – Graphics, engine & UX/UI

The man who hauls the game's deep and intricate simulation up into the daylight. All that quietly beautiful machinery, assuming you're the sort inclined to find machinery beautiful, he converts for everyone else into a world you can see, a camera you can move and controls that don't fight you. He also keeps three stubborn people roughly aligned, which is its own kind of engineering and just might be the main reason why he’s the designated team grump. A title he wears more as a medal than a complaint.

Together, we’re building a world where survival is fleeting, nature is indifferent and the stories your tribe leaves behind may matter more than the tribe itself.

Thanks for being here this early. There’s a lot more to show soon. If you want to follow our journey (and make our team grump smile), please consider Wishlisting It Takes a Tribe and hitting the Follow button.