All posts tagged in Puzzle Game
Jun 17, 2019
Elliot & Ko is a Paper Mario inspired game about cute animal friends exploring! This slice-of-life platforming game is about interacting with many areas each with their own lovable anthropomorphic animals to meet and puzzles to solve. The sole developer is Jacob, with the help of Angel who has done some wonderful concept art and designs for the characters and the architecture. The game is still in very early development but is planned for PC and mobile on both iOS and Android.
We here at myPotatoGames would like to thank Jacob for taking the time to answers our many questions about Elliot & Ko and we are very excited to share everything with you down below!
Right to left: Elliot and Ko Meet the Elliot & Ko Team
Play as Elliot, accompanied by Ko, and meet new friends along your journey. Some characters are sassy, some are anxious, some neurotic, but all tend to be charming and friendly (in their own right), and always ready to chat. There’s a big focus on interactions and dialog so you’ll really enjoy talking to these quirky villagers.
Elliot: a sleepy sheep boy. They recently learned to count to 50, enjoys 12-hour naps, and is a little too hard on themselves.
Ko: a frosty deer that loves the cold (see t-shirt), relaxing, and eating food. He tends to be very quiet but certainly isn’t unfriendly!
Nettles: the cutest little bird witch around. She has too many plants, makes plans and immediately forgets about them, is a huge nerd, and wants you to like her boots and books.
Lily: a precious little frog that loves to skip around. More will be revealed about her at a later date.
Milk: loves Boba tea and growing her little garden. She grew up rather sheltered and became materialistic. However, she wants a chance to change and leave behind the boring daily grinds of the city.
Your Adventure Begins…
In the prologue, you are in an ‘origami ocean’ in a lovely papercraft boat sailing toward the main town to the east. During this time, you will be given small challenges and taught the basics of controls, mechanics, and turn-based battles. When you reach the dock, you’ll enter the hub world. This Victorian area is a sophisticated town in beautiful pastel colors where posh aristo-cats live. Jacob continues to narrate the intro: “Its residents all take to the two little explorers quite quickly, if not in kindness at least in attention. Various interactions with the townspeople will set off plots and (side)quests throughout the game, including setting the first chapter in motion with the sprawling, dark, industrialized metropolis hidden beneath, unseen and unheard, an unspoken secret. Surely it’s nothing sinister, but a sign that the perfection and high society whimsical life above is not without its costs.“
Origami Ocean Four Areas, Four Very Different Environmental Designs
Among the other residents, in the pastel town you will meet Meringue; a lazy cat that picks fights with the sailor rabbit down by the harbor. You’ll also meet his sister Muffin who owns her own little bakery. They are both very sassy and very rich.
Meringue and Muffin 
Sailor Rabbit
This industrialized metropolis has very glamorous and large skyscrapers, with a heavy cyberpunk theme. Elliot and Ko quickly discover that many of the little workers here seem overworked.
There are currently two other worlds with two more chapters that Jacob is working on: a train that will lead you through a western canyon and directly into space, and a little snow-covered village. This mysterious and naturalistic town houses spirits and hidden ruins. The people that you will meet here aren’t immediately willing or able to speak with you. Below you’ll see images of the area-in-progress with snowflakes, steps made of ice, and northern lights.
Snowy Village Battles, Quests, and Items
When you meet Lily, Nettles, and Milk, they will join you on your adventure and even in battle. You can choose your own party of three at all times. Each party member will have their own unique abilities. Re-enter past areas or keep checking out the hub world to discover new ways to use your partners’ abilities and gain access to new areas you weren’t able to reach before. Don’t forget to frequently speak to all of the NPCs for quests and other things to do, as well as shopping for supplies. These items include crafting materials and new abilities. You can also forage for items or receive them from enemy-drops.
Jacob emphasizes that the battles themselves will not be either repetitive nor a grind. You’ll be able to do microgames to pull off special moves and therefore should be plenty unique, fun, and engaging. Each battle may even have different conditions to fulfill. If enemy drops are wearing you down, the developer plans on creating cute little couriers that are more than willing to come and fetch any excess baggage you may want dropped off back in town. Jacob says he plans on having these couriers be adorable little puppies that come to you by parachute.
