Indie development is often as much about passion as it is about perseverance, and in the case of Teeto, it’s also deeply personal. Created by New Zealand-based duo Eat Pant Games, the project blends nostalgic platforming with heartfelt inspiration drawn from family life.
James wrote a demo impressions article on LadiesGamers.com, saying this in conclusion:
“Based on the demo, Teeto left a very strong first impression. The absorb mechanic is creative and playful. The platforming feels satisfying. The level variety shows promise. And the overall tone is light, upbeat and genuinely enjoyable.
If you’re in the mood for something that simply feels good to play, this is absolutely worth downloading the demo for. It’s one of those games that can lift your mood without demanding too much from you.”
So, we were keen to talk to the people at Eat Pant Games! We spoke with Mitch and Ali about their journey from “game-adjacent” creatives to indie developers, the origin of Teeto, and how their shared love of games, and each other, shaped the experience.
Meet Eat Pant Games
Before diving into Teeto, we started by asking about the people behind the studio and the story behind its unforgettable name.
Can you tell us more about Eat Pant Games? Who are Mitch and Ali, and how did you choose the name of your studio?
“We’re a couple from New Zealand working on our very first game. We started a little over two years ago, not knowing much about game development but jumping right in. We have worked together for the past decade or so on game-adjacent projects but never a proper game before which is super exciting.
We’re obviously super serious people, that’s why we needed a super serious name for our studio. After thinking about it for a while, we decided to just name it after a funny meme we saw once.”
The Heart Behind Teeto
While Teeto draws from classic gaming inspirations, its emotional core comes from somewhere much closer to home.
Your daughter was a very strong inspiration for Teeto, did anything else outside of gaming inspire the creation of Teeto?
“We grew up playing these types of games and so naturally that’s the kind of game we wanted to make. We pull all sorts of things from our lives into the worlds we have built and a lot of it was put in just to make us laugh. That’s why there are so many aspects of the game that are super silly and dumb – cause we love it!”
Classic Platformer Roots
The DNA of Teeto is unmistakably shaped by some of the most beloved platformers of all time.
Are there other platformers that inspired the creation of Teeto?
“Absolutely! Banjo Kazooie, Super Mario 64 (or any other Super Mario platformer), A Hat In Time, Spyro, Crash Bandicoot, all sorts of games that came out a long time ago inspired this game. Even some of the co-op play from games like It Takes Two were super inspiring for us.”
Built for Co-op from Day One
One of Teeto’s defining features is its focus on co-op play, a design decision rooted in their own gaming habits.
Co-op was such a clever inclusion for a game like this. Was this always the plan? How did you come to this decision?
“This was definitely the plan for the start. Between Ali and myself, we don’t have a lot of spare time unfortunately, so if we’re going to play games it will always be games we can play together. That’s why we always are pulled toward games with local co-op. It was important for us to have that in this game as ultimately, it’s a game for us. It’s all the things we love and enjoy about these types of games.”
What are some of your favourite co-op games?
“Anything from Hazelight is top-tier – so It Takes Two and Split Fiction are our favs. We loved playing A Hat In Time together and the Rayman games. Also, the Lego games are awesome for some casual collect-a-thon fun!”
What Makes Teeto Special
So what can players expect when they jump into the world of Teeto?
What should players look forward to when playing Teeto?
“A game with a ton of charm and love. It hopefully feels great to play, responsive and easy. It’s a bit more on the casual side so you don’t need to be crazy skilled in platforming to enjoy. There’s a bunch of crazy characters to meet and cool worlds to explore!”
There’s lots of lovely positivity vibes playing the Teeto demo. What keeps you positive and inspired to create this energy?
“Ultimately, it’s just a game that’s a lot of fun to make! There are obviously times where it can get kinda rough when things aren’t working and we’re figuring out how to do things, but it’s so fun building the levels and making these crazy NPCs and having the freedom to bring to life any silly idea that pops into our heads.”
A Family-Centred Game
One of the most touching aspects of Teeto is how closely it’s tied to the developers’ family life.
Your daughter features in the game as a voice-over. Are there any games you hope (or have) to introduce her to in time?
“She’s recently gotten into playing games on the Switch, so she’s surprisingly good at Mario Kart and loves to play Kirby and the Forgotten Land!”
Mitch and Ali’s daughter even voiced Teeto!
Since she did such a great job pitching the game, my daughter wanted to try being the voice of the talking berry things in the forest level.
I think she might have the part? 🤷
— Eat Pant Games (@EatPantGames) January 10, 2026
Has your daughter played/watched Teeto? How did she react?
“She loves Teeto! Always wants to play it – which is awesome. Although, she has somehow convinced herself that the worlds in Teeto are a real place and she will be able to physically go to them after the game is done. So, I’m not looking forward to when we ship and we have to have that tough conversation that none of this is real.”
Lessons and Challenges Along the Way
Like any indie project, Teeto required difficult decisions and trade-offs.
Are there any ideas you could not quite fit into the final build?
“Oh, a lot of stuff. We had to eventually put the brakes on if we were ever going to release the game! But we’ve kept a lot of ideas for any sequel/DLC stuff if that were to happen!”
Congratulations on the engagement! Are there any challenges being partnered with a fellow game developer?
“Thanks! We honestly don’t know any different. I’m sure the biggest challenge is, like any profession, is more the work-life balance. Since we work from home, it can sometimes be a struggle to separate work/game dev stuff from general family time and it tends to cross over a lot. Thankfully, we’ve been working together for a decade so we’ve ironed out a lot of those issues before we got into all of this!”
Teeto feels like a feel-good game to lift someone out of the blues. What other hobbies or activities (not necessarily gaming) help you drive away the blues?
“Honestly, for us it’s just spending time as a family. We love to go for walks, go to the park, all sorts of things. It’s probably important to get out of the house once and a while!”
What’s Next for Eat Pant Games
With Teeto nearing release, the team is already thinking ahead.
Any future projects planned you can tease?
“We’re excited to jump into some new ideas we had after Teeto comes out. We’ve learned so so much in the past 2 or so years and it’s going to be great applying that knowledge to brand new projects. Only thing I can really say at this stage is that some of the game ideas we have are wildly different to Teeto.”
Looking back at your own journey, what advice would you offer aspiring developers currently working alone or in a tiny team?
“Just jump into it! Post about your game lots. Look after yourself. Be vulnerable with your game and put it out there. Get feedback and make your game as good as it can be. Don’t be afraid to ask people for help. Oh, and make sure you’re having fun.”
Quickfire: The People Behind the Pixels
We wrapped up with a lighter look at their shared gaming habits.
Do you have similar game interests? Or do they differ?
“We have mostly similar interests. Especially in the past few years where we only really have time to game together, we enjoy playing the same type of games. I tried to get Ali into World of Warcraft a number of years back but she wasn’t really into it – and honestly it’s probably for the best!”
We ask this last question in all our interviews; we all have a joint passion after all: playing video games. So, if you could be a character in a game, which one would it be and why?
“Mitch: This is tough! I think I’d want to be a character from the Pokémon games so I can just have a bunch of Pokémon. Knowing me though, I’d probably just end up one of the trainers that the main character demolishes like 5 minutes into the game.
Ali: Mae from It Takes Two. She’s a strong mother and a female character I find super relatable.”
With Teeto, Eat Pant Games isn’t just creating a nostalgic platformer—they’re building something deeply personal, shaped by their lives, their humour, and the joy of creating together.
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