Nice Games Club - a gamedev podcast!

We’re joined this week by Laura Onderwater, friend of the show! Laura is an experienced concept artist currently working with Greensky Games. In this interview, she shares a bit about her workflow and how she thinks about worldbuilding from an artistic perspective. Plus, your hosts learn when to cry into a pillow, and Stephen repeatedly asks for THE limit.Greensky GamesSWARM - "The Epic Arcade Shooter Built for VR" - Greensky GamesVisual WorldbuildingArtMeow Wolf - Immersive ExperiencesWrist and forearm stretches for the workplace - Mayo ClinicThe Art of Psychonauts 2 - Ashley Esqueda, Double Fine ProductionsLaura OnderwaterGuestLaura is a passionate concept artist with years of experience in creating art for games. Laura is always excited to work on new projects, and to bring ideas and worlds to life.External linkLaura on LinkedInLaura on Artstation

Your nice hosts conclude their GDC 2024 coverage with a pair of interviews they conducted at the show. Mark catches a post-show cold, Stephen gets over his, and Ellen thought everything sounded great.Midwest Games / Carbon EngineMidwest GamesMidwest GamesChris Klimecky - LinkedInMidwest Games - Work with usCarbon EngineCarbon Engine - Limited RunShantae Advance - Shantae WikiArzette: The Jewel of FaramoreAlyssa WallesGuestAlyssa Walles is Midwest Games' Chief Operating Officer, as well as the Executive Director of the IGDA Foundation.External linkLinkedInMidwest Games Leadership AnnouncementAudi SorlieGuestProducer at Limited Run Games and Member of Digital Foundry.External linkLinkedIn

And now, the conclusion (sorta!), as tour nice hosts recount the back half of the week at this year's GDC. It's a long one, but there's somehow even more on our Patreon.GDC 2024 Special (Part 2)ReSpec: Accountability SupportHow Nintendo made Super Mario Bros. Wonder so weirdAndrew WebsterThe VergeJack Foley (sound effects artist)WikipediaThe return of 1ReasonToBe and why we still need itMarie DealessandriGamesIndustry.bizPanic says two pallets of Playdates worth $400,000 have vanished in VegasChris KerrGame DeveloperA frequently-cited "good first episode" of Nice Games Club is one where we interview August Brown:Developer/Publisher RelationsWe had Monica on the show to help create a Nice Game Jam game in:Blame the Cat! (with Monica Fan)

Some of your nice hosts, plus some nice guest hosts, traveled to San Fransisco last week for the 2024 Game Developers Conference. There was so much to see and do and it ended up being too much for just one episode... actually, it was too much for just two episodes!So, how much GDC 2024 content is there exactly? Well, plans changed and it's too complex to summarize here, so be nice and have a listen to find out!(SPOILER: There's 2+ hours of extra GDC content on our Patreon page!)Musée MécaniqueGDC 2024 (Part 1)Unity 6 and beyond: A roadmap of Unity Engine and servicesWe discussed the first "Flash Games Postmortem" in:GDC 2017 Special (Part 2)

It's our first roundtable of the year! And did you know that Minneapolis is "partnered up" with Saint Paul? Stephen's not sure what either of these topics have to do with game development, but don't worry—we get there. Ellen kicks off a conversation about how the people we work with have a huge influence on what we create, and the experience of creating it. Mark tries to explain "control flow" in programming, and pretty much everyone gets it. You probably will, too.Cover image by RF Studio - PexelsPartnering UpClick: The Magic of Instant Connectionby Ori Brafman, Ron BrafmanGoodreads0:41:08Control FlowControl flowWikipedia

