As the first company in the PISMO Incubator, we’re kicking off development of our own project – SHROT, an old-school retro shooter (aka a boomer shooter).
SHROT doesn’t try to reinvent the genre. There are no political messages, no unnecessary fluff, and no “woke” content.
The message is simple:
“Come home from work, fire up the game, blast some aliens, and unwind.”
From B2B Studio to Original Production
Known as a B2B game development studio with over a hundred delivered projects for clients worldwide, ANIQ is now stepping into its own production.
When I started this company, I believed working with clients was great—safe money, as they say. But after a while, you start to feel like you’re holding your own team back from reaching its full potential. You’ve got top-tier talent, but you’re constantly working within someone else’s vision. That’s when we started exploring the market and discovered a real demand for a project like this.
Blogger Krule Lends His Voice to the Main Character
The game’s protagonist is a truck driver in a dystopian, futuristic America – and none other than Blogger Krule, a well-known figure on the Croatian internet scene, is lending his voice to the role. He’ll not only narrate the main character but also contribute as a writer, adding an extra layer of authenticity and local flavor to the game.
When ANIQ reached out about voicing a game character, my first thought was that this had to be a prank from CASA (Croatian Association of Slackers and Layabouts). But after a phone call, I came to two conclusions. First – this wasn’t a prank. Second – now what?Now, besides being a gamer myself, I’ll actually be part of one. Is the feeling weird? – It is. I can’t even imagine how it’ll feel when SHROT drops and I hear my own voice coming from the screen.Best of all, I’m surrounded by young people full of rare skills and knowledge – and there’s a lot to learn from them.
"SHROT" (slang. Junk) A Game With a Trashy Name, but Definitely Not Trashy Ambitions
When we tell someone we’re working on a game called SHROT, their first reaction is usually a laugh. But once they see the gameplay and visuals, their eyebrows go up because SHROT isn’t trash. It’s an FPS with a name you won’t forget.
To clear things up, SHROT is actually an acronym: Shoot, Hit, Reload, Overkill, Terminate. Straight to the point.
Inspired by genre classics like DOOM, L4D2, Wolfenstein, Duke Nukem, and most of all, the Croatian cult hit Serious Sam, SHROT doesn’t try to “reinvent the wheel.” The goal?
Start the game, blast through a linear story, enter the arenas, and wipe out waves of alien monsters. No politics, no sugar-coating, no “woke” messaging, just raw gameplay, unfiltered humor, and explosive action.
You won’t know the main character’s sexual orientation or political views—because who cares? The goal is to come home from work, fire up the game, kill some aliens, and chill out.
Designed as a trilogy, future installments will stick to the same no-nonsense formula. A big part of the strategy is community involvement:
Via the official Discord server and social media, players will be invited to join the dev journey—suggesting names for characters and enemies, sharing feedback on weapons and mechanics, and participating in testing. Developer blogs are planned every two weeks, alongside regular drops of visuals and teaser content.
We don’t just want an audience. We want a community. SHROT isn’t just our game. We want it to be yours too!
The game’s Art Director is Igor Puškarić, one of only 20 global Sketchfab Masters and a widely respected digital content artist.
Creatively, working on SHROT has been one of the most liberating experiences in my career. Most of my success and public recognition in the design world came from personal projects built under conditions of artistic freedom. Now, with the ANIQ team, I’ve been given the opportunity—and the support—to take that spirit to a whole new, even more professional level.
What Do the Investors Think and Who Are They?
Instead of turning to institutional funds or big-name publishers, ANIQ deliberately chose a different path, partnering with a network of private investors. Today, that group includes around twenty individuals, mostly former clients and partners of the studio.
One of them is Kristijan Škarica, a leading startup mentor and business developer with extensive experience in managing tech projects. He saw the potential in SHROT early on.
When Can We Play SHROT?
SHROT is coming to PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox, with the dev team also eyeing the Switch 2 development kit, which could open the door to one more platform.
The core team includes 14 in-house developers and external collaborators, with all animations created using motion capture technology, thanks to the PISMO incubator powered by A1. The game will feature minimal cutscenes to keep the action fast, fluid, and uninterrupted.
The expected release window is Q2 2026, and everything points to SHROT being loud, unapologetic, and refreshingly different, a title straight from the heart of Croatia’s indie dev scene, made with attitude and craft by a team that knows exactly what it’s doing.