Introduction to Game Development is a crash course attended by all students in their first semester. 2006 saw the introduction of the Torque 2D-platform (replacing Flash from previous years), and a general space shooter theme.
Sumo
Sumo was originally created as an school assignment in the theme ”modernistic game”. Sumo is a modernistic fighting game based on finger wrestling. The first version of Sumo was made with the program Gamemaker and simple graphic. The game received good reviews at school and Yokaj Studio decided to compete in Swedish Game Awards with Sumo. Two weeks before the competitions deadline, they started rebuilding the game in Java. Even though all the members of the studio are artists they succeded making a functional game. The reward came when Sumo won the ”Best game concept” cathegory in Swedish Game Awards 2006.
Read more about Sumo at Yokaj Studios official site.
Sumo på Spelfest 2006
Sumo på SGA 2006 SuperPLAY
Head Banger
Head Banger is an arcade game produced by first year students for the Gotland Game Convention 2006. It was awarded first prize and the team (and their game) got to tour Sweden; participating in Spelfest 06 and the Swedish Game Awards 2007.
The challenge is to head-bang to the beat and playing air-guitar to the sounds of a rock video. The game can be played alone or in a showdown with a friend and features bands like Refused, Morgana Lefay and The Haunted.
The cabinet had smoke machines, wireless controllers and even (in version 2) a camera recording the players and offering to print a poster of the raging rock gods after the game!
… and beer holders. These guys sure thought of everything. 🙂
Some of the people from Team Ninja went on to create Databox Games in 2008.
Azida Keep
Azida Keep is a turn-based, digital board game where you and up to three friends play adventurers entering the Keep at dusk, seeking to possess the treasures of the great Serpent.
You play the role of one of ten adventurers burdened by fate to enter the Keep, defying the certain death and madness waiting inside the heavy doors. The many legends of visitors lost forever or returning in madness is testament to the abominations and horrors lurking inside the dark chambers of the Keep. But legend also has it that in the very center of the Keep rests the great Serpent on a hoard of treasures and ancient artifacts.
- Azida Keep is designed to provide a genuine board game feeling – fiddle with your cards, roll the dice, and watch the pieces come to life as the dungeon is explored.
- Top-down perpective dungeon-exploring with beautiful graphics depicting the dark chambers of a far-away keep with architecture and inhabitants coming from asian myths.
- Smart turn-based game play will keep you busy even when waiting for your turn. You will always be busy weighing risks against each other or talking to your friends who are up to the very same struggle.
- Become the dungeon master and take control of the monsters of the Keep or fight desperately to keep your adventurer alive against creatures controlled by your human opponents!
- The Keep’s chambers, corridors, murderous traps and iniquitous statues are randomly generating a diabolic maze every game session, which means limitless replayability!
- The Keep is actually dangerous. Fear, survival and imminent death makes it a true achievement making it out at all. Winning is always a second priority.
- Face numerous hideous creatures in the Keep’s darkness and flee or fight them using a brand new combat system in which each character’s fighting style is unique and must be played differently in order to win. No more mindless hack’n’slash.
- Everything in the Keep hates you. Not even that which looks like treasure is safely picked up or consumed. Be at your toes trying to determine and learn what in the dungeon holds you dear and what will explode in the curious adventurer’s face. Nothing is certain.
- The ever-expanding dungeon holds devilish traps, a complete subterranean level, trinkets and treasure along the way as well as chests, bottomless pits, intelligent monsters and lots of other features to make the exploration of the dungeon a truly enjoyable experience.
Team:
Jakob Berglund Rogert, Project Management and Design
Nicklas Mattisson, 2D Graphics and Communications Manager
Martin Lanner, 3D Artist
Johan Ericsson, Lead Artist, Visual Design, Management
Jonas “Endasil” Stohr, Programming
Carl Craaford, Programming
Jimmy Dahlin, Art (external)
Mikael Hedberg, Design, Sound
Carl Stålnäbb, Artist, Animation
Website: http://azidakeep.penguinstyle.com/
