A new free game on Steam encourages players to play in turns while everyone else in the room can watch. Tuomas Erikoinen's new game Jono changes how people approach platforming games by shifting the focus to the chat. This interesting format creates a collaborative experience for small groups without the usual screen-traffic jams.
Solo developer Tuomas Erikoinen releases turn-based pixel platformer
The new title is a free download on the Steam platform. Developed by the solo developer Tuomas Erikoinen, his studio Part Time Monkey has created Jono as a pixel art platformer. The key mechanic of this game is the need for players to swap out players to take turns in control of the character at one minute intervals. Everyone who is not actively playing can watch the game and strategize in the chat window.
The game keeps score for everyone so that whenever a room is completed by someone, it's completed for the whole group. Any deaths only reset a single room at a time, so the team always makes progress together. For those seeking a more difficult time, a 'Meat Grinder' mode is available. This gamplay focuses on communication and teamwork, rather than the standard speed-running.
According to Erikoinen, the game has reached over 540 players and 85,000 chat messages within 17 days of its launch. He says that small games like this often end up big overnight. They tend to get copied quite fast by other people.
The high chat activity appears to be the biggest reason that people are staying around for the game. This social feature turns a standard platforming game into a collaborative spectator event.
Source: DEXERTO
Discussion
0 comments