See if you have what it takes to run the galaxy’s most hectic gas station! From pumping gas to cleaning the glorp room, every wacky, time-based minigame presents a distinct challenge to keep customers happy and the station running smoothly. Upgrade your services, keep competitors at bay, and try to claim control of Route 66 Million. Enjoy this hilariously frantic experience solo or with a friend in couch co-op play.
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That's right folks! After many years of development the game is finally out. We thank you for all your patience and feedback as we worked tirelessly to make the best game we could for you. We hope that it is everything that you always wanted out of an interstellar gas station management game.
Make sure you come check out our Discord to say hi, swap scores, or report any bugs that escaped our zapper. And take a look at our Twitter if you want the freshest space janitor memes this side of the Milky Way.
Now what are you doing here reading this? Go and play it! Right now! That glorp room won't magically clean itself.
Cosmo's Weekly Update #26
We got a long one today! Read on as the team reminisce on some of their favorite parts of working on the game. And don't forgot COSMO'S QUICKSTOP OUT AUGUST 18th!!!!
Bryan - Making all of the game’s art has been a challenging experience, but I learned so much more than I have in all my years as a hobbyist and a student. Developing Cosmo’s has somehow felt like both the fastest and the longest 5 years of my life. It seems like just yesterday we were prototyping our first demo, but thinking about all the long hours we worked to achieve this, it has certainly been a long time.
One of my favorite things about working with this team is the freedom I’ve had to go wild with whatever silly ideas I come up with. Stuff like the fish tank in Morvin’s room or the credits at the end of the game were so fun to work on because I could explore whatever ideas I wanted without worrying about the rules of the game world. If I wanted to put a tiny astronaut in the fish tank or have a cat floating around in outer space, I could do that.
I also really enjoyed seeing people play the game at conventions. After working a long time on something like this, it’s so satisfying to see other people playing it and having fun. While conventions are super exhausting, the energy at events like these is also invigorating. Plus talking and laughing with fans and other devs is the best!
Lauren - Wow, what an incredible alien whirlwind journey the past two years have been! I got the opportunity to be part of a fantastic team of creative devs, join the development meetings, social network at one of London's biggest conventions, and take a little Cosmo on a road trip to the human world of Buckingham Palace.
It's been a phenomenal experience seeing how much love and heart the team has put into Cosmo's week after week, and a little place in my heart has grown very fond of a little alien with a red jumpsuit named Morvin. I'm so happy that I could grow and build the community around the world of Cosmo's Quickstop! Thank you for being on this trip to outer space with us, and we will see you at a familiar gas station next week.
Erin - Holy moly! Can’t believe the game’s finally coming out next week! I think part of what took this game a long time to come out is that we all kept having good ideas on how to make the world better, bigger, and funnier. The fact that it’s set in space, in a wacky environment really let us play with what could be possible in a place like this. This made animating a lot of fun, especially compared to working in mocap!
I have a few favorite animations I did for Cosmo’s. First, Morv-0’s entrance to the station every day. So many people commented that it felt so smoooooth. Some animations come easily, and some need a lot of elbow grease, but I remember this one coming together unnaturally quickly (which, of course, makes me like it more!).
I also loved how the animation of Morvin petting the cat turned out. The inspiration, of course, was our own cats! They always know when they’re about to get pets with little finger wiggles like Morvin does in this gif.
I also have to give an honorable mention to Puppet Cosmo, who we really should have used more in marketing, but that’s OK. I made him myself in September 2019. You can see more of how I made him here: https://imgur.com/gallery/NrSxBuH. Behind the scenes, he’s been a guest star at a few holidays, parties, and late night dance sessions.
Ian - I honestly still can’t believe we are launching NEXT WEEK! It has been a very long journey to get to this point for everyone involved. I still remember playing our very first build, made October 6th 2016. It was rough around the edges, the minigames were a lot more obtuse, and the art was basically non-existent. But when you could get through all of its ugliness you could have a lot of fun playing it, which is truly what captured our hearts. Playing the game now fills my heart with joy and pride, especially since the core of original fun is still there. It just happens to now be surrounded by amazing art, good game design, and systems that guide the player through all that can be experienced.
