When I was at EGX, my first press meeting was probably the one that has stayed with me the most. It was with a company called Game Chuck – a group of hardware and video game developers that are based in Croatia. Although it did take me a solid half an hour to find where their stand was in the massive convention centre, I ended up staying and talking to the team for a good hour. Their games fall under three categories and the passion they bring to all of them is astounding to see.
First up, is their interactive comics. Inspired by the Dilbert comics and Lucas Arts point and click adventure games, the team combine gorgeous hand drawn panels with clever and amusing storylines – such as an Ape in space that vapes to gain more intelligence. No, I didn’t make that last bit up – it’s a real game called Vape Escape that you can try for free. The conversation paths you take, the moral choices you make and the eventual ending you reach are all saved to a PDF file that you can print out as an actual comic book to relive your playthrough at any time you would like!
Next, their arcade style games that will be playable on their own arcade system that they are building! I got to see a test build of their upcoming fast-paced game, Speed Limit, which is a beautiful homage to the arcade era of action-packed pixel art games. From being chased down a train carriage by a never-ending swarm of heavily armed policemen, to stepping on the accelerator as you race down a faux-3D road on a motorbike, the level of detail that went into each level is astonishing to see.
Game Chuck as a company design their games to be simplistic but enjoyable. They reward the player for trying weird and whacky combinations of actions. If you attempt to combine two items that aren’t meant to be together, you get a custom response, instead of a general “that doesn’t work” placeholder line – which makes you want to try and mash everything together like a toddler discovering Lego for the first time. Dead ends are a thing of the past in their games, with character’s actively reminding you if you’ve already tried something before, which allows you to really immerse yourself in the experiences and stories that Game Chuck are trying to tell.
Why am I mentioning Game Chuck then, considering EGX was a couple months ago now? Well, earlier this week, they reached out to me to let me know about their new project – Trip the Art Fantastic. The first trailer is out on YouTube and you can go watch that here:
Planned for release in 2022 for PC’s and consoles, Trip the Ark Fantastic is a role-playing adventure game set in the Animal Kingdom. The kingdom is on the brink of social and industrial revolutions, with the future events to be decided by the player’s actions. You play as Charles, an adorable hedgehog scholar who is tasked with saving the monarchy. However, depending on the choices you make, you could end up helping topple the monarchy!
Instead of combat and boss battles, you must tackle the kingdom’s problems through logic, evidence and scientific analysis. From disproving other’s theories, to swaying public opinion in favour of the crown, the conclusions you draw will have ripple effects on the community. Finding the right evidence, choosing whether to publish a problematic argument and changing the course of history are all tasks that you must tackle if you wish to be successful.
The entirety of the game is hand-drawn by the talented artists, with each frame taking inspiration from the early animated classics that we all know and love. Through the eyes of Charles, they hope to explore the various types of society and their impact on the citizens of the kingdoms. Using fables and mythology as a launchpad, I believe that Trip the Ark Fantastic will start important conversations about how society is shaped by the past and what a powerful influence those in a position of power can have on the world.
The game won’t be out until 2020 but I think it’s something we should all keep an eye on. Check out Game Chuck’s existing games and upcoming projects, as they are such a talented group of people who I think will give even the AAA game companies a run for their money when it comes to producing quality games and stories.
Till next time,
CaitlinRC.