For More Information
To learn more about Elliot & Ko’s development and progress, you can follow along on Twitter here and the Discord channel here. We wish Jacob all the best and can’t wait for the finished product of this adorable game and sweet/charming art style.
- Jun 16, 2019
Knights and Bikes is a quirky action-adventure set on a fictional British island in the late 1980s. The creators convey that they were “inspired by coming-of-age movies like The Goonies and classic games like Earthbound and Secret of Mana.” Knights and Bikes was funded successfully via Kickstarter in March 2016, which you can visit to view their items for sale.
The developer, Foam Sword, is a little game company by Rex Crowle (Tearaway, LittleBigPlanet) and Moo Yu (LittleBigPlanet, Ratchet & Clank), who are dedicated to making games about fun, friends, and imagination. The publishers behind the game are Double Fine Presents. Although there is no set release date as of yet, the game will be available for PS4 and on Steam.
You play as two characters: Nessa & Demelza (cooperatively online or locally). They’re tough and imaginative girls exploring the island of Penfurzy in search of mysteries and on a quest to find the legendary treasure. Cycle around on bikes, explore the natural beauty of the environment, and save the ancient island from ruin. Meanwhile, you must rescue the adults that have gone missing!
Deal with enemies in an endearing child-like and hilarious way by using frisbees, water-balloons, a cranked-up stereo, a pet goose (you can high-five your goose), and more. Moreover, the trinkets you collect from adventuring and from the islanders you save, allows you to upgrade your bikes, learn new abilities, and to travel further.
Key Features
- Best friends forever! Play single-player with an AI companion, couch co-op or online co-op.
- Solve puzzles and deal with enemies using your improvised abilities! These include: frisbees, water-balloons, puddle-stomping welly boots, and a powerful boom-box stereo.
- Work together! Both characters have different skills so you’ll want to experiment with how they combine in order to succeed.
- Explore the island! Seek out its modern tourist-attractions and ancient ruins, both on foot and on your customised bikes.
- Discover treasure! Ranging from trinkets like broken action-figures and animal skulls, to the legendary riches rumoured to be hidden on the island.
- Upgrade your bikes! Barter with adults (offload your junk) so you can personalise your bikes, unlock extra abilities or at the very least: get those training-wheels removed!
- Tend to your pet goose! Captain Honkers has a keen nose-beak and can help you find what you need, if you keep him fed and happy.
This game offers a completely hand-painted visual art style which gives it a very unique look. Interested in fun and different graphics? Check out our most recent news of LUNA, a point-and-click game. Like the idea of having a pet goose? Check out this upcoming game here.
Photo Gallery
- Jun 12, 2019
Natsume has shared some insights on its next game. Harvest Moon Mad Dash is a spin off the original Harvest Moon game. While recent Harvest Moon farming games have received mixed review from fans, Harvest Moon Mad Dash promises to delight fans who enjoy co-op puzzle games much in the realm of Overcooked and other similar games.
At its core Harvest Moon Mad Dash is a color matching puzzle game, but there is a lot more to it, to make it stand out against other puzzle games. At the beginning of each round the playing field will be populated with two or more different types of crops. The player must find clever ways to combine these crops into a square. Once a player achieves this goal the flowers will blossom and become even bigger crops. Going even further to combine these bigger crops into a square, the player will be able to harvest these crops for points.
The games visuals are cute, and a farming puzzle game seems like a lot of fun! Early feedback from players who enjoyed the game at E3 have been positive. We are excited to get to try Harvest Moon Mad Dash later this year!
Harvest Moon: Mad Dash launches this fall for Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4, and it will retail for $29.99.
If you are curious to learn more about the split between Harvest Moon and Story of Seasons and its entire history, head over here.
- Jun 1, 2019
Me – A Tale of Paws and Leaves is an adorable RPG puzzler.
There have been many games coming out lately that help players learn about and deal with the range of emotions that we experience throughout our lives. From the emotional rollercoaster that is a long distance relationship in “A Fold Apart“, to overcoming seemingly insurmountable obstacles in “Celeste“. The virtual world has truly been going after the heart lately. The same can be said for “Me – A Tale of Paws and Leaves”. This is another wonderful title that gently guides us through the turmoils we face from day to day.
