Soarin' Scurry Alternative Controller Game
Donation protected
Hey guys!
We are Michelle Pineda, Miki Straus, and Nikolas Wood, and together we’re Dolphin Dungeon Games! Right now we’re hoping to raise money to fund our first alternative controller game, “Soarin Scurry!”
What’s “Soarin’ Scurry,” you ask? It’s a racing experimental game where your body is the controller: stomp your feet to run, flap your arms to fly. We’ve built custom pressure pads and elbow-braced buttons to unleash the racing bird you were always meant to be. Our level design puts your body coordination and avian skills to the test; navigate through our luscious, neon jungle and reach the finish line first to claim victory (and bragging rights)!
Our game was initially created during a games installation course at Maryland Institute College of Art, where we learned about alternative forms of play and custom controllers. Each of us is drawn to the idea of interactive game mechanics without the use of handheld controllers; we want players to get their hearts pumping and their wings flapping. We believe that even if you’re not playing the game, you shouldn’t be left out. The performative aspect of our game allows the whole room to be invited in watching players duke it out - much like the nostalgia you’d find in an old-school arcade.
When our game first hatched, our controls were just a collection of cardboard and wires. It had a rougher interface because our focus at that time was all about experimenting and finding the right “feel” to the movement and mechanics. Over time, we started to fine-tune the materials for the wearable controllers and improve our wiring techniques. A few months after we created the game, Soarin’ Scurry was accepted into MAGFest Indie Arcade 2019! This amazing opportunity propelled us to design new stomp pads and elbow braces so that they would be compatible with a bigger and broader audience. Inspired by DIY Dance Dance Revolution pressure boards, our new stomp pads, adorned with springs and insulated tape, proved much more effective than our initial prototypes; however, they still required multiple repairs during the event. We also replaced our initial backpack design (which hid the buttons’ breadboard and wiring) to a “feathered” tube system, but there were still a few vulnerable points that surfaced there too.
We learned quite a few lessons about how much work goes into keeping a game running smoothly during such an important convention. But have no fear though; we’ve officially been invited back for MAGFest 2020! We’re eager to put our ideas and improvements to work, but we need your help. Soarin’ Scurry is our passion project and the main outlet for each of us to experiment with alternative controller and game design. We are on the path to deliver a feel-good game that sparks energy and excitement in both the players and surrounding spectators.
This is why we are starting a GoFundMe: we would love your help and support so we can continue this aerial adventure. Our biggest priorities are creating higher quality controllers and designing brand-new levels for a Grand Bird Prix so we can bring our A-game to MAGfest 2020 and get our project soaring to new heights. Any amount to help us reach those goals would be greatly appreciated. Thank you so much for taking the time to read through, and we hope to see you flapping your way through Soarin’ Scurry in the future!
Check out our site here!
Click here to play our early levels on PC!
If you donate $10 or more, we would love to send you a sticker bundle that includes these neon-tropical designs, as well as a bonus design from last year's batch!
We are Michelle Pineda, Miki Straus, and Nikolas Wood, and together we’re Dolphin Dungeon Games! Right now we’re hoping to raise money to fund our first alternative controller game, “Soarin Scurry!”
What’s “Soarin’ Scurry,” you ask? It’s a racing experimental game where your body is the controller: stomp your feet to run, flap your arms to fly. We’ve built custom pressure pads and elbow-braced buttons to unleash the racing bird you were always meant to be. Our level design puts your body coordination and avian skills to the test; navigate through our luscious, neon jungle and reach the finish line first to claim victory (and bragging rights)!
Our game was initially created during a games installation course at Maryland Institute College of Art, where we learned about alternative forms of play and custom controllers. Each of us is drawn to the idea of interactive game mechanics without the use of handheld controllers; we want players to get their hearts pumping and their wings flapping. We believe that even if you’re not playing the game, you shouldn’t be left out. The performative aspect of our game allows the whole room to be invited in watching players duke it out - much like the nostalgia you’d find in an old-school arcade.
When our game first hatched, our controls were just a collection of cardboard and wires. It had a rougher interface because our focus at that time was all about experimenting and finding the right “feel” to the movement and mechanics. Over time, we started to fine-tune the materials for the wearable controllers and improve our wiring techniques. A few months after we created the game, Soarin’ Scurry was accepted into MAGFest Indie Arcade 2019! This amazing opportunity propelled us to design new stomp pads and elbow braces so that they would be compatible with a bigger and broader audience. Inspired by DIY Dance Dance Revolution pressure boards, our new stomp pads, adorned with springs and insulated tape, proved much more effective than our initial prototypes; however, they still required multiple repairs during the event. We also replaced our initial backpack design (which hid the buttons’ breadboard and wiring) to a “feathered” tube system, but there were still a few vulnerable points that surfaced there too.
We learned quite a few lessons about how much work goes into keeping a game running smoothly during such an important convention. But have no fear though; we’ve officially been invited back for MAGFest 2020! We’re eager to put our ideas and improvements to work, but we need your help. Soarin’ Scurry is our passion project and the main outlet for each of us to experiment with alternative controller and game design. We are on the path to deliver a feel-good game that sparks energy and excitement in both the players and surrounding spectators.
This is why we are starting a GoFundMe: we would love your help and support so we can continue this aerial adventure. Our biggest priorities are creating higher quality controllers and designing brand-new levels for a Grand Bird Prix so we can bring our A-game to MAGfest 2020 and get our project soaring to new heights. Any amount to help us reach those goals would be greatly appreciated. Thank you so much for taking the time to read through, and we hope to see you flapping your way through Soarin’ Scurry in the future!
Check out our site here!
Click here to play our early levels on PC!
If you donate $10 or more, we would love to send you a sticker bundle that includes these neon-tropical designs, as well as a bonus design from last year's batch!
Co-organizers (2)
Michelle Pineda
Organizer
Rockville, MD
Miki Straus
Co-organizer