Demon Turf and the Art of Self-Expression Through Movement

Video games have always intrigued me. It is because the players are directly involved in the development of the game. The players express themselves through the game’s mechanics! The way the game handles this depends on what genre it is. Adventure games allow the player to communicate their thoughts through dialogue options. Fighters allow the player to communicate their thoughts and feelings using complex buttons combinations. Racers allow the player to express themselves by choosing their driving style and car. A 3D Platformer allows the player to express their feelings through simple movement.

It was this realization that made the genre unique to me. It was so special that I had to confront it together with my amazing team to see it in action and to explore the core concept. There is a genre for every style. Each has its unique expression. That’s as fundamental as it gets, and precisely why it’s so exciting to me. It’s beautifully simple and approachable but hides an insane amount of depth! How is this possible? It’s all about the details of giving the player an abundance of choice in how they progress without requiring any specific solution.

Let’s say the player needs to climb a tower of sorts. Is the player supposed to run straight towards the tower? Do they take a leisurely stroll around the ledge first? They might do a triple jump followed by a double jump in order to get to the top. Do they do a triple jump followed by a double jump? To speed up their progress, do they spin jump over moving platforms? The player decides how they would like to get past the space. They then act on it in their own way! The key is to offer the player options that they can do easily and are satisfying. You can add depth to your movement by using clever combinations of moves.

With Demon TurfWe released a demo some time back that included weekly challenges and helped to create a vibrant speedrunning community. It’s no exaggeration to say that the playstyles between our best runners were so diverse, that I could differentiate them and tell you which recordings are by which runner simply by observing their movement style. And that’s something very special to me and our team. The movement is so simple and easy, with so many choices that they all connect so easily, people can develop their own styles, while also feeling great. Both beginners and experts!

To ensure that everyone feels included, we added a wide range of accessibility options to make it easier for people with disabilities. It involved button mapping and color blind mode, as well as a variety of gameplay options. It also meant we had to come up with a solution if you’re simply stuck and can’t beat a level despite your best efforts! That’s where the “revolutionists” come into play! They will beat it for you, but you’ll need to pay some sweets. Don’t worry though, you can reclaim your sweets anytime by trying the level again later! We also added gameplay mods you can buy to modify your movements, as well as dyes & pets to customize your look. Not only does Beebz, the protagonist, express your movements but she’ll also rock your styles as well!

This game was a labor of love. It’s loaded with content and challenges, has a world filled to the brim with oddball characters and, at its core, tries to be the most fun 3D platforming experience you can have. Demon Turf launches today and I can’t wait to see how everyone expresses themselves across the turfs to take on the Demon King! Best of luck to you all and, most importantly, have fun

Demon Turf

Playtonic Friends

☆☆☆☆☆
1

★★★★★

$24.99

The Demon World is inhabited by all kinds of nasties… Most of them lumped into gangs battling for dominion, each led by its own head honcho. These bad men aren’t enough to defeat the Demon King. Instead, the task falls to Beebz, a young demon barely a thousand years old, who decides it’s time for her to kick every turf leader’s butt and become the Demon Queen herself.

• A unique aesthetic combining the expressiveness of 2D illustrations with the depth and sense of exploration 3D environments can offer!
• A world chock-full of humor and style, from the music accompanied by the protagonist’s rapping to the colorful characters inhabiting the world!
• A unique take on progression! You can take a victory lap to explore levels that you have never seen before and discover the liberated state. There are many environmental and mechanical changes you will find. Sidequests, and other challenges can be done in the hub.
• Pull off some clever platforming combinations or get physical with a special physics-driven combat system that ramps up the chaos and fun. You can push, pull, and spin your opponents out of reach.
• A different take on checkpoints, freeing the player to place them wherever they want. You can show off your checkpoints without them to make a flawless run or put one on in order to prepare for challenging sections.
• Unique challenges like the “Photo Hunt” mode where you’re tasked to take pictures of hidden locations & surprising moments! Take photos and take selfies to have fun. Share them via all social networks!
• An awesome collection of purchasable mods that can be combined in clever ways to completely change your playstyle! Or you could buy some dyes & pets instead, the world’s your oyster!
• Tons of carefully crafted levels that constantly introduce new challenges as well as engaging bosses full of character and life! Until Beebz gets to them…

Slime-san’s creators have created their latest creation. To take this 3D platformer up a notch, the team combined all they had learned in their 2D platformer.