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How Parisian commuters inspired the altruistic platforming of KarmaZoo
15.11.2023 - 17:25 / gamedeveloper.com
French studio Pastagames wants to share the love with KarmaZoo, an altruistic platformer that's hoping to show how small acts of kindness are the way forward–both in life and across the title's platter of pixelated of levels.
Those hoping to make headway in the co-op slalom will need to leave their ego at the door. Here, patience and collaboration are the best weapons in your arsenal, with players needing to work together to deftly harness the unique abilities of 50 different avatars to overcome the trials and tribulations ahead.
Despite KarmaZoo looking decidedly zany (what else would you expect from a game published by Devolver Digital), the project was actually inspired by the people of Paris. Specifically, those who ride the Metro each day. During a recent chat with Game Developer, KarmaZoo creative director Nadim Haddad said he noticed how commuters would hold opens doors for each other in a wordless gesture of goodwill, helping strangers reach their destination that little bit quickly.
Haddad wondered if he could replicate that experience in a video game–despite the fact that conflict, in all of its guises, has become the medium's bread and butter.
"There are two mechanics that push players to play together and collaborate," he tells us. "The first one is the Karma system. The pitch behind that is 'help to score.' You have 50 different avatars, and each one has a different way to help. For example, if you hold a door for someone, you get a point. If you make a bridge for someone else, you get a point. Every new way you help someone rewards players with points. This naturally gets people to collaborate."
The other is the "Halo" system, which Haddad explains is based on the idea of "it's not worth doing if you can't share it" and encourages players to stick together by enveloping them in a empowering, protective halo that expands in reach as the group swells. Initially, the halo only provided players with a buff, but Haddad says that failed to dissuade some lone wolves from breaking off to showcase their skills–or, as he puts it, "brag."
"People would leave and try and solve problems alone, not understanding the goal is the find shared solutions. So we created this system in which, when you move away from the team, you actually die now. That's the new game over. If you stay alone for more than 10 seconds you lose."
Haddad says the team landed on that 10 second limit because it provides more daring players with enough time to discover new level mechanics without losing sight of their group, and by extension, safety. But to share any discoveries they find or teach newcomers how to tackle specific obstacles, KarmaZoo players will need to imbue the game's emote-based comms system with meaning.
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