The clubhouse is caffeinated and ready to jam, game jam that is.The clubhouse is giving a prompt where air movement is the main mechanism of action and they create a physical game for a tabletop (in the style of 'Hungry Hungry Hippos'). The notoriously unpredictable 'Eddies' of air movement gives this game it's name. The main challenge for the team - a more sanitary air blower mechanism than drinking straws: a tiny bellows, small whoopie cushions, slide whistles, or party noisemakers?Prompt"Create a game where the main mechanics are fans and or leaf blowers."Game typeTabletop gamePlayer count2 - 8MaterialsBlowing mechanisms - one per player (drinking straw in playtest)A bunch of small peices of junkA container for the small peices of junkPlaying feild (box, 8 sided)Rule Card DeckSetupThis is a game about some young teenagers who find some leaf blowers in their (octagonal) cul-du-sac and make a game with them.Each player will select a side of the playing field (the box) as their home territory. The goal of the game is to have the least amount of junk (points-wise) fall off of your side of the field.Rule Cards:Separate the Rule cards into the three categories: Puff Variants, Point Variants, and Zone Variants. Shuffle the cards from each category, and pull three of each category to start each of the three rounds.Cards rule examples Puff: Each player has 3 puffs per turnPoint: Each black item is worth +1 point, all other items are worth -1 pointZone: The windy end of your blowing mechanism may not be placed within zones 1+2 of the playing fieldShuffle the remaining rules cards from three categories together.From the combined deck, deal 4 cards to each player.The player may look at their hand of cardsPlace Junk (perform at the start of each round):Gather some junk and place it in a container. Typically dice and pieces from other games will make up the majority of the junk, but this may also be dodads from your junk drawer like golf pencils, nails and screws, magnets etc.At the beginning of each round a different player will grab a handful of junk from the container and place it in the center of the 8-sided playing area.The junk placer may not arrange the junk when placing it down. Any junk that falls off of the playing field will be returned to the container of junk.RulesAfter the junk is placed the rule for each category is revealed, by flipping over the top rule card from each of the three piles: Puff, Point, and Zone. The displayed rules are now in effect.The player who placed the junk will go first.Each player turn has three phases:1. The play may put a rule card from their hand into play by stacking it on top of the exsisting rule for the category which it belongs to (puff, point, or zone). That rule is now in effect and the rule that was covered up is no longer in effect.2. The player uses their "leaf blower" to puff the objects in on the playing field the number of times indicated by the Puff rule. They must follow any Zone rules in effect.3. The player's turn is scored according to the rule cards in effect. The player draws back up to 4 cards in their hand.The round ends when each player has had 5 turns.New junk is placed in the center of the playing field, new rule cards are revealed and the next round starts.The object of the game is to have the least scoring junk blown off your edge of the playing field. Highest scoring player (usually player closest to 0 wins), as most junk is worth negative points.

We're all back in the clubhouse for the first episode of 2024! There's some news about the show up top, but in terms of your nice hosts: Ellen has important job happenings, Mark establishes important business for IGDATC and Stephen remembers he's good at game design, but not much else.What We Did On Our Winter Break (2023)2024 GDC Public EventsGrace ZhouSouth By SouthwestCharles Mingus - Moanin'mohammertimeYouTubeProject LBoardcubatorBoard Game GeekApocalypduckGlobal Game JamIGDATC MerchigdatcHave a video game concept? Twin Cities group will help you make it a realityLouis KraussStar TribuneShift HappensMarcin WicharyAreslunaMeet the robot guitarist with 78 fingers and coolest cable hair you’ve ever seenSheena McKenzieCNN Business

#319Getting Things GoingInterview2023.08.24In this episode your nice hosts welcome Rick Stemm of PikPok to the clubhouse to talk about what happens after a game gets greenlit.Turns out the answer involves building your team and trust. Rick touts the idea of a sh*tty first draft - faster and worse. Coaching feedback givers for what you are looking for, and the importance of building a trust in a team. Rick spouts useful idioms and your host claim points for each time Rick says ‘cohesive’ or ‘holistic.’Who scored the most points? Turns out Stephen declared that the points don’t matter, good thing I never bothered tabulating them.  Getting Things GoingIRLRick StemmGuestRick Stemm is the Design Manager and Narrative Director at PikPok! RIck is originally from Wisconsin but now lives and works in New Zealand. Rick Stemm can be reached by email at Rick@PikPok.comExternal linkRick Stemm is on LinkedIn