I don’t have a ton to showcase visually because these days I’m a programmer not an artist, so I figured I would show off my two favorite bugs from the game.
Here is one I title Soul Leaving Body. This bug came around from how we handle aliens getting electro shocked in game. We flash on and off a “skeleton” version of them to play up the classic cartoony shock gag. In this instance, the animation was not set up correctly and translated up on every repeat, creating this delightful bug.
This one I title Jurassic Quickstop. To me, these little weird bug folks look like little dinosaurs wandering around the quickstop. All I can think about is “Dun-na-na na na” (insert bad theme song singing). This bug came from having the wrong export ratio on the Shoobies walk cycles. You can see them pop into their correct size when they are not walking and then back to dinosaur mode when they start again.
And that is that! This is the last update before the game comes out, which is a crazy thing to say. Please send all your good luck our way so we can have the best launch possible. We are so excited to share our game with the world!
Cosmo's Weekly Update #25
In case you didn't see our previous post, the game is coming out August 18th! That is very soon! Crazy to think to after 5 years you are going to be able to just get it from Steam and play! We are super excited about getting the game in your hands and we hope you are, too! Okay, sorry for interrupting, back to the normal work blurbs.
Bryan - Even MORE testing this week as we make sure every little thing in the game is working. Besides that, I’ve been livening up the aquarium in Morvin’s room. I want each critter to have a few different animations to keep the tank interesting every day. Here’s our aquatic astronaut friend doing some chores around the space capsule.
Lauren - This week has been crazy busy but in a good way! We got to announce the release date, and I got to talk to so many people on Twitter, Reddit and Tiktok about Cosmos! Two weeks away, and we couldn't be more excited! Bring it on!
Ian - This week has obviously been a whirlwind with our launch news, doing streams with Lenovo, lots of meetings, and just general "we only have two weeks left until the game is out" craziness. Our current goal is to be 100% content complete by early next week. That would give us a full week of pure testing and bug fixing which should be plenty of time considering how solid the current state of the game. One of the last chunks of content getting implemented are the video clips on Morvin's TV. Most days you will be able to turn on the telly and watch a couple things from a variety of different sources. Fun!
Erin - We’re coming close to content complete over here! I’ve been wrapping up lots of odds and ends on my task list this week. Specifically, I’ve been finishing up content for Morvin’s TV, which includes commercials, the weather, winning lotto numbers, and QVS ads (see below!). None of these are relevant to gameplay, but hopefully will add a bit of worldbuilding and fun in between your stressful days in the Quickstop!
And that is a wrap for this week. Once again, the game is coming out AUGUST 18TH!!!! GAHHH THIS IS CRAZY. If you want to help get the word out we would greatly appreciate it! Tweet, post on Facebook, talk on our discord, even just tell a friend (or a stranger, I guess) about the game!
IT'S HAPPENING! Cosmo's Quickstop out August 18th!
BUCKLE UP, SPACE FOLKS!
COSMO'S QUICKSTOP IS OUT AUGUST 18TH!
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It's been nearly 5 years since we started working on Cosmo's Quickstop...
In the beginning, we were happy with our little score attack game - it was fun, quirky, and often-times stressful (but in a good way!). We were so happy with it that we started showing it at conventions in the summer of 2017, starting with Vector, Indy PopCon, and PAX West. And it was a good thing we started sharing our tiny game because everyone who played it had great ideas on how to improve and expand on it! Cosmo's Quickstop would not be what it is today without that valuable early input.
After that, our new trajectory became a lengthy campaign mode that would introduce new amenities over time, slowly adding up to a frantic juggling act. We developed a fun progression that includes new alien customer introductions and occasional bosses, both of which are a twist on the normal gameplay. We also introduced a storyline to guide you through all this craziness - basically, a rival gas station moves in nearby and you'll have to deal with the owner's constant meddling in the Quickstop. All in all, the campaign is about 8-10 hours long! You'll be able to play through this in either single-player or split screen co-op (which works with Steam's Remote Play!). We also included modes that can make it very easy or very challenging, which you can change at any time during the campaign. Our team has been playtesting this nearly nonstop over the last few weeks and we're *still* having fun playing it (even after 5 years!). You're going to love it!
