UsTwo created a climbing journey for Fb Gaming
It has been six years since the digital design studio UsTwo developed Monument Valley: a puzzle game inspired by MC Escher that triggered millions of downloads and thus set a new standard for mobile games. The success of the project prompted UsTwo to set up its own game department, which has worked out some impressive follow-up measures in recent years – from Monument Valley II to the charming Assemble With Care.
This week UsTwo's New York office released a new title created exclusively for the Facebook gaming platform. Go Go Bots takes place in a slippery cyberpunk universe and is a fast-paced game that allows players to test their logic by facing a series of climbing challenges. Players can choose between five robot characters and play in single or multiplayer. They compete against others to complete climbing routes in the fastest possible time.
Gameplay was inspired by real bouldering, where people climb walls through color-coded courses, says Chris Marotta, design manager at UsTwo New York, CR. "At the heart of bouldering lies the concept of the" climbing puzzle "- this idea that getting from A to B is a little problem, sometimes through pure speed and strength, sometimes through grace and cleverness," he explains.
The game was designed so that it can be consumed easily when idle – e.g. B. while waiting for a train or commuting to work (or sitting on the sofa at home with locks). "We know that players at Facebook's Instant Games are interested in snacks that are only a short time for fun." So we wanted something that would give players a meaningful session in those few minutes, ”says Marotta. “We knew that we had to accept the competitive spirit. If the player does not see a clear path to victory in a race or feels that he cannot win, the game is suddenly much less interesting. ”
The project emerged from a broader partnership between UsTwo New York and Facebook: the studio has worked with the social media platform for the past four years to develop the vision for its gaming platform that started in 2018. This platform allows developers to create games in HTML5, which means that players can access them instantly on a mobile phone or desktop using the Facebook app. (A standalone app is also available on Google Play that allows players to view game streams, join game groups, and play games created for Facebook Gaming.)
The process started with a two-day workshop in which Facebook informed UsTwo about the type of experience they wanted to offer players. UsTwo's original idea was to create custom bots that players could use to tackle a number of crazy challenges – a concept inspired by iconic Japanese game shows like Most Extreme Elimination – but this soon turned out to be problematic. "We thought it would be fun for players to see their bots destroyed in a silly way – but it turns out there is a fine line between fun and frustration," explains Marotta.
“As we approached a one-handed experience, we switched the Go Go Bots concept to a futuristic game show in which different bots raced up an epic climbing wall. We tried to keep that game show vibe, but we focused on climbing and made more adjustments to the choice of bot (and) game styles, ”he adds.
With its focus on fun and quick challenges, it's a very different experience than the previous versions of UsTwo, which are based on complicated and exciting puzzles. And with its clear instructions, playful graphics and mechanics of racing against time, the game is reminiscent of vintage arcade titles from the 1980s.
According to Marotta, the game's design was influenced by user behavior on Facebook Gaming and the platform's focus on providing accessible games that encourage “friendly competition” and interaction. “A key difference between Facebook Gaming and other gaming platforms is how and why users interact with the platform. There is a tendency to characterize these users as "casual gamers", which is not very informative or feasible in design, "he says.
“We found it more useful to think about them through the lens of key contexts: when and where do they deal with the game? How much time do they have to play? Do you only have one hand free? Discovering, discussing, and ultimately designing for the contexts in which people could play has helped us develop a game that (we hope!) Is enjoyable and accessible to everyone. "
With mobile gaming now accounting for around 10% of total app usage, it's no wonder that Facebook has its sights set on developing its own titles. The range of games seems to have proven to be popular so far – according to Facebook, more than 700 million people play games every month, watch game videos or interact with game groups via Facebook Gaming. In addition to working with UsTwo, Facebook Gaming has also worked with Pokémon and released two new Pokémon games – Pokémon Tower Battle and Pokémon Medallion Battle – on its platform in 2019.
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