#296"Metroid is very serious."Roundtable2023.03.16In this episode, Mark makes up a reason to take a road trip, Ellen outwits everyone, and Stephen was also there.Zachtronics Solitaire CollectionLACMAA Better Route PlannerSecrets & Easter Eggs0:24:43Ellen Burns-JohnsonGame DesignThe Super Mario 64 Coin that Took 18 Years To Collect - Patricia Hernandez, KotakuPC Cheat Codes - IGN Reddit on video game Secrets - RedditSecrets That Weren't Discovered in Games For Years - Jordan Baranowski, SVGPlayer Trust0:48:39Stephen McGregorGame DesignWe touched on this idea back in our roundtable on 'The Ethics of Engagement'"Shiny rocks get me every time."

#301Pothole RunNice Games Jam2023.04.21According to Minnesota Public Radio, it's hot girl sinkhole spring. In other words, we have an insane number of potholes right now in the Twin Cities, and since we can't do anything other than wait for the hardworking folks of road repair to fix them, we made a game about the whole situation. Andy and Beth Korth join for this special Nice Games Jam!GLOM preorder through Miniature MarketGLOM preorder through GameNerdz✨hot girl sinkhole spring✨ - Minnesota Public RadioUptown washout leaves 8-foot-deep sinkhole in Minneapolis intersection - Tim Nelson and Kerem Yücel, Minnesota Public RadioThe Korths are back! They were first on episode #002Steam GreenlightEpisode #102 with Beth & AndyCode Comment: "Verdant Skies"Episode #204 with Beth & AndyFamilies in GamesEpisode #132 with Beth Narrative Design An example of the pothole + sinkhole situation we're dealing with this spring.Another view of the school bus sinkhole.PromptEllen gave us a prompt: "Create a game about patching potholes that Gabe would have fun playing"Game typeTabletop gameMaterialsMarblesPlay-Doh or alternative squishynessA very complicated custom game boardRoad tiles of various sizes and configurationsSetupSet up the custom game boardDistribute marbles to all playersDistribute Play-Doh to all playersDistribute road / terrain tiles to all playersDetermine who will be the first player per the rules belowRulesIn a nutshell, the game challenges players to roll marbles down a hill. The hill is made of road tiles, but some of the tiles are pitted with potholes. Players can use Playdoh to patch potholes in the road so the marbles will make it to the finish.The board is a grid laid over a raised pyramid where players put down terrain. Everything starts in the center (city hall); that’s where you put the marbles so they roll down the hill. Each quadrant is a side of the pyramid, there’s some method of tiling for the player to put pieces down to determine how the marbles will travel in that area.Turn orderPlay starts with the player who most recently hit a pothole with their car or their bike. In case of a tie (as might happen if multiple players were in a car together), the younger player goes first.Play then proceeds clockwise.Players can take 3 actions on their turn. You can do the same action more than once. The actions are:Rotate the boardPlace or swap a tilePatch a potholeDrop a marbleTilesEach tile is worth 1, 2 or 3 victory points when marbles pass through. The rougher the tile, the more victory points it's worth.Players also get a bit of Play-Doh to fill up potholes in the terrain.Players have 5 tiles in their hand at any given time; as an action, they can play one, then draw back up to 5 tiles.Rotating the boardRotating the board happens towards the left (counterclockwise), the opposite of play order, which goes to the right (clockwise). Each rotation turns the board 90 degrees.Scoring & dropping marblesIf a marble reaches the bottom of the hill in front of you, you get the victory points that it acquired from each tile it moved through on its journey from the top of the hill to the bottom.You ONLY get the victory points if the marble reaches the bottom of the hill. If you drop a marble as an action, and the marble gets stuck on the way, you don't get any points from the tiles it passed through.Winning the gamePlay proceeds in 12 rounds. Each player gets one turn per round.Play ends when the turn counter reaches zero (game starts at the start of winter, ends at the start of the next winter)Whoever has acquired the most victory points by the end of the "year" is the winner of Pothole RunFun stuff to think about for the futureWe have to create an extractor to get the playdoh out.Cooperative play mode? Roles for each player? Someone who’s better at filling potholes, someone who can put more marbles down, etc. Maybe two teams?