The most recent addition to the game is a challenge mode. If you've played Overcooked, you'll recognize the format of this part! Basically, we designed some levels for you that we found particularly fun and difficult. Based on how much money or combos you earn in each of these levels, you'll be given 1, 2, or 3 stars. To gain access to more levels, you'll need to earn a certain amount of stars to unlock them. As the name says, these are CHALLENGING! But in a good way!
I just want to take a moment now to say thank you to everyone who's supported us throughout these past 5 years. And if you're reading this far, this means you! Every little bit of attention, big or small, was meaningful to our tiny little team. We hope you enjoy what we've created.
<3
Cosmo's Weekly Update #24
Bryan - This week I’ve been playing through the whole game… a lot. Actually, all of us are. Trying to test all the game’s features to make sure they work takes a lot of time, but it’s obviously an important step as we get close to release. However, I still find little bits to polish and places to add final details. Today I put in some props to accompany an unwell Cosmo who can’t help Morvin due to a surprise flare-up of “space rickets.” I hope he’s not faking it to get out of work!
Lauren - This week I’ve been reaching out to the community and expanding our Twitter following, recording content from the full game for our Tiktok, setting up some future collaborations with some awesome streamers and playtesting Cosmo’s Quickstop. This week has been an utter blast! It’s so fun playing through the campaign and seeing how much has been added over the years. I’m having the time of my life! :)
Erin - TESTING, ALWAYS BE TESTING!
Ian - Big surprise, I've been doing a lot of testing too! However, most of my time is spent fixing all the bugs all these other testers find. A lot of these bugs are very quick things here and there and don't even make it to our "main" bug list. The nastier ones stick around longer but we have had success crushing them due to the fact that all of the playtesters are now recording their screens during play. Here is a list of bugs I fixed just in the past couple days.
One last thing! If you've been waiting for a sign to give our demo a try, this is it! For very exciting, top secret reasons, we're going to have to take the demo down from Steam on Sunday evening. That means there's just a few days left to beat your high score (and don't forget to share it with our community on Discord!)
Don't worry though! You won't be deprived of Cosmo's Quickstop fun times for long, I promise. Make sure you keep your eyes and ears out for all sorts of Cosmo's Quickstop news coming your way soon.
Cosmo's Weekly Update #23
Erin - Things are heating up! Lots and lots of long days and nights here these past few weeks. We’re playing the game over and over to find bugs and make the balance perfect. Other than that, I found a little bit of time this week to work on vocalizations for customer emotes! I don’t think you can upload things with audio into the Steam news section, but you need to trust me here - it sounds super cute!
Lauren - This week, I hung out with the community in Discord, reached out to content creators, and watched streamers playing our demo for the first time. When I wasn't doing that, I was networking Cosmos on all socials and giving out all the space pizza.
Bryan - Amidst lots of bug testing and UI polish, I found a little time to make some Cosmo’s propaganda posters. A nice variety of these will decorate the Quickstop when Cosmo needs to make a good impression on a very special visitor.
Ian - Over here it has been a whirlwind of meetings, emails, and strategy conversations for upcoming things I can't talk about yet! In-between that I have been trying to stay on top of all the bugs playtesters are finding and add in as much polish as I can. One polish element that made it in the game this week was a photosensitivity warning. Cosmo's Quickstop has a ton of quickly moving cameras in it, and while we don't have some of the more typical flashing patterns that often can cause issues, we don't want to take any chances with anyone's health!
Hope you enjoyed that! We have some super duper exciting stuff coming soon so make sure you keep an eye out for any Cosmo related news!
Cosmo's Weekly Update #22
Bryan - This week I’ve been putting final touches on many of the game’s user interfaces to make them more uniform to navigate and more fun to look at. For example, we want the achievement of unlocking new challenges to feel like an important and special event, so I added some effects and animation to spice it up.
