Shovel Knight Pocket Dungeon Valentine’s Day Update

It can be tough to be alone on a holiday, much less on Valentine’s Day itself. Drowning your sorrows is one thing, but Shovel Knight and friends want players to have a more cathartic experience this year. Shovel Knight Pocket Dungeon, 2021’s hybrid roguelike/ falling block puzzle game, has had a bevy of post-launch support. But in an upcoming special one-off update, developers Yacht Club Games and Vine have created something unique that just might provide a little closure.

Breaking Hearts, Feeling Fine

Shovel Knight Pocket Dungeon (and really Shovel Knight in general) have always featured a comedic light touch. This Pocket Dungeon update, included with the free Puzzler’s Pack DLC, allows players to send Yacht Club the name of ex. That name will then be applied to a special pink Beeto in the game, an enemy that players can squash to their heart’s content. It’s a cheeky way to keep players invested, adding a longer tail to an already-great game.

This timed event also aims to bring in a concept from the real world to the digital one. The San Antonio Zoo hosts an annual event that lets donors contribute money to name a vegetable, cockroach, or even a rodent after an ex, which is then fed to an animal; donors can even shell out extra to send a video message to their ex of the veggie/ roach/ critter being eaten.

To learn more, we spoke with Celia Schilling, Marketing Director at Yacht Club games, about how this concept was translated into Shovel Knight Pocket Dungeon.

Goomba Stomp: The idea of squashing a representation of an ex is not necessarily new- you pointed towards the San Antonio Zoo and Hooters as examples. What specifically inspired you? Did you name a cockroach to be eaten in days gone by?

Celia Schilling: I absolutely love the idea of poking fun at Hallmark holidays! Every year, I get a good laugh at all of the goofy V-Day campaigns. So this year, I wanted to indulge in it too!  As for the roach, I could never hurt a real bug. A digital one on the other hand…..

GS:What was the motivation to bring that concept to Pocket Dungeon?

CS: The silly concept of someone’s ex appearing in the Pocket Dungeon as squashable Beeto just feels like it’s in the realm of possibilities for the game’s world. I also absolutely love Shovel Knight Pocket Dungeon, so any excuse to highlight the game is a plus for me!

GS: What was the process of pitching this idea to the Pocket Dungeon team and bringing it to execution like? Any hurdles to overcome or was it smooth sailing all around?

CS: I was actually brainstorming new ideas on how to promote Shovel Knight Pocket Dungeon. Valentine’s Day is coming up, so I was playing with the idea of V-Day cards “inviting your significant other to be trapped in the Pocket Dungeon with you.” I kept on going back and forth on ideas for it. Then it hit me…”Why not trap your ex?” That idea ended up morphing into renaming Beetos! The rest is history!

As for pitching the idea…..you might be aware, we’re actively working on an expansive slate of DLC for Shovel Knight Pocket Dungeon. Currently, the first DLC pack (the Puzzler’s Pack) has regular Early Preview Updates on Steam. So, I imagined it would be decently easy to include the event in an update! I pitched the idea to the Yacht Club Games/ Vine team and they found it funny…..funny enough to actually do it. As for implementing it, renaming in-game Beetos is actually a pretty easy thing to do, so it wasn’t too hard of a feat for them! The Vine team took it a step further by adding the heartbreak effects and flower plucking Beefto sprite! It was an awesome collaborative process!

GS: I think limited-time events are amazing ideas, but there can definitely be a feeling of “missing out” associated with them. Any plans for more things like this, in Pocket Dungeon or elsewhere in the extended Shovel Knight universe? For those who can’t participate in this event, anything to look forward to down the line?

CS: I totally understand the feeling of missing out. I ABSOLUTELY would love to bring more events to the Pocket Dungeon, so everyone has a chance to participate in something! This event is a tester, so everyone, please play it so I can advocate for more silly events in the future!!!!

I want to have a spoopy Halloween, holiday party, arbor day, etc. The possibilities are ENDLESS!

Shovel Knight Pocket Dungeon is available now on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation, and Steam. You can submit your ex’s name here, and the event is live from February 14-15, 2023.