#298"One size bigger and red."Roundtable2023.04.13Dale learned a lot while editing this episode.She learned the board game ‘Spirit Island’ is about spirits that protect an island, and she is pretty sure that this is the same premise as hit TV show ‘LOST’.She learns that CSS is not a programming language or a mark-up languageAnd she learns that CSS stands for Cascading Style SheetsShe learns that AAA games are easy (not sure why she struggles with them)That there are either wrong choices in skill trees OR it never really matteredAnd that Stephen wants to fight everyone on DiscordGood luck anyone who isn’t a McGregor!Stephen is playing Spirit Island - Board Game GeekRa Ra Boom Trailer (from Max who schedules our interviewsTwin Cities Playtest is the 3rd Wednesday of the Month - EventbriteTwin Cities Playtest is also on YouTube - IGDA Twin Cities, YouTubeCSS9:47Mark LaCroixProgrammingIn this discussion Ellen mentioned accessibility standards for web contentWCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) - WikipediaMark asked if there is an ISO Standard for this, and there is! ISO 40500:2012There is also one for UI: ISO 30071-1Mark mentions that you should look up the 'Blink' tag, but Dale already did it for you, here.Unity Style Sheet (USS) - UnityThere is a USS Unity in Star TrekAnd Stephen mentions the Div-Div Crow, based on this webcomic.Skill Trees46:38Stephen McGregorGame Design

#284"Shiny rocks get me every time."Roundtable2022.10.28It's spooky season! Stephen is SO over it, but he can't escape all the scary stuff happening in this week's episode. We start with a lesson on the necromantic arts of branding and iconography, guided by Mark, a master of these dark magics. After the break, Ellen raises a past topic from the dead in order to explore the ethics of manipulating players' brainnnsssss. Also mentioned: candy corn, houseplants, and—you guessed it—Star Trek.Star Trek: AscendancyBranding & Iconography0:10:10Mark LaCroixMarketingSmash TV - WikipediaThomas Was Alone - Bithell GamesThe Ethics of Engagement0:36:22Ellen Burns-JohnsonGame DesignEgg, Inc. - Auxbrain, Inc.Idle Acorns - Aleros LLCBeReal social mediaA little learning is a dangerous thingDrink deep, or taste not the Pierian spring.This is a line from Alexander Pope's Essay on Criticism (1711). The Pierian spring is a fountain in Pieria, a district round Mount Olympus and the native country of the Muses. You can read the full text for free here on Project Gutenberg.

