I Hate Running Backwards

Development and release

I Hate Running Backwards was developed by Binx Interactive, a Zagreb-based indie studio founded in 2014 by Bernard Bachrach, Nikola Đurinec, Filip Kovač, Adam Mehtić, Denis Mraović, and Matko Šimecki. At inception, employees had little game development knowledge and no funding; many worked second jobs and provided quality assurance to other studios, often resulting in 15-hour workdays. Binx initially created mobile games, some cancelled due to lack of resources.

Its debut was Monster Loops, co-developed with Mad Head Games for iOS. In 2016, Binx exhibited Monster Loops at the Reboot Develop conference in Split. Some members approached Croteam composer Damjan Mravunac with a mobile driving game prototype involving tapping to turn, drift, and spin. Mravunac suggested changes, delivered three days later.

Weekly communication followed; after about a month, Croteam proposed a Serious Sam universe game. Within a month, Binx reworked the prototype with Serious Sam elements and received approval. By November 2017, Binx had six full-time employees and one part-time worker. Bachrach was CEO, Kovač a visual effects artist and designer, Šimecki a 2D/3D artist and designer, Đurinec a programmer, and Mraović a programmer and co-CEO.

Luka Mihaldinec handled promotional videos and community management. The team used the Unity engine. A publishing deal with Devolver Digital was reached in 2017. The game released for PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One in May 2018, followed by a Linux version in June 2018 and a Nintendo Switch port in October 2018.

Reception

I Hate Running Backwards received mixed or average reviews, with Metacritic weighted averages of 71/100 for PC, 63/100 for PlayStation 4, and 65/100 for Xbox One. A month before release, GamesRadar+ named it among the best games exhibited at PAX East. Robert Purchese of Eurogamer called it a fun and fast arcade game similar to Broforce. Peter Glagowski of Destructoid praised the simple control interface and fixed line of fire for making the game more navigable.

However, he and Julia Gomez of Nintendo World Report faulted procedural generation for inconsistent collectable and enemy placements causing difficulty imbalances. Glagowski found character unlock progress unclear, while Gomez considered the characters a good reward system. Ángel Llamas of IGN Spain highlighted the expansive arsenal, and Purchese labelled individual weapons imaginative. Purchese enjoyed the bright visual style; David Hollingworth of PC PowerPlay called it chaotic in all the best ways.

Critics had mixed opinions on pacing: Hollingworth and Gomez lauded ease of restarting runs, while Llamas found the game repetitive in longer sessions and better suited for mobile. Glagowski deemed the slow pace the biggest problem and criticized that shortcuts were not saved between restarts. He later noted that a patch resolved several complaints, particularly regarding pace and shortcuts.