Last Updated on Feb 4, 2026 @ 18:37:03 PM.
Not long ago, I was granted the opportunity to trial Bandit Trap along with some friends and the developers as we attempted to steal diamonds as the bandits or protect them as the trapper. After playing through Bandit Trap, I was then granted the opportunity to talk to the developers about their upcoming game, and they had a lot to say!
During our interview with the Bandit Trap developers, we got to talking about all kinds of different elements that take place within Bandit Trap, such as the way players enter the game world, the character designs, the various tools that are available to players, and even the type of content players can expect upon release.
Throughout this interview, we received various answers from a few members of the development team who worked on Bandit Trap. The staff members we talked to were;
- Jimmy de Meza: Co-Founder & 2D Art Director, Core responsibilities: 2D and 3D Concept Art, 3D Modelling, Marketing Materials, Game Design.
- Michael Balm: Co-Founder & Creative Director, Core responsibilities: Music & SFX, VFX, UI / UX, Technical Art, Level and Lead Game Design.
- Bobby Bouman: Co-Founder & 3D Art and Animation Director, Core responsibilities: 3D Modeling & Animation, Marketing Materials, Level and Game Design.
- Jeffrey Kamermans: Co-Founder & Technical Director, Core responsibilities: Programming Engine Tools, Game Tech, Game Design.
- Arvid van den Hoogen: Programmer, Core responsibilities: Programming Game Tech & Bot Behaviour.
For those who may not be familiar with Bandit Trap as a project, are you able to give us a rundown of what Bandit Trap is, and especially what inspired you to create such a game?
Imagine defending a house against 3 bandits, all by yourself. All of this in a family-friendly, fun, chaotic, asymmetric online multiplayer game!
So it draws its basic inspiration from Home Alone in its core concept. We wanted to create something different from our previous lineup of games that would be challenging and fun to develop and play as well.
Other than Home Alone, what other films or TV shows can players expect to notice as influences?
We were heavily influenced by our childhood cartoons, like Tom & Jerry and Looney Tunes. But the game Spy VS Spy (which also had a TV show) inspired us as well.
The world of Bandit Trap is a rather wacky world with a cartoonish style in various ways. Can you tell us why you chose to move forward with this graphical design?
Because our vision is to create family-friendly visuals in a game that has a lot of destruction and violence, we decided to choose slapstick humor to make the impact more forgiving and remove any form of realism to recreate real-life scenarios.
Additionally, the characters themselves have a unique design that allows them to react differently depending on the traps that hit them; for example, they can be squished flat both vertically and horizontally, creating a fun and cartoonish style. Can you tell us a little about this design choice?
Yes, of course. We intentionally designed the bandit’s body shape like a punching bag. This cylindrical reference fits perfectly with the damage they get, making it more hilarious and impactful when they’re getting hit. Plus, from a top-down view, it is easier to see the damage on an elongated face. We have built a whole dynamic and permanent damage system that can have gameplay effects.
One feature that players will likely look forward to is the ability to customize their characters to provide them with unique flair, in which they can purchase customization options from the store or by progressing through the season pass. Is there anything you can tell us about this customization and what players can look forward to in the future?
Yes, sure. The first thing I would like to share is that a whole outfit consists of 4 sections: Face, Head, Body, and Shoes. You can create your own unique combinations of outfits by swapping different sections of items. There is a very wide variety of fashion to unlock. Like cool streetwear, luxury chic clothing, funny animal, and food outfits. And classical, super, daily heroic outfits, like robots, spacesuits, sportswear, etc. And there will be very unique outfits available in Anime Style, Hairy Monsters, voxelized suits, etc.
At the time of this interview, there are only a few different maps for the player to explore within Bandit Trap. Still, each of these maps is unique with its own layouts and interesting designs. Are you able to talk about the different maps available and how these maps came to fruition with their bizarre layouts?
Many crazy level ideas have been invented through the years, but balance is key with so many gameplay assets that can influence a match. We will start shipping with many different maps. Like an authentic New York and Amsterdam-inspired level. Sunny Tropical and Snowy Winter Resorts. Battling in a Sky-High Penthouse or a ground-level peaceful Neighbourhood. Or even at a Italian Cozy seaside village.
These levels are carefully crafted for the best experience, having their pros and cons in strategic layouts for a perfect heist or booby trap plan!
One thing that caught my attention within Bandit Trap is how the bandits are able to enter the different maps that are available to them, one way being a helicopter, another being a hovercraft, and so many more. What inspired you to have these different modes of transport, as well as make sure they worked within the game world?
That’s a good observation! We wanted the bandits to start the match at a preferred spot to invade a home. You are able to settle this during the preparation time. When the match starts, you will be shot out of a huge cannon to your chosen location. Because of the variety of locations, in the sky, on water, or on land. It had to make sense how they entered a level with the right transport. Thus, having these crazy designs that they have rented from a low-budget company called “Rent-a-Mess Xpress”.
Whether the player is a bandit or a trapper, there are opportunities for both groups to create a lot of chaos within the Bandit Trap in terms of destroying the locations and making all kinds of mess. Is this something that will be expanded upon in the future of the game as more furniture items and abilities are added?