#321Cat TimeNice Games Jam2023.09.07It's been a while but your nice hosts come up with a game in roughly an hour, this one for the cat owners out there! After a fairly long meta, we get into the mind of a cat and design a competitive game for them to play.Toronto International Film FestivalRenew an adult passport - USA.govBloor–Yonge station - WikipediaPromptCreate a game my mother can (and wants to) play with her cats, with the supply list below. Bonus points if this can be played a single cat or multiple cats at the same time, for optimum usefulness in listener households with single catsGame typeDesign documentPlayer count2MaterialsAt least two catsA cat toy shaped like a die with a treat insideList of activities the die points toSetupPick an end date for when the game stops (can be arbitrary).RulesGive the cats the cat toy shaped like a die, they will roll the die and leave it eventually, and this determines the next activity for the human to set up. Once the die decides what the next activity is, the human sets it up based on a chart. Once the task is completed and cats are awarded points, repeat the die roll and do the next activity until the end date (since remember, you're on Cat Time so the amount of activities you do depends on your cats). The winner is the cat with the most points by the end!Examples of tasks (there would be at least 20):Cat task: One cat at a time for this challenge. Put something on top of the cat’s head and start the stopwatch. Whichever cat keeps the object on their head the longest gets X points.Cat task: Make a loud meowing sound. Whichever cat looks at you first gets X points.Human task: Award the cat who has been the best sport X points.Cat task: Hold both cats in your hands. Whichever cat jumps off first LOSES. Winner gets X points.Cat task: Place a ring of non-breakable objects (probably cat toys) around the edge of a table so that the tabletop is fully circled by objects. Place both cats, the task ends when both cats are off the table. Each cat gets a number of points equal to a multiplier of the number of objects that were knocked off the table.Cat task: Put the same number of treats in each hand. Call both cats over for them to snack from your hands. Whichever cat finishes their treats first is the winner and gets X points.Human task: Pick the cat that you feel the most sorry for and award them X points.Human task: Pick the cat that currently looks the sleepiest and sit them out for the next challenge.

#324Much Ado About Unity (with Freya Holmér)Special2023.09.22Earlier today, Unity issued an update to their controversial "runtime fee" policy introduced last week. What changed? What didn't? How could this have even happened? What does it mean going forward? Can we ever trust Unity again?We get into all of it, from the original announcement on September 12th, to the "open letter" update and "fireside chat" on September 22nd. Your nice hosts are joined by special guest and "Unity Insider" Freya Holmér, who offers some additional context and much-needed clarity about the events of the last 10 days.Unity Runtime Fee and Subsequent Policy CorrectionMark LaCroixStephen McGregorEllen Burns-JohnsonFreya HolmérIRLToolsThe original policy: "Unity plan pricing and packaging updates" - UnityThe current policy: "An open letter to our community" - UnityUnity's Marc Whitten - Answers Unity Price Policy -  Jason Weimann, YouTube'Flappy Bird' Guy Gets $12 Million Bill From Unity - Mark Roebuck, Hard Drive

#282"Today’s the day that I screw things up."Roundtable2022.10.13Your nice hosts start off strong with an excellently performed intro, and it just gets better from there! The Game Agency - The Game AgencyPre-production0:06:24Stephen McGregorProductionIdle Games0:31:45Mark LaCroixGame DesignGamingStar Trek Lower Decks: The Badgey Directive Review: The Final Fun-tier? - Steven Shaw, Droid GamersHow to make an idle game: Everything you need to know about incremental mobile … - David Hartery, AdjustIdle Games: The Mechanics and Monetization of Self-Playing Games - Anthony Pecorella, YouTube“It Started as a Joke”: On the Design of Idle Games - Katta Spiel, Sultan A. Alharthi, Andrew Jian-Lan Cen, Jessica Hammer, Lennart E. Nacke, Z O. Toups and Tess Tanenbaum, CHI PLAY

#293The Logistics of Moving OnInterview2023.02.22Your nice hosts invite Zachtronics founder Zach Barth to discuss the closing of the studio and the logistics of moving on from that. In this episode, you'll also hear about ruminations on what success means as a game dev, a theory about how great walking is and exclusive news about Zach's future plans.The Logistics of Moving OnIRLProductionZachtronics websiteLast Call BBSWhy Zachtronics is shutting down for good this time - Alex Calvin, gameindustry.bizLegal Systems Very Different From Ours - David Friedman, Peter Leeson, David SkarbekWhy Walking Helps Us Think - Ferris Jabr, The New YorkerCoincidenceZach BarthGuestZach Barth was the founder of Zachtronics and is currently working on unannounced projects.External linkZachtronics on Twitter

This year, Ellen thought a lot about cheating in games. So your nice hosts kept doing episodes about it. Three in total over this last summer. So, to kick off this year's run of Nice Replays, we’ve stitched all three topics together into one SUPER MEGA NICE NEW YEAR’S OMNIBUS EPISODE!Cheating (omnibus edition)Part 1:"What's a little grand larceny?"Part 2:Cheating, Part 2Part 3:"Sad or fascinating?"