In “Me – A Tale of Paws and Leaves”, you play as a fox named Me, and must explore the land around you with the help of your trusty butterfly, Ani. Ani will be you adorable yet slightly verbose best friend. The game is experienced through memories, seemingly to aid in the idea of overcoming that which looms over us all, a fear of death.
Although tackling some pretty hard hitting and emotional issues, the game never loses its sense of humor. The beautiful graphics also give a sense of peace and wonder as you explore with you overly-wordy partner. Me also has the ability to control the seasons, which adds a nice touch to the varied gameplay. For instance, you will actually have the choice to take a nice swim across a pond in your path, or simply freeze it and stroll right over.
Me – A Tale of Leaves and Paws is currently still in development by indie studio Grown Arts. For up-to-date information about the development of “Me – A Tale Of Paws and Leaves”, be sure to follow them on Twitter by clicking here. For all the information one might need on this charming vulpes title, you can totally check out their website by clicking here!
- May 17, 2019
Billie Bust Up is a puzzle and 3D platforming game with two cute main characters: Billie the goat and Oscar the fox. Together you are on a mission to rediscover magic and uncover a thrilling mystery which involves your missing friends. Moreover, use both characters to explore and combine their unique skill-sets!
Billie Bust Up is created by a small indie studio called BlueprintGames and is still in early development thus there is no set release date. As fans of Yooka-Laylee, we at myPotatoGames will be keeping an eye on this one.
Key Features
- Single Player or Couch Co-operative play, we have two unique characters to pick from, play as Billie or Oscar! Both characters have their own move sets that set them apart, combine their skills to reach new heights.
- A large cast of interesting characters and levels, will you end up a prisoner of the cat pirates and their fearsome Queen? Or will you end up trapped inside a voodoo doll by an egotistical possessed puppet.
- Deep interesting backstory, layered with mystery. Just because the game is aimed at children doesn’t mean it can’t have depth, story-line and developed characters.
We also thought that everyone’s day will become that much brighter by taking a look at this adorable Tweet.
Become a Patreon here and give feedback by testing the game, view behind the scenes content, have access to exclusive merchandise and artwork, and access to their special Discord channels.
For other cooperative and fun games, check out our articles on Moving Out and Scout’s Honor.
- May 16, 2019
Moving Out is created by SMG Studio in Australia (and in collaboration with Devm Games in Stockholm), an indie game development studio that won awards for their games such as Death Squared. This hilarious action, puzzle, and physics-based moving simulator game is a nice mesh of Frogger and Overcooked! I mean who doesn’t want to become a F.A.R.T (certified Furniture Arrangement & Relocation Technician)? For now, you can wishlist the game on Steam, which has a release date window of 2019.
Complete the 50+ levels that will let you get into all sorts of shenanigans. For example, unloading cargo off moving planes, smuggling giraffes out of the zoo, and transporting goods to strange locales like haunted houses and outer space. Furthermore, customers appreciate prompt delivery so you can break down the walls, throw things, and use technology like portals and ray guns!
Local Co-op and Multiplayer
Be an independent contractor or team up with a friend! Moving Out features both local and online play across its arcade, story, and versus modes. Each level also adjusts the experience dynamically to account for the number of players on screen, thereby welcoming Smooth Move employees of all ages and skill levels. Moreover, with party mode you’ll be able to compete for the highest score locally or against the community.
Character Customization
As you can see in SMG Studio’s latest Tweet, you can change your avatar’s hair and skin color. You can be blue, purple, or green; anything goes in this quirky game!
Check out their website here if you want to sign up and follow them for more information. For another wacky and cooperative game, check out our article about Knights and Bikes. If relocating and unpacking is your thing, check out Unpacking.
- May 10, 2019
Locomotion is a railway puzzle and adventure game developed by Polyfox, a small indie studio in the UK. Help the conductor to find their gold, stolen by an alien, by guiding a train to different worlds and overcoming challenging puzzles along the way. Haul wagons and flick switches through fifty-one levels such as home on the range to the final frontier. You can play Locomotion today, May 10th, 2019, over on Steam here!
