Making players laugh is at the heart of everything Triband does. The Copenhagen-based indie studio has built a reputation for turning familiar concepts into wonderfully absurd gaming experiences, from the unconventional golf antics of WHAT THE GOLF? to the unusual racing adventure of WHAT THE CAR? and the VR comedy of WHAT THE BAT? With its distinctive approach to game design, a willingness to challenge player expectations, and a clear focus on accessibility and fun, Triband has carved out a recognizable place in the industry. Having previously crossed paths with the team at a trade show, we caught up with Peter Bruun, co-founder and CEO of Triband, to discuss the creative process behind the studio’s games, the challenges of bringing its signature humor to VR, the importance of playtesting, and what players can expect from the studio in the future.
You describe your goal as “to make everyone laugh.” How does that goal shape decisions about difficulty, accessibility, and player frustration?
We try to make our games as accessible as possible so anyone can jump on board and have fun – but we also love building challenging gameplay for our hardcore fans. So it’s a mix of both, along the lines of the old cliché: easy to pick up, hard to master. In the case of WHAT THE GOLF?, the control of pulling and dragging is almost as simple as can be, and something you can even do with your nose. Then, with both WHAT THE GOLF and WHAT THE CAR?, we try to build on these challenges in the levels. Trying the level again, but now with fewer strokes, or looking for the secret collectible card that we’ve hidden away. These challenges make is so that those who are interested in that extra layer of difficulty can persue it.
The work to improve accessibility is of course continious, and we try our very best to listen to community feedback whether it’s flipping controls, reduce screen shakes or making levels skippable, like we’ve done in WHAT THE CAR?
Can you walk us through your typical development cycle from prototype to release for a “What the …?” game?
Development usually starts from a simple premise with lots of possible answers: what if everything was golf? What would you do if you had baseball bats for hands? We don’t sit around discussing ideas. We just build them as fast as possible, play them, and then discuss the actual fun – rather than debating ideas that only exist in each other’s heads. It’s a bit like growing trees. You grow prototypes from a branch of ideas, cut off the bad ones, grow, cut, grow, cut, until you have a game.
How do you structure playtesting for comedic effect and timing – do you rely on internal tests, external focus groups, or other methods?
It’s a lot like stand-up comedians testing new material. First you test on your teammates, then your partner, then kids, then your lawyer, then a bus driver, then your enemies – and finally our beloved players. One of my favorite things is watching people play at physical expos. It’s brutal, and you can’t wait to get back to your hotel room to fix things and get ready for the next day. Besides, when playtesting for us, we found our success on LPM. That’s “Laughs Per Minute”. A joke can get old when you’ve seen it a lot, but seeing someone react to it for the first time? That’s gold. Even better if people actually keep laughing even if they know what’s coming.
What the Bat? is a VR-first experience – what were the biggest technical and design challenges moving from 2D/flat gameplay to VR interactions?
Designing for VR is very different from designing for flat screens. It’s like the difference between making a movie and directing immersive theater. You can’t control where people are looking or what they notice, and the amount of player input is massive. It’s difficult, but it comes with a lot of upsides. We love breaking expectations – and players have so many expectations about how reality should behave. So that’s why we added an elephant in the room.
Which levels or mechanics from earlier titles do you still consider standout examples of what Triband stands for, and which would you have approached differently today?
The classic example is the ragdoll golfer from WHAT THE GOLF? – you think you’re hitting the golf ball, but you’re actually launching the golfer. It’s all about surprise and we have no regrets. It’s perfect. It still gets people laughing. And that’s all that really matters
What’s next for Triband in 2026 – are there plans to expand the “What the …?” franchise into new genres, platforms, or media?
We’re still releasing new updates for WHAT THE CAR? and WHAT THE CLASH? In fact, here in November 2026 we’re taking a big swing and releasing new content for WHAT THE CLASH? more themed around a narrative in the world. It’s got lots and lots of balls in it. As for new games, I can’t say much. but I can tell you we’re working on something great, and we can’t wait to show it to you.