"Visibility Matters" - Interview with Astro Burn Creator HaZ Dullul

Today, we have the pleasure of interviewing Astro Burn developer HaZ Dullul. HaZ has been making the Cat-Tastic retro-inspired shoot-em-up Astro Burn with GDevelop, recently featured on Steam Next Fest, and now, we get to hear all about it!

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Astro Burn is super fun!

What is Astro Burn?

Astro Burn is a sci-fi, retro-inspired bullet hell shoot ’em up. You play as a feline space pilot and her robot buddy, blasting, dodging, and upgrading through waves of evil robot machines!

Why did you choose GDevelop to make Astro Burn?

That’s a question I get a lot, especially since most of my career has been in Unreal Engine, from directing virtual production projects to cinematic sequences for Dune: Awakening.

When I set out to create my debut indie game, I wanted something that captured my love of the classic 90s shooters I grew up with - R-Type, Axelay, UN Squadron, Gradius — those timeless side-scrolling experiences. I didn’t need a massive 3D pipeline or photoreal rendering; I just wanted to move a spaceship, fire weapons, and build that nostalgic gameplay loop with a modern twist.

Astro Burn is a game inspired by classics, but with a modern twist.

After exploring a few engines, I chose GDevelop — and honestly, it was the perfect fit. The community around it is incredibly supportive, the documentation and learning resources are fantastic, and within a single weekend, I had a rough prototype of Astro Burn up and running.

Another big advantage was cross-platform accessibility. With GDevelop, I can release Astro Burn seamlessly across Steam (PC/Mac), mobile (Android/iOS), and even web browsers — all within one ecosystem. For a solo developer, that kind of flexibility and reach is invaluable.

How has development been so far with GDevelop?

Well, first of all, I wouldn’t call myself a technical person, I’ve always been an artist first. That said, I did create Flash games back in the day using ActionScript, and in many ways, GDevelop reminded me of that era, only far more intuitive and accessible.

The event-based logic and powerful built-in extensions make development fast and creative. Whether it’s using Forces and Controller extensions to move my spaceship, or the Fire Bullets extension to handle projectiles, GDevelop gives me everything I need without the heavy coding barrier.

I’d describe my GDevelop journey as a daily discovery, and that’s what I love about it. Every day I uncover something new, and the key is starting with a solid game idea first, rather than trying to build around the tool. So far, every mechanic I’ve envisioned, including local co-op mode, inspired by the arcade sessions I loved as a kid, has been achievable quickly and efficiently.

What’s been exciting is how fast the project came together. I started development in mid-March, and by mid-April, I already had a solid, playable version of Astro Burn to show. I built the foundation solo, and once the core mechanics were locked, I brought in talented collaborators to elevate it further.

I’ve had the pleasure of working with sprite artists Ellie Vong (London, UK), who designed the robot companion and story art, and Dan Mafra (Brazil), who created the Astro character art and even designed a custom bitmap font for the game.

The ease and speed of iteration in GDevelop has also made it simple to collaborate with my music and sound designer, Roman Rappak from Venice Bleach, who composed the game’s retro-futuristic soundtrack. Because GDevelop integrates audio so fluidly, Roman was able to craft music cues and soundscapes that sync perfectly with gameplay. He’s been so impressed with how smooth the process is that it’s even inspired him to start thinking about developing his own game in GDevelop.

We use GitHub for version control, and the whole workflow has been incredibly smooth, proof that GDevelop scales beautifully, even for multi-location teams. It’s been a creative, fast, and empowering process — exactly what you want from an engine when building an indie game from the ground up.

What's the iterative development process been like? I've been a part of the beta testing and it's been cool to see changes implemented based on feedback.

It’s honestly been a dream. Going into game development, one of my biggest concerns was dealing with bug fixing, playtesting, and QA cycles — but it’s actually been one of the most rewarding parts of the process. Most bugs have been resolved quickly, and the player feedback I’ve received has directly inspired better game design decisions.

For example, several playtesters mentioned the frustration of respawning directly into heavy enemy zones and dying instantly. That insight led me to design a “Safe Bubble” mechanic, giving players a few seconds of invincibility on respawn to reposition themselves. Not only did it solve the problem, but it also added a visually dynamic moment to the gameplay.

Cat-nip mode was developed based off of community feedback.

That kind of iteration then inspired the Catnip Power-Up, which temporarily slows down time, a nod to classic “bullet time” mechanics — allowing players to study enemy patterns and plan their next move.

These ideas all emerged organically from player-driven iteration, but I’m always careful to avoid feature creep, which can derail production. I keep a list of new ideas on the side, if there’s time and it enhances the core experience, I’ll integrate it. But the priority is to deliver the game as scoped, ensuring every feature truly serves the gameplay and player experience.

What have you learned from taking Astro Burn to events?

It’s been such a joy taking Astro Burn to various indie events, such as Develop’s Brilliant Indie Treasures to Link Up London powered by Twitch. There’s truly nothing like seeing players of all ages and backgrounds experience your game right in front of you. That instant, unfiltered reaction is priceless, you quickly realise that what seems obvious to you as the developer might not be as clear to someone playing for the first time.

