Hello everyone, I have returned with another great Kickstarter piece for you to read and enjoy. This Kickstarter has made me a bit more excited and invested because this is one of my former Co-workers’ first video games he is bringing into existence. Also, it brings me a bit of joy because I have got to witness some of the insights on the project and offer my help with some of the knowledge, I could provide that I have learned on my personal Kickstarter journey.

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17| Part 18

Dubbed Car Game, this project is a bit unique, offering its backers with both the chance to name the game and offering up votes to choose the one you enjoy the most. By doing this, I believe it really brings the community together to really be part of the project and further its appeal and fun factor. This will give a whole new layer of personal touch to the history of this indie game. Kickstarter Campaign Link.

Now let’s talk about Carrigan. Carrigan worked with me in the past and was a great addition to our team. We had many talks at breaktime and Lunch about his passion for games and the thought of creating gaming experiences. This is when he started his journey into the indie game realm. I think both of us fed off each other’s ideas, game goals, and future aspirations and propelled it into this upcoming reality. I am so excited to have been a part of what Carrigan is helping to create and I can’t wait to see how the game campaign does and where his company takes him. I hope his dreams of making games come true and that I will somehow be a part of it all in some form or fashion.

The Game:

So, let’s talk about the game Carrigan and Thawed Codebase are creating. Car game has a very interesting spin on it where you can shift its perspective. You can have first-person, third person, and a top-down perspective to play the game. I have seen the gameplay and am excited for the car mechanics and rouge-like gameplay it offers. I am also looking forward to the battles against beach balls and hubcap jellies.

The story follows Vince Lomarti a detective who was investigating a criminal organization. This same criminal organization caused an accident that took the life of his wife. He is now seeking his own justice against the mob by trying to take them down. Will he find what he is looking for?

Some math for you by upgrading your weapons, vehicle, and engine.

Horsepower = Damage

Torque = Penetration and AOE

RPM = Rate of fire

Vehicle Speed = Projectile speed

Gear = Multi-shot chance

Also, the ability to drive and engage with your vehicle gives you plenty of options. Learn automatic to give you a more laid-back approach to combat and driving. In manual you can select sequential, direct gear, or mouse shifting which can be very fun for those who enjoy physically shifting. How will you approach the game?  

The game also has a lot of fictitious brand names for vehicles form various countries such the United States, Germany, and Japan. Names like Kaiser and Taiyo are a few examples and each type of car has its strengths and weaknesses. This difference will come into play as you progress through the stages. Speaking of stages, these stages are 80’s vaporwave inspired and I cannot wait to test my driving skills while experiencing the vibe.   

As always before we dive into the Interview, if you have not read my series before and want to check them out, please feel free to go back to the beginning and read through my series. Also, I have more to come this year and hopefully beyond.

Interview:

Who are you and what role do you play in your company?

I’m Carrigan Werner, the owner of Bubbynug. My primary roles are Creative Director, Executive Producer and play tester.

Tell us about Bubbynug and its history.

I love video games and the unique experiences that they can create. Late 2025 I created Bubbynug to fund the development of all kinds of games I want to bring to life. Three years ago, I started meticulously saving money for this exact reason. As of now, I have spent everything I had saved (~$50,000) and then some, on the development of Car Game. I could have bought a new car with that money, but I spent it on a dream, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

I have in 4 pillars in mind that will guide Bubbynug’s design philosophy.

1. . No political preaching: I want to make games not propaganda.
2. . Unique experiences: If I am going to make something, I will always try to make it something special and truly unique.
3. . Affordable: I am interested in having more people play my games rather than making as much money as possible. I am creating these games, these experiences, because I want you to enjoy them and to see how you play them. I will make sure each game is worth the money and doesn’t hurt to buy.
4. . Help other Indies: When I finish a game, I want to release some assets as free to use for other indie developers to use. Making games is difficult, time-consuming, and expensive. If I can ease that burden for other indie devs by giving away free assets, I absolutely will. Indie is the future.

Is this your first Kickstarter project?

It is, and I am excited to see how it goes. As somebody who has seen many scams on crowdfunding sites over the years, I have done as much as I can to really show people that this is real, and I am committed to it. Even if this campaign fails, I won’t give up on this game. Down, but not out.

