Despite its complexity, Rubin says that a major highlight of writing the game was bringing back a few familiar faces, like Ned Ryerson (who was played by Stephen Tobolowsky in the film) and Phil Jr.’s mom Rita (Andie MacDowell’s character). Better still was getting to bounce ideas off of Danny Rubin (no relation), Groundhog’s Day’s original screenwriter who conceived of the film’s central story. “He gave me a lot of what his original ideas were and things that the Bill Murray character could have done,” Joshua Rubin says. Some of the ideas that didn’t make the film were more of the skill-building types of things that informed Like Father Like Son’s central gameplay.
Most importantly, both Rubin and Munárriz vowed to stay true to the philosophy of Groundhog Day, which meant they had to define what the movie meant to them. For Rubin, he says, “We all reach a point where we realize that life is meaningless and that the universe doesn’t care about us. So, we’re the ones who give meaning to each other. Through love and kindness, we give each other’s lives meaning — that’s why we’re here.”
For Munárriz’s part, he tells me, “If you feel shitty, maybe that’s because you’re making your life shitty. You should realize what you’re putting out into the world. Some people call it karma, but for me, it’s just thermodynamics — action and reaction.”
Of course, much like the film itself, Rubin and Munárriz had to include these ideas without being heavy-handed or losing their sense of humor. They felt they were successful on both counts and are enormously proud of the game, though Munárriz wishes it had gained more traction with audiences. But perhaps, as VR gaming becomes more and more popular, Groundhog Day: Like Father Like Son will find a wider audience. After all, if there’s any franchise that’s about second chances, it’s Groundhog Day.