Presenter(s)
Luke Krzyszkowski
Abstract
Operation Dumbass is a stylized multiplayer social deception game developed by Kyurim Oh and Luke Krzyszkowski as part of their Advanced Design Project at Winona State University. Inspired by the absurdity and charm of viral games like Fall Guys and the immersive environments of Super Mario Odyssey, the game was born from our shared frustration with limited party sizes in current multiplayer games—and a desire to make something we would genuinely love to play. The game is set in a lively city full of AI-controlled citizens, where up to 16 players take on the role of spies disguised as ordinary characters. Everyone looks exactly the same, and there are no name tags or visual cues—just behavior. Your job? Blend in, act dumb, and figure out who’s not acting. The tension builds as players move, emote, and try to outsmart one another. At the end of the match, only one Dumbass is left standing. Designing Operation Dumbass wasn’t just about creating a game—it was about learning how to build an entire experience from scratch. We started by exploring different engines and landed on Unity for its accessibility and flexibility. From there, we split our focus: Kyu took on Blender to learn 3D modeling, rigging, and animation, while Luke focused on scene setup, scripting, and input mechanics in Unity. Together, we worked across disciplines—art, animation, game development, and even marketing—to bring the Dumbass to life.
Character design was intentionally goofy and awkward. We wanted players to instantly connect with how silly the game feels, so the character has a large head, alien-ish body, and exaggerated movements. Expressive emotes—like the chicken dance—are an essential part of gameplay. They're not just funny; they’re tools of deception. In a world where everyone looks the same, a dance can be a deadly tell. During development, we held a mini playtest where classmates explored the environment and played as the Dumbass for the first time. The feedback was hilarious and insightful, helping us understand how players interact with both the environment and each other. We also faced big challenges—debugging, animating believable movement, and adapting code when we had little experience. But we embraced every bit of it, learning through trial, error, and too many late nights. Looking ahead, we’re working toward launching a beta version on Steam and Itch.io in August 2025, with plans for a full release soon after. We've even applied for grants and set up a Kickstarter campaign to support further development. Our goal is to build not just a game, but a community of players who enjoy the absurdity of deception, friendship, and chaotic fun. Operation Dumbass is more than just a dumb game—it’s a celebration of creativity, collaboration, and chaos. We’re proud of what we’ve made, and we hope to keep pushing it forward.
College
College of Liberal Arts
Department
Art & Design
Campus
Winona
First Advisor/Mentor
Danilo Bojic
Start Date
4-24-2025 10:00 AM
End Date
4-24-2025 11:00 AM
Presentation Type
Poster Session
Format of Presentation or Performance
In-Person
Session
1b=10am-11am
Poster Number
38
Included in
Operation Dumbass
Operation Dumbass is a stylized multiplayer social deception game developed by Kyurim Oh and Luke Krzyszkowski as part of their Advanced Design Project at Winona State University. Inspired by the absurdity and charm of viral games like Fall Guys and the immersive environments of Super Mario Odyssey, the game was born from our shared frustration with limited party sizes in current multiplayer games—and a desire to make something we would genuinely love to play. The game is set in a lively city full of AI-controlled citizens, where up to 16 players take on the role of spies disguised as ordinary characters. Everyone looks exactly the same, and there are no name tags or visual cues—just behavior. Your job? Blend in, act dumb, and figure out who’s not acting. The tension builds as players move, emote, and try to outsmart one another. At the end of the match, only one Dumbass is left standing. Designing Operation Dumbass wasn’t just about creating a game—it was about learning how to build an entire experience from scratch. We started by exploring different engines and landed on Unity for its accessibility and flexibility. From there, we split our focus: Kyu took on Blender to learn 3D modeling, rigging, and animation, while Luke focused on scene setup, scripting, and input mechanics in Unity. Together, we worked across disciplines—art, animation, game development, and even marketing—to bring the Dumbass to life.
Character design was intentionally goofy and awkward. We wanted players to instantly connect with how silly the game feels, so the character has a large head, alien-ish body, and exaggerated movements. Expressive emotes—like the chicken dance—are an essential part of gameplay. They're not just funny; they’re tools of deception. In a world where everyone looks the same, a dance can be a deadly tell. During development, we held a mini playtest where classmates explored the environment and played as the Dumbass for the first time. The feedback was hilarious and insightful, helping us understand how players interact with both the environment and each other. We also faced big challenges—debugging, animating believable movement, and adapting code when we had little experience. But we embraced every bit of it, learning through trial, error, and too many late nights. Looking ahead, we’re working toward launching a beta version on Steam and Itch.io in August 2025, with plans for a full release soon after. We've even applied for grants and set up a Kickstarter campaign to support further development. Our goal is to build not just a game, but a community of players who enjoy the absurdity of deception, friendship, and chaotic fun. Operation Dumbass is more than just a dumb game—it’s a celebration of creativity, collaboration, and chaos. We’re proud of what we’ve made, and we hope to keep pushing it forward.
Comments
WSU Review Needed