Interviews

Interview with Diogo Carneiro, Co-Founder of Cadabra Games

What happens when an indie studio learns that bigger isn’t always better?

For Diogo Carneiro, co-founder and CEO of Cadabra Games, the journey from Adore to Shepherd Knight has been shaped by hard lessons in scope management, design focus, and sustainable studio growth. After spending several years developing Adore, an award-winning creature-collection action RPG, the team began rethinking how they approached game development, moving away from large, ever-expanding projects toward smaller, more focused experiences.

In this conversation, Jorge Fernandez Head of Brave Zebra, speaks with Diogo about his transition from advertising and illustration into game development, the origins of Cadabra Games, and the evolution of Adore from a roguelike prototype into a successful commercial release. They also discuss the creation of Shepherd Knight, Nintendo’s influence on its design philosophy, the challenges of building engaging companion-based gameplay, and how a single mechanic nearly saved the project from cancellation.

The interview also explores the realities of running an independent studio, from transitioning between game engines and refining production pipelines to retaining talent, delegating responsibilities, and managing multiple projects simultaneously. It is a candid conversation about creativity under constraints, learning when to cut ideas, and building a sustainable future for an indie game studio.

Chapters of the Interview:

00:00 — Introduction & Welcome
00:25 — What is Cadabra Games?
01:05 — Diogo's background in advertising and illustration
02:12 — How a fictional art book became a real game
02:58 – Introducing Adore – "Pokémon meets Diablo"
03:44 – The biggest design challenge behind Adore
04:56 – How Adore evolved from a roguelike into an Action RPG
06:02 – Building a demo for Brazil Game Show (BGS)
08:58 – What is Shepherd Knight?
18:25 – Why Cadabra Games loves creature-focused gameplay
23:54 – Why Cadabra Games is developing multiple projects
27:00 – Learning to delegate as an indie founder

Could you briefly introduce yourself and tell us what Cadabra Games is all about?

Diogo Carneiro is the co-founder and CEO of Cadabra Games, an indie studio based in Brazil. The studio focuses on creating accessible gameplay experiences with strong visual identities and is currently transitioning toward developing multiple smaller projects simultaneously.

How did you transition from advertising and illustration into game development?

After working as an art director and freelance illustrator, Diogo created an art book for a fictional game to improve his portfolio. A friend encouraged him to turn the concept into a real game, which ultimately led to the creation of Cadabra Games.

What was the original vision behind Adore?

Although Adore became a creature-collection action RPG, the original idea was inspired by games like StarCraft. The goal was to capture the feeling of controlling multiple units while keeping the gameplay simple and accessible.

How did Adore evolve throughout development?

The project started as a roguelike but gradually transformed into an action-adventure RPG during several years of Early Access. The team continuously refined its systems based on player feedback and testing.

What were the biggest lessons learned from developing Adore?

The most important lesson was scope management. Spending four years on a single project taught the team the importance of defining clear limitations and avoiding uncontrolled feature growth.

Why did the team decide to move from Unity to Unreal Engine?

Following the uncertainty surrounding Unity at the time, Cadabra Games decided to transition to Unreal Engine while beginning work on its next generation of projects.

What is Shepherd Knight and how did the project begin?

Shepherd Knight is an adventure game where players guide a magical flock of sheep through a world filled with dragons and puzzles. The project emerged after the team deliberately abandoned a larger third-person shooter that had become too ambitious.

How do you approach scope management and game design?

Diogo believes creativity thrives within constraints. Rather than constantly adding new features, the team focuses on building a small number of mechanics that interact deeply with one another.

Can you give an example of a feature that was cut during development?

The team originally planned several different sheep types with unique abilities. Most of them were removed after realizing that just two special variants, fire and wind sheep, provided enough depth while significantly reducing production complexity.

What influence has Nintendo had on Shepherd Knight?

Nintendo’s approach to teaching mechanics through gameplay and gradually introducing complexity became a major inspiration for the game’s puzzle design and player onboarding.

What was the biggest challenge during Shepherd Knight's development?

The team struggled to make the flock-management gameplay fun. At one point they nearly canceled the project because the core experience felt boring despite functioning technically.

What mechanic ultimately defined the game?

The ability to ride the sheep transformed the entire experience. It improved movement, reinforced the fantasy of being a knight, and became one of the game’s most distinctive mechanics.

What is the long-term vision for Cadabra Games?

The studio aims to build multiple small autonomous teams capable of working on several projects simultaneously. Their goal is to create a sustainable production model and eventually release around two games per year.