Ian - This week has been bug fixing and task finishing galore as we prepare for another (small)round of external testing. I have started making daily builds of the game because things are updating and getting fixed so quickly! While I have been working a lot of long days, it honestly feels really good because so much is getting done so quickly. Here is a little task that got wrapped up this week, Cosmo's words of wisdom. You can now talk to Cosmo while you are in Morvin's room, and boy does he have a lot to say!
Lauren - This week has been all about posting lots of exciting game progress reports, in-game gifs and interacting with our community which has been so fun. We are getting so close now! I can almost taste it!
And that wraps up this week. We have some real exciting news that will be coming your way soon, so keep your eyes and ears ready for anything Cosmo's Quickstop related coming your way.
Cosmo's Weekly Update #21
Bryan - This week we’ve been doing more challenge day testing and design tweaks. As we wrap this mode up, I’ve been finalizing their descriptions, icons and titles. I’ve been making custom loading screens for these as well, which give players small hints about how to get the highest scores possible. I’ve also added yet another critter to Cosmo’s aquarium. This time it’s a derpy little space snail! Here’s a preview of it running at full speed. So fast!
Lauren - This week I've been talking to a bunch of streamers about playing our demo next week on Twitch, and I've got to post lots of exciting news about complete game progress. We have come so far! Additionally, I've been hanging out in our Discord. I also set sail with more Cosmo gifs to the world of Reddit. It's been super fun discovering so many new communities there.
Ian - Things have been going full throttle over in my world. I have been bouncing around between a plethora of meetings, bug fixing, ui redesign, testing multiplayer challenges, tweaking single player challenge progression, and finishing some some long standing design issues. It has been a very productive week! Challenge mode has definitely been the highlight of the last few days. I am having so much fun playing and designing this stuff that it's like I'm not even working. Sometimes it evens surprises me that after almost 5 years of working on Cosmo's it still has the ability to have me laughing or yelling. Here is a little sneak peak at some of the Challenge levels. The UI isn't finished and we still need a lot of text, but don't worry about that!
That wraps up this week's edition of the Cosmo's Quickstop Weekly Update! Keep an eye out next week for more exciting news.
Cosmo's Weekly Update #20
Bryan - This week I’ve been vigorously testing our challenge modes to figure out what sort of high scores are achievable and how to rank their difficulties. Some of the challenges involve some really crazy setups that players wouldn’t normally encounter during the campaign. This gives plenty of opportunities for more playability even after the main game has been completed. Here’s a screenshot of one of the more hectic challenges. There’s a lot going on here!
Lauren - This week has been super exciting because I got to mention on social media that we've finished a lot of the animations for the full game! I did show off some cheeky animations on Tiktok and our Instagram, and I've got a few videos already queued for next week! Bring on the fun! 🎉
Ian - Had all of my family visiting this week, so I didn't quite get as much done as I normally do. The time I was able to work was spent on a mixture of wrapping up challenge mode progression, fixing random bugs, and organizing some non game dev stuff to make sure we have a super productive July! Here is a little gif of a bug I fixed.
Lots of exciting internal stuff going on we can't talk about yet, but you will be hearing some pretty cool stuff soon!
Cosmo's Weekly Update #19
Bryan - This week I’ve been recording footage for a series of videos that will play on the TV in Morvin’s room. These shows, commercials and announcements will add some more flavor to the Cosmo’s Quickstop universe and give players another fun thing to do between each round. Here’s a sneak peak at one of them. What could this be for?
Lauren - This week I’ve been focusing on Reddit engagement and posting some of our best gifs that show off the game. I’ve also been recording in-game footage for next week’s Instagram and Tiktok videos, this will include some challenges and a look at multiplayer as requested by our followers.
Ian - It's challenge mode week for me! This game mode focuses on some of the hardest and most unique days you can play in the world of Cosmo's Quickstop. Most of my time is focused on the design of these challenges, starting with a batch of days created by Bryan. It is a great break from my programming duties these past couple weeks because I can finally stop thinking about menus! Playing this mode is also a great way to stress test the game, especially end game content that doesn't get as much testing in the campaign.
And there you have it! Hope you are excited for all the new things coming to Cosmo's Quickstop!
