Recently I participated in the alternative controller game jam AltCtrl 2014. My entry is called Waves of the Æsir, a one player 2D action game, themed around Norse mythology. You play as 1 of 3 Norse gods and are tasked with guiding your Viking followers home across the stormy seas.
The alternative controller aspect of my game is in the ability to choose how you play the game, you can play using either your voice, your breath or your eye blinks. Each controller was paired with a Norse deity who best encapsulated the type of interaction you would be using and were given character specific powers to emphasize this. For example, Bragi, the God of Poetry and Music, has a golden harp. You control him using sound which can be used to create ocean waves that help you dodge objects.
You can check out the game on its submission page as well as download it and try it out for yourself. To play you’ll need one of the following devices (or all 3 to play every available character): a microphone, a Zephyr HxM heart monitor and a Bluetooth NeuroSky headset. I’d be interested to hear your thoughts and experiences with the game, so please feel free to leave a comment below.
I’ll be writing a development journal later on this week to explain the themes behind the game and how the final product came about. Originally I wanted to build a 4 player fighting game based on the Wizard Battle episode from Adventure Time (I love that show), but it was proving difficult given the themes I was working with.
Being my first game jam, this experience was stressful, but I’m happy with how it turned out in the end. I couldn’t of done it though without my sister, Kirstie, drawing the games fantastic artwork and my partner Jodi for providing feedback during its development.
I heartily recommend checking out the other game jam entries, their a fascinating collection of game controllers, some of which I imagine we’ll see more of in the future.