What do you like about Kickstarter?

The fact that you will be creating a community of people who are truly interested in your idea and want it to succeed. If they didn’t care, they wouldn’t have backed the project. I want a community that cares, a community that pushes me to do better, and a community that truly loves video games and what they can do. I think Kickstarter is a fantastic way to build that.

How was your game conceptualized and what inspired it?

Vampire Survivors and the genre it popularized is the largest inspiration. I love the simplistic complexity of the Action Rogue like Bullet Heaven genre. I have played many of the games in this genre such as: Rogue: Genesia, Soulstone Survivors, Halls of Torment, MegaBonk, Death Must Die and 20 Minutes till Dawn. I noticed they all had very similar movement mechanics.

So, then I asked myself, if I were to make my own game, what would I do to remedy this. That’s when the idea of making the player a car came to mind. But how can we go beyond that, just making you drive instead of walking isn’t enough. How can we leverage the fact the player is in a car in a more dynamic way. That’s when I came up with the core idea of using the car’s engine as a tool that will not only affect how you drive but affect how your weapons function by using their real time stats. Things like the horsepower being tired of your damage, torque determining your bullets penetration and explosion AOE’s, RPM being your fire rate bonus, and more. Once I had all of these figured out, I knew it was too cool of an idea not to peruse. That’s where Car Game was born.

Who or what drives your motivation behind these projects?

Being able to create something out of nothing, then develop it for other people to enjoy, is one of the coolest things in the world to me. It’s simple, I just want to make cool experiences for people to enjoy.

What inspires you in your career and personal life within the gaming industry?

I grew up in the golden age of games, playing games like Halo, Age of Empires 1 and 2, Diablo 1 and 2, Rome: Total War, Medieval ll: Total War, Gears or War, BioShock, Call of Duty: World at War, Battlefield 3, World of Warcraft, Warcraft III, Runescape and many more. I got to experience the games that were revolutionary, genre defining, and truly inspired. I’ve seen what games can be at their best, and how the AAA studios that made them have fallen. I want to do my part in bringing those incredible and memorable experiences back for people to enjoy.

Any advice for people thinking about starting a Kickstarter campaign?

I haven’t succeeded yet, so take my advice with a grain of salt. But I would say to do more rather than less. If people see you go above and beyond, that will only help their perception of you and your campaign.

Where can people reach out to you?

Keep an eye on the socials, we will be voting on some cool aspects of the game, including the game’s final name using these.

Email: Bubbynug@hotmail.com

Twitter / X:  @BubbynugLLC

Bluesky: @bubbynug.bsky.social

Discord and Steam pages are coming soon.

Bonus question: What are your favorite video game franchises? How do you know Shane and what dream car could you see him driving to synth wave music?

Halo was probably the most influential game I played. Growing up as Halo was in its prime, and to experience one of the greatest video game trilogies was huge. Nothing else compares.

I used to work with Shane! When I found out he wrote articles about, and loved to back Kickstarters, I knew I needed to get some of his feedback. He has been a great help in getting the Kickstarter to the point where it is now. We spent more time at work talking about the Kickstarter than we probably should have, but it was worth it.

For the car, I see him in a Nissan 300ZX, windows down, sunglasses on, while the music plays. An incredible vibe.

Thank You!

It is always a pleasure to work with someone who has passion and drive and when you combine it with your pastimes and hobbies the potential for success is high. I want to personally thank Carrigan for trusting in me for advice and for taking the time to respond to the interview questions with great advice and positivity. I appreciate you Carrigan and wish you the best and a successful Kickstarter campaign. If you ever need assistance don’t hesitate to call, I would love a spot on the Bubbynug team!

Once again, I personally want to one day take part in a Kickstarter campaign to see for myself the challenging work that goes into the whole ordeal. I will continue my Kickstarter journey, so please check out my past series and if you have a campaign that you would like me to interview you on or check out, please let me know. Contact and reach out to (Stillsaneshane) on X or Bluesky.  I would love to hear from you. Also, you can now go to my website at Stillsaneshane.com.  Remember to keep making and backing those amazing projects! Journey on.

Featured Image: Kickstarter.com

Additional Pictures: Provided by Author and Bubbynug