Over the summer of 2009 I entered into the Dare to be Digital compitition with my team Digital Colony. We were given 10 weeks to develope a prototype computer game of our own design. Pollen was the game we created.
The idea behind Pollen was for the player to guide their swarm of bees through various obsticles in a farmyard type environment in order for the bees to find a new home. All input in the game is handled through gesture controls – for example circling objects, or drawing lines. In order to move the swarm the player simply clicks where they would like the swarm to fly to or alternately drag the swarm arround the screen. There are 4 differing bee “classes”: Solder Bees, Worker Bees, Bumble Bees and Brain Bees. Each of these bee types have their own abilities which must be utilised in order to survive and reach the goal.
The Soldier Bees are able to attack any enemies that prove to be an obsticle for the swarm. With the Soldier Bees selected, slashing across an enemy will cause one of the soldier bee’s to leave the group and attack the enemy with its stinger. Repeated slashes accross the enemy, or group of enemies will see multiple bees attacking one or several enemies.
Worker Bees are able to pick up objects and use them either to overcome ostacles or to defeat enemies. With the Worker Bees selected circling an object will prompt the worker bee’s to pick it up. With an object picked up, slashing in a direction will make the bees throw the object in the specified direction.
Bumble Bees are able to collect Pollen for the group – the resource used to measure the success of a play through. With the Bumble Bees selected cicling Pollen will prompt the bees to begin collecting it. Once they have finished, they will return to their previous position. In addition to collecting Pollen, Bumble Bees can resurrect fallen bees at a cost to the currently collected Pollen. Circling ghost bees will resurrect them.
Finally, Brain Bees can read sign posts and mimic images on them, organising themselves into the shapes. Using these shapes, obsticles can be overcome – for example the bees could form an umbrella and therefore pass under falling water. Circling a sign post will prompt the bees to form the shape on it, and slashing across the bees will cause them to leave it. Some shapes will require additional interaction and require the player to “use” the shape the bees have formed on some object. For example, the bee’s might form a key, and cicling on a lock will cause them to unlock it.
Heres a video of it running, or you can also click here and watch it in HD!