Different themed worlds have different trains Get your steamy choo-choo-train on the right tracks by changing the directions with signs, turntables, and lifts in this western-themed world seen below, and don’t forget to grab your gold along the way! The unique ways to chug along will change depending on the world you’re in (i.e. teleportation in the sci-fi level).
Control where your train goes by changing the tracks Key Features
- Explore a captivating cartoon world.
- Solve challenging puzzles using over a dozen mechanics. Use a magnet to haul a wagon onto a switch, turning a turntable holding a fan that blows you to the next level.
- Unravel a story of loss, vengeance, and unidentified flying objects.
Enjoy solving puzzles? Do it with friends as cardboard boxes in Pile Up! You can also guide your fast food via conveyor belts and with the help of robotic machines in this kitchen puzzle game called Automachef!
- Explore a captivating cartoon world.
- May 9, 2019
Button City is a coming-of-age game about making friends and adorable anthropomorphic animals trying to save their local arcade. Play mini-games, solves puzzles, and complete quests in a world with beautiful pastel colors and floating islands. Button City is created by Subliminal, a two-person indie game studio and is still in early development with no release date or announcements on platforms. However, stay tuned with myPotatoGames to stay caught up with all of the updates (see below for the latest post on their Patreon page).
About Button City
The game follows a shy fox named Fennel as he befriends the coolest kids in town, the Fluff Squad. He joins them at the Button City arcade for the tournament of the summer against their ultimate rivals the Tuff Fluffs. But their battle is cut short when they discover that the arcade will soon be closing its doors to make way for a Big Box store. With friendship on their side and a crazy scheme, the Fluff Squad set out to save their beloved hangout and win arcade glory.
At the Button City arcade, there is a fierce rivalry brewing. Eight spunky kids, two teams, one game, and one prize. It is the battle of the Fluff Squad versus the Tuff Fluffs, a story as old as time. In the arcade and beyond their rivalry runs deep. Which team is the best in town!?
The Fluff Squad
The Fluff Squad comes in with Fennel the Fox, Sorrel the Cat, Lavender the Panda, and Chive the Rabbit. They are pastel loving friends who are bright and love to dance. Don’t let their cute looks fool you, these Fluff’s mean business.
Sorrel the team leader brings the hype! Always looking for thrills and excitement she will infect you with her energy and pump you up times a billion! When she’s not dancing or playing games you can find her doing her Metal Yoga.
Chive is inventive and quick-witted. Looking to make things faster, stronger, better she hacks together devices and tinkers with the world around her so she is always at the cutting edge. She will not slow down to explain things so try to keep up.
Lavender is creative, enthusiastic, and caring. She loves to write fanfiction and draw fanart in her free time. She will talk your ear off for hours about her favorite books, shows, games, and manga. Don’t bad mouth her favorite characters or she will bring down wrath like no other.
Fennel is the newest Fluff Squad member! He is a bit shy and quiet but he’s excited to have all these cool new friends. He loves to play video games and he’s currently trying to memorize all of the knock-knock jokes in his new book, but he’s embarrassed to try telling any.
The Tuff Fluffs
The Tuff Fluffs are here to rumble with Saffron the Cat, Cayenne the Mouse, Paprika the Pup, and Sesame the Bear. These younglings come in ruff and tumble but do it for love and respect.
Saffron is the leader of the Tuff Fluffs and she means business. She will be the shoulder to cry on, she will help little old ladies cross the street, she will be Tuff to do what’s right. With lollipop in paw, she leads by being true to her Tuffness.
Cayenne is the brains of the Tuff Fluffs! Even at a young age, he already reads at a 10th-grade reading level and does complex long division in his head! He will outsmart you with high-level tactics in game and then get a perfect score at trivia.
Paprika is a star! They are super photogenic, super nice and have a ton of friends. Though they are always positive, there may be more than what they are letting on.
Sesame is super chill listening to the freshest beats before anyone else. He’s always cool to hang out with and there to listen when you’re feeling down.
More Information
You can support their game by becoming a Patreon here and receive emails, behind-the-scenes videos, the ability to vote on things, a special role on their Discord channel, and more! In addition, find out more about how to follow theses developers in our previous article of Button City here.
If you enjoy adorable talking animals, you should check out our article about a village simulation game, Hokko Life.
