Overview

Wings & Whiskers

Concept statement:  A cute local co-op puzzle-platformer starring an unlikely duo: Wings the Pigeon and Whiskers the Ferret. Embark on a journey across the lush landscapes of Daisy Banks as you face a range of obstacles that can only be conquered through their combined skills. 

Genre or category of game: Puzzle-platformer

Wings & Whiskers aligns with the genres puzzle and platforming (known as a puzzle-platformer) due to the inclusion of progressively challenging puzzles as well as the addition of moveable objects and structures that the players must navigate in order to beat each level. These two genres are often paired together, as seen within the examples of this category mentioned below. Puzzle-platformers are particularly popular among cooperative multiplayer games such as Unravel 2 (Figure 4). 

Technical Requirements: Made on Unity, shipped on web

Concept creation process and influences: 

The concept of this game was designed through a combination of cloning and forming a “mashup” of pre-existing games that follow a similar co-op puzzle-platformer theme. In particular, the idea of a cooperative game stemmed from the fun I had play-testing my previous game, Beach Pong, with my family. However, I decided to shift the focus from a more competitive experience to one that encourages teamwork and problem-solving. With this aim, I revisited a variety of simple web/flash games. There were two particular games I stumbled upon that fit into this category, which were the Fireboy and Watergirl game series (Figure 2) and Home Sheep Home (Figure 1) as well as the Steam game Bread and Fred (Figure 3), all of which I’ve previously enjoyed playing alone and with friends. 

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A specific mechanic featured in Home Sheep Home (and somewhat in Fireboy and Watergirl) that I wanted to emulate is the differences in the abilities of each character. In Home Sheep Home, the sheep differ in jump height, size, and strength, encouraging them to overcome challenges cooperatively. Alternatively, Wings & Whiskers will involve two separate animals (a pigeon and a ferret), each with relatively straightforward strengths and weaknesses (e.g. flying vs squeezing through small spaces). The choice of animals partially depended on the availability of sprite sheets that could be visually integrated with the pixel-art style I’m aiming for. 

Another major feature of both Home Sheep Home and Fireboy and Watergirl are the consecutive levels involving a combination of problem-solving (puzzles) and simplistic platforming, typically increasing in difficulty as the players progress through them. In particular, the use of buttons, moveable objects and swinging platforms in Fireboy and Watergirl are mechanics that could be implemented in Wings & Whiskers. 

As seen in Fireboy and Watergirl, it is intended that each player will only play as one character (rather than alternating between them in single-player). Additionally, similar to Home Sheep Home, the game could conclude with reaching a final destination like “home”, and like in Bread and Fred, some simple emotes and idle animations could be added to both animals for fun. 

Audience and competitive analysis:

While Wings & Whiskers is intended to appeal to a large range of individuals, especially those who love online and local cooperative games, the general audience will most likely consist of younger gamers (e.g. 8-14) who appreciate short, simplistic web games that can be enjoyed collaboratively with a friend or sibling (as I did with Fireboy and Watergirl when I was younger). Similarly, the cute and cozy atmosphere of the game, as well as the pixel-art style, may be more appealing to some demographics than others, such as younger children. A similar effect could also occur due to the simplicity of the game, as many older individuals may prefer games of a higher difficulty or that revolve around competition rather than teamwork. However, this will not be the same for everyone. 

Additionally, younger audiences will be less likely to own a PC and, therefore, may be more drawn to web/flash games that perform well on a standard laptop, which is the intent of Wings & Whiskers. The use of local co-op complements this idea as this form of multiplayer is potentially more accessible to children. 

Furthermore, the puzzle-focused style of the game, combined with platforming, has been proven to be a successful concept in the past, as seen by the success of smaller games such as Fireboy and Watergirl, Bread and Fred and Home Sheep Home as well as larger and potentially better-known games such as Portal 2, It Takes Two, Human Fall Flat and Unravel 2 (Figure 4). No matter the intended demographic, what makes these games so successful is the way their mechanics promote teamwork, providing the opportunity for the players to bond and form long-lasting memories. I aim to create a game that also achieves this, while standing out for its unique simplicity, art style and combination of mechanics from pre-existing games.