[Interview] Liam Hélou | Developing on Thin Ice with LAW 56

Puck-er up, buttercup!

We recently had the chance to head to London ExCeL for MCM Comic Con x EGX, where we witnessed many cosplays, attended panels, purchased autographs and played various games. Having shortlisted several upcoming titles worth keeping an eye out for, we’ve since been catching up with the development teams behind said games and it is our pleasure to share these interviews with you.

In today’s interview, we are speaking with Liam Hélou of Willow Studios, discussing all things LAW 56:

Liam Hélou | Developing on Thin Ice with LAW 56:

Miketendo64: Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your role with Willow Studios?

Liam Hélou: I’m Liam Hélou, one of the designers and a Co-Director at Willow Studios. I handle a lot of the studio management, pitching, and finances for the studio as well as the project management for the game. However, I do enjoy design and programming so I like to work with the team in those areas when time permits.

Miketendo64: In what capacity are you involved with LAW 56?

Liam Hélou: I’ve been involved in LAW 56 since its inception. In the prototyping phase I worked on some of the game’s mechanics like shooting, scoring, the goalie’s behaviour, and setting up the overtime.

As development went on I worked with one of the level designers and developed a few arenas, two of which are currently in the game, as well as the training arena. Since the spring I have been working primarily in a project management role, but as I said, when I can I still enjoy working on levels and game mechanics.

Miketendo64: How did Willow Studios first come about?

Liam Hélou: 5 of the 6 of us met in our first year on the game design course at the University of South Wales. We worked together on several projects in that time, in various groups, however whenever we were able to choose our own groups we were drawn to working together. We had become good friends and we pushed each other to be better game developers. I had worked with Charlie, our lead artist, on a collaborative second year project with the Game Art course.

We got on well, and he produces excellent work. He then continued to collaborate with us throughout our third year when we began working on LAW 56. After we finished our third year at USW, we all had a strong feeling that we could push this game further, and we knew we wanted to continue to make games together even beyond LAW 56. We took part in the Tranzfuser program and continued to develop the game, with a focus on getting the game to a commercial standard. As a commercial release became our focus, we formalized the studio by incorporating as an LLC in August and here we are.

Miketendo64: When did the development of LAW 56 first begin and what inspired its creation?

Liam Hélou: We first pitched the idea, alongside another potential project, as part of a third year game design module. We pitched and began prototyping in November of 2023. The team had a long debate over potentially making something “safer”, as we knew whatever we made we wanted to try to take it to a full release. But we opted for the project the team was more excited about, even if it was more technically challenging.

It was difficult at first to come up with an idea that everyone was passionate about, pushed the team technically, and was reasonably scoped. But after several weeks of brainstorming, one team member, Austin, who has become a big hockey fan, started to form the idea of a futuristic hockey brawler game with visual inspiration from games like Jet Set Radio, and it immediately caught everyone’s attention. We started drawing up design documents and prototyping and we’ve been working on it since.

Miketendo64: Can you give us a brief overview of LAW 56? What kind of game is it and what is it about?

Liam Hélou: LAW 56 is a multiplayer party hockey game here to take players to the future of professional hockey. LAW 56 is named for the clause in the professional hockey rule book that permits fighting or “fisticuffs”. Rules that mitigate violence in the game have been cast to the side as viewers have grown bored with a subdued viewing experience.

Players now have greatly expanded movement capabilities that are necessary to navigate the futuristic arenas that are filled with items, grind rails, boost pads and wall run opportunities. Players will need to use all the movement mechanics at their disposal to collect the puck, make their way to the net, and fire the puck past the robo-goalie. Of course, that can be easier said than done with all your opponents trying to smash you across the rink.

Miketendo64: Built with Unreal Engine, how have you found the development process for bringing LAW 56 to life?

Liam Hélou: It’s been a long and challenging process, but very rewarding. I read a quote one time that roughly said: games have to be made against their own will. It has definitely felt like that at times developing LAW 56. The team has been working in Unreal for 3 years each now, so we all have a good understanding of it, but it’s such a comprehensive engine, and despite having made several games with Unreal, at times it can feel like we’ve only scratched the surface of what it can do. But we see this as encouraging as we’re always looking to learn and improve as we continue to develop LAW 56.

We recently took a trip down memory lane and made a compilation of development videos throughout the last year. Just being able to see how much the game has changed and developed over the months and see it coming together now, really puts into perspective how far the game has come in just a year’s time and collectively, the team is really proud of that.

Miketendo64: Being a more brutal take on hockey, in what ways does the hockey of LAW 56’s tomorrow differ compared to the current sport we know and love?

Liam Hélou: More casual viewers of ice hockey, or even those who are only loosely aware of it as a sport, likely still know about the big crunching hits and the fights. However, the reality is the modern game has a much greater focus on skill, and the rules are coming to reflect that as a concern for player safety grows (which is a good thing). So while it is still a highly physical sport, hitting and fights are becoming less prominent in the game. We wanted to take LAW 56 in a different direction, with a future that has no concern for player safety.

While there’s still skill in getting around an opposing player and putting the puck in the top corner, there are quite a few differences. There’s some simple rule changes, such as all players are trying to score on one net, which often results in melees in front of the net. The net, which is defended by a robot goalie, will also periodically move around the arena. As well the puck will spawn at different locations after a goal rather than centre ice. The bigger changes are in the complex arenas, maybe more akin to skate parks, and all the movement techniques players can employ to navigate them. As well there are items present in our game.

I’ve yet to see an NHL player shoot a missile at an opposing player. Of course, the big one is no rules around body checking so you are free to smash into your opponents at will. It can be in an effort to win the puck or just because you feel like it. There’s no referee to call a penalty!

Miketendo64: Given the fact you are developing a hockey-based game, have you ever attended a hockey match? If so, what was the outcome and what team, if any, do you support?

