At GameLab, we see many impressive indie projects. Only a small proportion make the transition from an academic product to the commercial market. Students Slava and Cezar (InHolland) have almost achieved that with their graduation project TaskFall. Supported by SqueezeCat Games, their journey at THUAS GameLab demonstrates what is possible with the right focus and commitment.
TaskFall is fundamentally a co-op 'friendslop' game. Players must work together to complete tasks in a deliberately chaotic game world. The gameplay relies heavily on communication, resilience under stress and the inevitable mistakes players make under pressure. A striking and humorous feature of the design is the prominent role of toilet paper, a detail that immediately sets the game's tone.
The concept can now also be explored beyond the lab: its official Steam page is live, offering a first look at the mechanics and art style.
Validation at INDIGO
An important development milestone was their presence at INDIGO, the central Dutch showcase event for game developers. This was both an opportunity to gather player feedback and a direct encounter with the market.
That approach worked. The game and the duo's presentation attracted attention from publishers and investors alike. Although industry interest is, of course, only the beginning of a potential next stage, it confirms that the game's foundations have commercial potential.
Focus and collaboration
Much of this project's success can be attributed to the team's dynamics. Slava and Cezar demonstrated strong commitment and teamwork throughout their graduation project. Game development projects of this scale often stall because of scope management or internal friction, but this team managed to stay on course.
There was also strong synergy within GameLab. Exchanging ideas with other students and lecturers, and drawing on SqueezeCat Games' expertise, allowed technical and production obstacles to be resolved quickly.
The next step
Their graduation project is now complete, but work on the game does not stop here. The foundations are in place, the industry is watching and the Steam page is now the starting point for building a community. We hope and expect that TaskFall will be developed further towards a full Steam release in the coming period.
You can already discover TaskFall and add it to your wishlist on its Steam page.