Astro Bot enthusiasts are already familiar with the creation story behind the sponge power-up, but did you know that the developers at Team Asobi also experimented with even more eccentric concepts, such as a coffee grinder or roulette wheel?
This revelation came during IGN’s coverage of GDC 2025, where Team Asobi's studio director, Nicolas Doucet, presented a talk titled, "The Making of 'ASTRO BOT'." During his session, Doucet delved into the game's development process, showcasing numerous early prototype images and discarded content.
Doucet kicked off his discussion by recalling the initial pitch for Astro Bot, which was crafted in May 2021, shortly after Team Asobi began its prototyping journey. He mentioned that there were 23 iterations of the pitch before it reached top management. Interestingly, the pitch was first presented as an adorable comic strip highlighting the core features of the game. Unsurprisingly, it proved successful.
A slide from Nicolas Doucet’s GDC presentation showing a comic strip explanation of the game’s pitch.
Next, Doucet outlined how the team brainstormed ideas. Unsurprisingly, it involved plenty of group brainstorming sessions, but Team Asobi took it a step further by forming smaller teams of 5-6 members from diverse disciplines. Each participant contributed ideas via sticky notes, resulting in an impressive array of brainstorming visuals.
A slide displaying the sticky note brainstorming results from Team Asobi’s talk.
Not all ideas made it past the brainstorming stage, though. Only about 10% of the concepts were prototyped. Despite this, Doucet emphasized that the sheer volume of prototyping was significant. He highlighted how encouraging experimentation across departments led to innovative ideas, even beyond traditional game design. For instance, audio designers created a theater within Astro Bot to prototype haptic feedback tied to sound effects.
Prototyping played a crucial role in the development of Astro Bot. Doucet noted that a few programmers were specifically tasked with exploring non-platforming-related ideas. This led to the creation of the sponge mechanic, which utilized the adaptive trigger to squeeze water out—a fun addition that made the final cut.
A slide illustrating the sponge prototype alongside concept art of Astro Bot in sponge form.
Doucet shared additional prototypes that never made it into the game, including a tennis-like activity, a wind-up toy, a roulette wheel, and a coffee grinder. He also discussed how levels were tailored to highlight unique mechanics, ensuring no two levels felt repetitive.
Later in the talk, Doucet addressed the decision to cut certain levels, such as one featuring bird flights, which was shelved due to similarities with the Go-Go Archipelago level. Ultimately, the team prioritized diversity over repetition.
A slide showing a cut level alongside two implemented ones.
Finally, Doucet wrapped up by revealing details about the game's emotional final scene. Originally, players were tasked with reconstructing a completely dismembered Astro Bot. However, this approach elicited negative reactions, prompting the team to revise the ending to its current form.
A clip from Doucet’s presentation showcasing the original ending of Astro Bot.
This talk provided fascinating insights into the creative process behind Astro Bot, a title IGN has praised, scoring it 9/10 in its review.
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