BYONG - A New Game Genre

BYONG is an acronym for "Bring Your Own Non-Gamer", a concept and genre invented by No Sequels Cooperative.

A game in the BYONG genre must have the following elements: 

  1. Local Couch Co-op: Rather than online, the pure BYONG game is played on the same couch with no more than 2 players (gamer + non-gamer).

  2. Accessible Controls: typically a directional and one or two secondary inputs. 

  3. Beatable In One Sitting: or around 3 hours from pressing start to rolling the credits. 

  4. Original Art Styles: that are bespoke and human made, meaning no art mincers also known as GenAi. 

  5. A Complete Game: that can be played in one night, thus replacing the “movie date night” experience.Affordable pricing and a memorable experience, without needing to purchase microtransactions or paying a subscription.

  6. Expansions Are Standalone: experiences that should double the game’s length. 

  7. Don’t Leave Out Single Player Mode: While some games may not be possible to play in single player, a minigame or minor aspect can be converted into a single player mode.

Optional nice-to-have elements:

  1. Teaching Element: each title needs to carry a sense of wonder that drives the game, something that players can walk away with being able to teach others about the world around them thus lure more non-gamers to gaming.

  2. Genre Blending: BYONG is an opportunity to experiment with never-before-seen combinations of genres that try to push forward the art form for the sake of the non-gamer’s enjoyment, while also keeping the gamer engaged. 

  3. Unique Difficulty: Harder difficulties are not just a damage number change; it means completely bespoke enemies and bosses. Levels may be shared, but the core gameplay on other difficulties must feel like playing a new game.

  4. Cheats: Games will contain discoverable cheats that can be obtained for free by reading the manual or observing the environment through play.  

  5. Open Source: Built in Godot, our games are open source and moddable. Want to remix the experience or dig into the systems or even make your own sequel? Go for it.

Our BYONG titles are walking a fine line between being fun for seasoned gamers and people who have never touched a controller. We want to be someone’s first gaming memory and that’s a big responsibility that we take very seriously. We as a developer incorporate all of the above but as the genre grows, we are excited to see how each developer interprets it.

Every game we make is a game you can BYONG to.

Please use the hashtag #BYONG freely when discussing our games! And share footage with us playing with your non-gamer. 

-2- No Sequels Cooperative

Frequently Asked Questions

Why No Sequels Cooperative?

Simple. We will never make sequels to our games (there are too many number 2s out there...) and we make couch cooperative games.

Do you only make couch co-op games?

Yes. Our mission is to introduce more non-gamers to gaming. We created a whole genre around that called BYONG: Bring your own non-gamer.

Is there a solo mode to your games?

We do believe that games are better when you BYONG but we always will offer solo mode. It's just not as fun cause you don't get to laugh with or get mad at Coop Player 2. The demos do not have single player mode but the full build will.

I know you don’t make sequels but can I make a sequel to your game?

Absolutely! Our engine is Godot so go HAM. We will cheer you on!

How does Embroideryvania differ from other games of its kind?

For starters, there IS no other game of its kind! Embroideryvania is one-of-a-kind for many reasons:

  • Split screen, couch co-op metroidvania

  • No map, no combat

  • Little to no UI

  • Completely unique hand drawn art style

  • Teaches you things without being obnoxious about it

It also is specifically geared towards introducing non-gamers to gaming which we believe is its own unique factor.

What does “couch co-op, split-screen, metroidvania” mean?

Couch co-op: short for “couch cooperative” means that 2 people can play together in the same physical space. Couch not mandatory but highly recommended.

Split screen: when two players are playing the same game in the same space, the screen is split into two so both players are free to explore on their own and move around the space / see different things on their section of the screen.

Metroidvania: a gaming genre defined by two games “Metroid: Dread” and “Castlevania”. The name of the genre is a mashup of those two titles (and that’s why our game is a mashup of a mashup: embroidery+metroidvania). These games first introduced interconnected worlds that require power ups in order to unlock certain areas and access the entirety of the map. There’s a lot of running back and forth to areas you’ve been in before when you power up in order to unlock more secrets. Ours is a little bit like that but less emphasis on HAVING to get a power up. The world is accessible to you with basic controls from the beginning.

Why is there no map in Embroideryvania?

Because we wanted less mandatory interactive elements for the non-gamers. Going in and out of menus and bloated UI (user interface elements) can be very overwhelming if you’re not used to it. Plus, it breaks the pacing of the game.