The feedback I gathered at these shows was incredibly valuable. Watching how people interacted with the game inspired me to completely rethink the onboarding experience. I stripped it down to be more visual and hands-on, reducing text and allowing players to learn by playing, rather than by reading or watching.

There’s a real sense of adrenaline and energy in the air at these events — that moment when someone picks up your game for the first time and their face lights up is unforgettable. But what makes it even more special is the community spirit among indie developers. You’d expect competition, but instead, there’s this amazing sense of “we’re all in this together.” Everyone’s eager to share knowledge, offer advice, and celebrate each other’s work.

Coming from the film and TV industry, I found that level of openness and collaboration incredibly refreshing. It’s one of the many reasons I’ve fallen in love with the indie games scene — it’s creative, supportive, and driven by pure passion for making something cool.

What are some tips you can share with other creators to get their games talked about?

Shout about your game, loudly and everywhere! One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is that visibility matters just as much as development. Post regularly on social media, even the funny moments and bugs. Honestly, sharing bloopers or quirky glitches has been one of the best ways to keep people engaged and attract new eyes to Astro Burn.

Your Steam page is absolutely key. It’s your storefront, your home base, and the first impression most players will have of your game. I try to post regularly in the News and Announcements section — updates, behind-the-scenes snippets, and progress from the demo — anything that shows the game is alive and evolving.

HaZ proudly wears Astro Burn merch to events and expos.

When I attend events, I treat every moment as an opportunity to connect. I wear my Astro Burn T-shirt — featuring our adorable astronaut cat — and hand out postcards with a QR code that links directly to the Steam page. It’s simple, affordable, and incredibly effective. People always ask about the T-shirt, and that curiosity sparks conversation — and sometimes, a new wishlist!

I also carry my Steam Deck everywhere. If someone seems interested, I can instantly hand it over and let them play. That real-time connection can be far more powerful than a pitch. In such a crowded indie market, you have to stand out by being approachable, authentic, and always ready to share your game.

Another great tip: join social media threads like #ScreenshotSaturday or #WishlistWednesday. They’re fantastic, non-spammy ways to promote your game while engaging with the wider dev community.

And finally — make your Steam link visible everywhere. Add it to your email signature, include the Wishlist widget, and make sure it’s front and center in all your social bios. That way, whenever you comment or interact online, people can effortlessly find your game without you even having to mention it directly.

Building awareness is all about consistency, creativity, and personality — and the more you show up, the more people will care about what you’re creating, I do this mainly through my youtube channel with the Dev-logs to share my process:

What are your expectations for the Steam Next Fest?

At the time of this interview, Steam Next Fest kicks off tomorrow (October 13th) — so I don’t yet know how it will go, but since releasing the Astro Burn demo on September 30th, my wishlist numbers have been climbing steadily and exponentially. I can only imagine that momentum growing even more during Next Fest, and I’ll definitely be shouting about Astro Burn being part of it across all channels.

Astro Burn is inspired by classic shoot-em-ups like R-Type and Raiden!

One thing I’ve learned is that having something playable makes all the difference. It’s a huge milestone for any indie developer to have a vertical slice out in the world — something players can experience and respond to directly. It’s both nerve-wracking and incredibly exciting, but seeing real players engage with your game is what makes all the hard work worth it.

How will things like putting out a demo for Next Fest shape the end result? What changes, if any, are you making to the game based on wider feedback?

Releasing a demo serves two key purposes. First, it helps gauge the market appetite, understanding how players respond to this style of game and genre.

Second, it allows real players to experience the game early, providing invaluable feedback that will help shape and refine the final version ahead of its March 2026 release. For me personally it's going to be all about the game balancing, which will be refined right up to the release date to ensure each level is well balanced, and most importantly is fun to play.

Publishing a demo is easy with GDevelop.

What does the future hold for Astro Burn, and what can people do to support the game?

As mentioned recently in Deadline Hollywood, there’s an animated TV series in development alongside the game. The goal is to expand the Astro Burn universe in an episodic format, told through 2D pixel art animation that mirrors the game’s distinctive visual style. I’m currently in talks with several producing partners, and it’s a really exciting stage — I can’t wait to share more when the time is right.

The Astro Burn demo is now live on Steam, so please do check it out, hit that Wishlist button, and leave a review if you enjoy it — every bit of support genuinely helps indie developers like us reach more players.

I also know that not everyone uses Steam, so I’ve released a Mini Demo, a lightweight browser-based version that offers a single level — a small taste of the full experience, without boss level, co-op or leaderboard features (only available on the Steam version). You can play the mini demo version instantly in your browser, no sign-up required, and it’s even fully playable on mobile with touch controls.

It was really important to me to make Astro Burn accessible to everyone, on any device — so that anyone, anywhere, can jump in and experience a slice of the universe we’re creating and if they want more then they can experience the full demo on Steam.

You can play this mini-demo directly via my website on any computer or mobile / tablet browser.