Starting today, a new Italian video game is available on Steam’s virtual shelves: Slackers – Carts of Glory. This original title, with a strong comedic touch, puts the player in control of a shopping cart—the most unlikely and eco-friendly means of transport you can imagine—and sends them racing at full speed in high-adrenaline downhill competitions. It’s a fun and, admittedly, somewhat crazy concept. But what is the real story behind this project?
It all began in April 2022 from the minds of Vincenzo Messina and Pietro Martino, two young developers from the ’80s who have always been avid gamers.
Since childhood, Pietro has been interested in the world of 3D, a passion that led him to study in this field and receive training as a 3D Artist. However, his insatiable thirst for knowledge pushed him to further specialize, eventually becoming a 3D Generalist, and later branching out into programming. This process began a couple of years ago with the start of work on Slackers – Carts of Glory. He thus became the person in charge of overseeing every technical aspect of the project.
Vincenzo, on the other hand, has always had a strong passion for creativity. This led him to work in various entrepreneurial sectors, eventually branching out into advertising about ten years ago. Just like Pietro, he nurtured his thirst for knowledge, becoming what he likes to call a sort of one-man band: he studied photography, graphic direction, copywriting, marketing, and much more. Eventually, he decided to bring all these skills together under the multifaceted banner of game development, diving into the creation of Slackers – Carts of Glory.
And that’s how Falling Saints, a development studio, was born – partly out of passion and partly for fun. Created by an unconventional duo whose creative decisions are primarily driven by instinct.
“Often, it only takes us a few seconds to decide on the creative process behind our projects” Vincenzo tells Excaliber. And that’s exactly how Slackers – Carts of Glory was conceived. “We were developing a longboard game, the typical downhill skateboarding. At the time, Pietro was still a beginner at programming and was working on the physics system for the skateboard. After a month of production, he called me and said, ‘Vincenzo, there’s no way around it. The system I created just doesn’t want to work for a skate game.’ Then he added, chuckling, ‘But if we replaced the skateboard with a shopping cart, it would be perfect!’ I thought about it for just a moment before responding, ‘Great idea, Pietro! Let’s do it!’ Silence. At first, I thought the line had dropped because of the prolonged silence, but then Pietro burst out in a big approving laugh. That’s when I realized this would be the concept for our game.”
The physics governing the shopping cart’s movements was the first gameplay element to be developed, tested, and retested. Pietro and Vincenzo’s goal was to smooth out imperfections one attempt at a time and find the right gameplay feel that could convey the proper sensations to all the brave souls willing to take on the reckless challenge of driving that shopping cart. It was a daunting task that initially seemed almost impossible. But the results came through, and eventually, the two developers managed to create a tryhard game experience – difficult, yes, but accessible to everyone – where the peak of the learning curve provides that blend of satisfaction and gratification that both Vincenzo and Pietro themselves love to seek in games. In other words, with a bit of practice, both casual and more competitive players can find something to sink their teeth into, whether in single-player matches or in multiplayer, where chaos and daring stunts lead to plenty of laughs.
Once they found the right path to make the game work, it was time to further increase the challenge offered to players. How? By creating a scoring system that encourages players to replay the races in Slackers – Carts of Glory in the quest for perfection and to climb the global leaderboards. Based on the score achieved, the game rewards players with the classic four medals: bronze, silver, gold, and platinum. These medals grant bonuses that, once accumulated, unlock new tracks. Each new track adds variety, while retaining some common elements: speed, banked curves, jumps, static and moving obstacles, and hidden shortcuts. It’s up to the players to roll up their sleeves and discover everything Slackers – Carts of Glory has to offer.
A video game with a unique style, in other words. And it needs the right musical accompaniment.“ The soundtrack is a piece of our heart’ explains Vincenzo. “Aside from considering it personally very beautiful, it also allowed Pietro and me to meet some amazing people. All the artists featured in Slackers granted us the use of their tracks for free once they got to know us and fell in love with the project.” And so, songs like Lovesick Loverboy by Max Hixon, Sober Again by Tony Petersen, Cockadoodledoo by the Cockroaches, and many other tracks provide the musical backdrop for the wild rides of this crazy shopping cart.
And so, the development of the video game continued smoothly, so much so that just a few months ago, another person joined the Falling Saints team: Siro Baccaro, a friend of Vincenzo and Pietro. His help not only contributed to wrapping up the project but will also be valuable in the future. Because there are many new things planned for Slackers – Carts of Glory: new tracks, even crazier ideas, social modes, and much more. The game’s growth will naturally be shaped by how it’s received and by the feedback from the community in the coming weeks. But there’s no shortage of ideas.
But in the end, what makes Slackers – Carts of Glory unique? Vincenzo smiles at this question and simply replies: “ It’s ridiculously unique and fun. Something I absolutely recommend you try.” And off you go, racing in shopping carts.
