Dragon Scale Studios – aka the ‘pirate guys’ – live up to their nickname with their latest game release, Set Sail! Arena. Amy Wild chats to the Cardiff studio head Luke Maloney about how the project went from university dream to fan fave.
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“There aren’t enough good pirate games, and who doesn’t love pirates?” exclaims Luke Maloney, co-founder of Dragon Scale Studios.
Known as the ‘pirate guys’ for their commitment to dressing up in pirate costumes at every event, Dragon Scale Studios is a team of six graduates from the University of South Wales. “With a strong game concept and lots of support for start-up game studios in Wales and the UK, there was no doubt that we could make something special,” Maloney explains. The studio was established after winning the public vote at Insomnia 71 in 2023 with their game, Set Sail!
Set Sail!, which began as a university project, is described by Maloney as “Overcooked with Pirates”—a 4-player couch co-op party game that “combines all the chaos and friendship-breaking scenarios of Overcooked with the romantic pirate setting that lets you live out your fantasy as a swashbuckling crew.”
Since the COVID lockdown, social multiplayer games like Among Us and Helldivers 2 have surged in popularity as players seek shared experiences, as seen in Baldur’s Gate 3. I discussed this trend and the increased competition with Maloney. “It’s forced us to focus on that one hook that can give players what they want – a hook that is always fun and always shareable.”
Dragon Scale Studios has certainly infused fun and chaos into Set Sail! “The biggest and best new feature has to be the ability to pick up and throw your friends,” Maloney says. “Although this is used to solve puzzles, time and again we’ve seen the chaos that ensues as players can’t help throwing their friends around the map, or off their ship!”
Growing up, Maloney was captivated by historical strategy games, particularly Rome: Total War. “It’s a game that really satisfied my love of strategy, tactics, and building something. I’ll never forget how fun it would be to start a new campaign and have a blank canvas in front of you, knowing how much it would change after I sink 100+ hours into it.” This passion for immersive gameplay carried over into the creation of Set Sail!, where Maloney and his team have crafted a world that lets players experience epic adventures, much like the games that inspired him.
Reflecting on the future, Maloney anticipates major changes in gaming due to advancements in AI. “Advancements in AI will lead to a big shift in gameplay and design. Whether that be through AI-generated characters, conversations, quests, locations, or even mechanics, it could change how games are made and played, for better or worse.”
The team at Dragon Scale Studios takes immense pride in their Welsh heritage and their contribution to the burgeoning gaming industry in Wales. “There is a very up-and-coming gaming scene in Wales. For a while, Wales Interactive was really the only major name in Welsh gaming, but now with Rocket Science opening an HQ in Cardiff, Esports Wales taking off, and a lot of support for start-up game studios in Wales through Creative Wales and Games Talent Wales, it’s a really exciting time to be part of the Welsh gaming scene,” says Maloney.
This proud Welsh heritage is evident in Set Sail! “There is a lot of Welsh history in the pirate setting, with one of the most infamous pirates of all time, Bartholomew Roberts, being Welsh.” Maloney also hints at future projects, “With games we want to make outside of the pirate era, I would love to incorporate Wales in any way possible—whether that be with locations, characters, culture, and as a bare minimum having a Welsh localisation option in every game we make.”
While the full launch of Dragon Scale Studio’s Set Sail! is still a bit away, they’ve shipped something to quench your pirate thirst in the meantime. Set Sail! Arena, now available on Steam, offers a glimpse into the pirate world of Set Sail!.
“Set Sail! Arena is in the same pirate world as Set Sail! but focuses on the PVP aspect of the game, pitting players against each other as either Pirates or British to fight in classic multiplayer modes like team deathmatch or capture the flag,” explains Maloney.
words AMY WILD
Set Sail! Arena! is available now on Steam. Price: £7.83. Info: here