The game has indeed a lot of creative destruction caused by Bandits or the Trapper. This makes each location very dynamic and unpredictable. There are a lot of different trap combinations to be made that players can discover to destroy locations or to knock out Bandits. Future Traps and Tools are tricky for the current game balance, but there are definitely more concepts in the backlog to be added to the game. We might consider adding these in an update if needed.
Within Bandit Trap, players are able to use all kinds of traps to prevent the bandits from entering and stealing everything of value, with each trap being as unique as the last. Are you able to tell us about some of these traps and what inspired you to create such fun and chaotic traps?
Sure! Traps were invented to keep the target audience in mind so that kids are not able to replicate these in real life. Toy-like designs and exaggerated results make it all look cartoony and fun. There are some inspirations from Home Alone, like the tripwires, flamethrower, and heated locks. But a lot comes from slapstick cartoons. The idea of combining traps with creative results comes from different games like Gunstar Heroes and Breath of the Wild.
Along with being able to use the standard traps, the trapper is even able to combine some traps, upgrading them into bizarre and powerful weapons. Were there any struggles you came across when thinking of combinations for these traps, or is this something that you had plans for early on?
Yes, there were many struggles. The idea was that every combination should be possible, but in practice, it was very hard to execute all combinations that would make sense and be fun, while offering a certain strategic advantage at the same time. There were also ideas that you, as a Bandit, could cancel activated Traps with Tools, like a rock-paper-scissors system. But this became too complex and less fun. Right now, we are very pleased with the current combinations, and it’s possible we may add more in the future to increase the fun.
Although the Trapper has a few different weapons at their disposal, the Bandits are no slouches either, with plenty of tools that they can use to break into buildings and rob their valuables. Can you tell us a little about these tools?
We have Hand Tools and Power Tools. Hand Tools are most effective on doors and windows. Power Tools are most effective on Furniture. You can hit the Trapper with both Tools as well. Each Tool has a micro-action to dismantle doors or furniture. And they all have their pros and cons in their effectiveness.
The designs are mainly inspired by real hardware store hand tools, like hammers, screwdrivers, jackhammers, torches, and nail guns. But we also have crazy explosives like bazookas and sticky bombs, and some heavy boxing gloves. And lots more. Another important gadget is the scanners that Bandits can use to search for treasures hidden inside furniture.
Along with telling us about these tools, can you also tell us about the gameplay mechanics that accompany each of these tools, as each tool is accompanied by its own unique QTE (Quick Time Event) that resembles the tool’s method of use, and is a very fun and interactive gameplay mechanic?
We have succeeded in making every Tool unique with this micro-action time-based event. We applied the easy-to-learn, hard-to-master principle in these events. Once you have a hold on these actions, you will become a very effective Bandit for your team!
At the time of this interview, Bandit Trap is still in development, with future content likely to appear after release. However, at the moment, is there any content that you have already worked on that sadly hasn’t made it into what could be the final product, or has everything managed to stay off the cutting room floor?
Well, we have designed many new features in different shapes and forms that can enrich the experience of the current game. But we will deliver the game as a full product with the best experience available and will build on that to enhance it with feedback from our gaming community and our backlog ideas.
Is there any advice you can give to any up-and-coming developers who are looking to get into the field, either within the same game genre as yourselves or different?
Game development can be a very dynamic process. An idea can be born out of an experience, a mechanic, a prototype, etc. The most important lesson for us was to playtest the game regularly, internally and externally, to get raw feedback to enhance the game. It is also important to research similar games and to learn from their successes and failures.
This is by far the most difficult game we have ever worked on as a team. We work like a well-oiled machine, but this project had a lot of challenges in all of our disciplines. With the asymmetric online multiplayer genre, we had to explore a lot of new technical and artistic designs for the correct execution. And the cross-platform porting is also a task that should not be underestimated.
Due to Bandit Trap being quite a unique game that sets itself apart from other games, what do you think will be the main draw for players that encourages them to try out your game?
The Home Alone reference is a strong one, but we’re not leaning heavily on that. We’re aiming for this to be seen as a unique IP. And that it will be an exciting, action-packed online party game with friends or family who are looking for an experience full of loud laughter and gotcha moments.
A question we often ask here at Thumb Wars of those we interview is, “What is one common misconception that the outside world has regarding video game development that annoys you?”
That we are only playing games all day for amusement. There is always a difference between developing and playing. And that there are no other popular games than Mario, Sonic, and Angry Birds 😛
Finally, is there anything we haven’t mentioned during this interview that you think our readers would like to know regarding Bandit Trap?
Both Trapper and Bandit modes are enjoyable and have their own strategic fun. Learn to play with different play styles to see what gives you the most satisfaction or victory. If possible, we recommend hopping on a voice call with friends for maximum laughs!
For more Thumb Wars Gaming coverage, check out our article discussing the announcement of Crimson Capes and its release date, or check out our review of MIO: Memories in Orbit.
Liam is a Senior Editor, Writer, and Critic for Thumb Wars and has been working with the team since day one. Liam is a big fan of all things gaming, as you will catch him playing all of the new releases from every genre you can imagine. Whether you find Liam gaming just for fun or spending his free time streaming, you will always find a smile on his face when it comes to all things gaming.
