Going down the pipeline, next up project Colibri

I mentioned something about pipeline a few weeks ago and, sure, I haven’t yet shared much light on ours as I promised I would do. Don’t be alarmed though, the simple reason for that is not lack of products or management but simply the pace I currently use to update the blog. One post a week is only going to be so much info.

This week I would like to bring forward another project of ours. Code-named “Colibri”, this game project was at one point thought to be our first game (and still could be depending on how fast development on Stupid Survivor progresses). This is a smaller game that only includes a few number of levels, but with a more compressed game flow than Stupid Survivor. The motive in this game is quite simple – get out. Yeah, that’s all there is to it. Of course, the actual gameplay contains a diverse number of puzzles and challenges, but the overall goal is simply to get out.

Get out of what? A pyramid. Picture this: you’re an enthusiastic researcher and treasure-hunter that finds an ancient pyramid all to tempting not to explore. The pyramid appears to be empty and forsaken, which of course drives you further and further into the dark interior of the pyramid. Eventually, you notice the pyramid might not be so forsaken after all and so you realize you’re trapped inside. At this point there is only but one objective left, get out! As you approach the end of your survival journey through the hostile environment, getting as close as to seeing the light of the world outside, there is yet another surprise waiting around the corner…

Some might think they’ve heard of something similar before. Pyramid Run, a game much inspired by recent success Temple Run, embraced a somewhat similar concept. However, PR doesn’t focus on puzzle solving or survival like Colibri does. There’s also Tomb Raider. Not really the same concept when you start comparing with what I described above. How about the Indiana Jones-franchise? These games might be considered (but not always) to be more of adventurous challenges.

I could go on, trying to find game concepts similar to Colibri and pointing out the differences. But that’s not point I want to bring forward. You know what credible game designers consider to be great game design[1]? Nabbing the best bits from here and there, combining them into a well-crafted piece of perfection. In other words, much like what Apple did with iPhone. Now now, I’m not saying Colibri should be compared to such a market-changing product, I’m rather trying to picture what has been a main influence during development of Colibri. No, not the iPhone! The piecing together-strategy.

Speaking of development, the Colibri project has reached what software developers call the Alpha phase. In other words, Colibri has reached a point where it is fully playable from the beginning to the end, while still lacking some more work on the game design and fine-tuning of the gameplay. I’d lie if I didn’t say this is more close to being a finished product than what the current Stupid Survivor-builds are. However, no deadline or goal for a release date have yet been set for Colibri. As a matter of fact, not even the real name on the game has been decided (though there are some alternatives being considered for the job).

And this is where I want to leave it for now. Going further into the details of the game is a subject of future posts. Also, the main game project of the company is still Stupid Survivor. However, there might just be another early Christmas surprise if development on our projects go well. Why not immediately start preparing your Christmas wishlists by adding whatever-name-Colibri-will-have-when-released to it?

References:

[1] Michael, D., 2003. Indie Game Development Survival Guide. Hingham, MA: Charles River Media / Cengage Learning, p. 60.