Liam Hélou: Growing up in Toronto I was born into being a Maple Leafs fan, and anyone who follows hockey knows what a struggle that can be at times. I’ve gone to Maple Leafs games a few times a year since I was a kid. In my younger days I would leave disappointed with the outcome more often than not, but in recent years we’ve been much better. I’ll even say this year is our year. When the team was all based in Cardiff, 5 of us went to a Cardiff Devils game last spring. Unfortunately they lost in a shootout, but it was an excellent, high scoring game, and the atmosphere was absolutely electric. Since developing this game, the team’s communal interest in hockey has grown and we all support our own NHL Teams. Caitlin supports the Penguins, Toby supports the Golden Knights, Austin supports the Oilers, Charlie supports the Stars, and Jess supports the Red Wings. But I would say we all have a soft spot for the Cardiff Devils as well.

Miketendo64: Of the teams available in-game, are any based on a real-world hockey team? (Blue Beavers, Amber Hornets, Scarlet Foxes, Mint Mallards, Golden Buzzards, Emerald Alligators, Navy Cats, Lilac Badgers)

Liam Hélou: I was insistent on “my” team being blue, and containing some reference to Canada. So it ended up being blue for my Toronto Maple Leafs and Beavers for Canada/nice alliteration. The rest of the teams were more or less decided based on animals we thought would be cool within the game and could offer enough distinct colour schemes. We wanted to avoid directly referencing any current teams where possible, but several did provide helpful inspirations for colour schemes and jersey design. One of our designers, Austin, wrote up a World Bible early in production. He assigned teams to different countries and so several of the animals were chosen based on being indigenous to a certain country.

Miketendo64: How many teams appear in LAW 56?

Liam Hélou: There are a total of 8 teams in its current iteration. But we are open to the possibility of adding more, or adding some ‘secret’ teams down the line. Having multiple jerseys (Home/Away/Alternate) for each team would help with that as well to avoid colour conflicts.

Miketendo64: How long does each match in LAW 56 last for?

Liam Hélou: Each match is 4 minutes long, with the possibility of overtime for any tied teams at the end of the match. Matches were initially 5 minutes long, but we found 4 minutes felt snappier and were often more competitive. There is less time for a more experienced player to pull away in matches and it keeps a better flow going for players to play several matches consecutively or ‘controller pass’.

Miketendo64: Being the party brawler it is, will LAW 56 support online multiplayer and scoreboards, or are you focusing on local multiplayer support only for now?

Liam Hélou: Currently, we are focusing on local multiplayer and we are intending to release a version of the game with just local multiplayer. That being said, online multiplayer is a long-term goal of ours, and something we feel we are very keen to add as post-release content.

Miketendo64: Could you ever see yourselves creating a small story-focused campaign where players pick one team and play through a league for LAW 56? Be it as part of an update or DLC?

Liam Hélou: That would be a very long term goal for the game. It’s something we’ve discussed as a team, but we’ve always concluded that creating a fun multiplayer experience is our first priority. In continuing production for the game, online multiplayer matchmaking and leaderboards is our primary goal. We’ve also talked in more detail about offering greater customization options for the player in the form of skins and gear. But if we’re able to roll those out first and if we think a campaign could be a positive addition to LAW 56, it would be something we consider.

Miketendo64: How was fan feedback to those who played the LAW 56 demo at MCM London Comic Con x EGX?

Liam Hélou: It was a really positive experience. We love showcasing and we got some great responses from players and industry veterans. It was awesome for us to see groups of friends hop into a match and immediately have that competitive fire burning. We had groups coming back for rematches the whole weekend.

Conversely, there were some who struggled at first, which we understand. The game is still a work in progress and it can be a lot of information to take in at once, especially if someone doesn’t play many comparable games. We always encourage anyone who plays not to get discouraged if it doesn’t immediately click as there can be a learning curve with it. Some of that falls on us as designers to try to make the game feel more intuitive. But even if someone didn’t immediately love the game, we get some great feedback and suggestions for improvement out of it.

Miketendo64: If you had to compare LAW 56 to any other game in terms of gameplay, overall theme or story, what would be its closest match?

Liam Hélou: That’s tough as we took inspiration from a lot of different places. The aesthetic was heavily inspired by Y2K era games, and Jet Set Radio was a big visual inspiration. There’s comparisons to be made from games like Rocket League, the battle modes in Mario Kart, or even the Tony Hawk series for some of the movements. And of course, arcade hockey games such as 3 on 3 NHL Arcade.

Miketendo64: Lastly, could you list all the platforms on which you hope to release LAW 56 on?

Liam Hélou: We’re currently focusing on Steam right now where a demo is live for players to have a go at the future of hockey with their friends (had to plug it at least once). We are targeting a release in the first half of 2025 and then we will see! I would love to be able to bring the game to consoles and would be very open to making that happen for players.

For more MCM Comic Con x EGX (October 2024) content, click here.

About LAW 56:

LAW 56 is a 4-player PVP game that takes you to the future of professional ice hockey. Expanded movement capabilities and a complete disregard for player safety allows players to traverse arenas and smash into opponents at will. Do you have enough grit to be crowned the ICHA Champion?

One Puck, One Net; One Goal: LAW 56 presents a futuristic twist on modern hockey, featuring one puck and one net for all players, with pucks and nets spawning at different locations at regular intervals. Players use their expanded movement capabilities to navigate arenas, collect the puck, and fire it past the goalie to score the most goals, battering into their opponents along the way to gain an advantage. Arenas are designed to facilitate the players movement capabilities with boost pads, grind rails, and wall runs opportunities, to create a flowing and fluid feel to the movement. Arenas are peppered with item spawns for an element of unpredictability and to add to the party game feel.