The clubhouse continues the annual tradition of reviewing the past year. But first they need to talk about Doctor Who and new Minnesota state flag. Ellen makes her first programming joke, and Dale learns to add comments from the editing booth.Finally, everyone shares which games they have been playing the bees out of in 2023.But, wait... there's more: your nice hosts also talk about what they are anticipating for 2024. Doctor WhoDonna Noble is the best companion - WikipediaCucumber, a miniseries by Russell T Davies - WikipediaIt's a Sin, a miniseries by Russell T DaviesMinnesota State FlagThe new Minnesota state flag - Briana Bierschbach, Star Tribune0:10:30Our accomplishmentsMark's Accomplishments:GlomDogpile!IGDA Twin Cities Calendar full of eventsIGDA Twin Cities's Playtest EventMaintenance of Noble EngineMajor Accomplishments in Dreamsettler including securing a big third party developer for a minigameStephen's Accomplishments:GlomFuture Club got funding to produce a vertical slice of a gameWorking on Future Club projects and pitching them (to a celebrity!)Survived a snake basement  Ellen's Accomplishments:GlomTWO custom game projects that Ellen is not allowed to talk aboutNoodle Training ArcadeSerious Play ConferenceGot a road bikeMoved to DuluthYour nice hosts talked about thier work as a tabletop development team in:The Nice Board Game Industrial Complex, a Nice Games Club Skunkworks ProjectMark gave a short presentation at the IGDATC holiday party about all the work that the group did in 2023.Ellen talks about her experience at the serious play conference in:Serious Play Conference SpecialMark talked about Noble Engine in:"So, you made a game engine?"0:29:11Nicest of 2023Ellen's Nicest:Baldur's Gate IIIKirby and the Forgotten LandNY Times Games App Magic the GatheringRival Stars Horse RacingGames from the Studio 'Afterburn'Mark's Nicest:Super Mario WonderSuper Nintendo WorldStar Trek: ResurgenceZachtronics Solitaire CollectionPuzzmoMark's Honorable Mentions:Spider Man 2Tears of the KingdomStar Trek: InfiniteStephen's Nicest:Spirit IslandForspokenDeceive, Inc.Stephen's Honorable Mentions:Tears of the Kingdom's Ascend abilityBaldur's Gate IIIMark mentioned what he usually calls "Super Mario Theme Park," which we talk about more in:GDC 2023 SpecialWe interviewed Zach of Zachtronic's Solitaire collection in Episode 293The Logistics of Moving OnPuzzmo is now publicly available!1:01:08Most Anticpated of 2024Ellen's picks:Hellblade II: Henua's SagaUltrosHyper Light BreakerLittle Kitty, Big CityDustbornConcordMark's picks:Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door remakePrincess Peach: Showtime!More Playdate games!Stephen's picks:Dragon's Dogma 21:16:132024 Gamedev ResolutionsEllen's Resolutions:Make stuffMake stuff in Godot EngineMake a portfolioDo less work, make more stuffUnpack some boxesMark's ResolutionsGet Dreamsettler outSet up future for Noble Robot officeSet up console SDK environments again for DS and others (Metro Nexus, porting work).Stephen's ResolutionsLook into game engines other than Unity

Will went to school for illustration. After many plot twists—including a bike accident, leading a team of animators, and climbing mountains in Alaska—he ended up working in games. Now, he's a design director and creative consultant, working on games that aim to make the world a better place. This week, Will joins us in the clubhouse to discuss how he's made decisions about his creative career and where those decisions have taken him. New gamedevs and creative folks, you might find inspiration in Will's story. Experienced gamedevs, you might be reminded to think about where you've been and where to find meaning in the next chapter of your career.Creative Career PathsArtGame DesignIRLMisc.Kablam! - IMDBHeadkicker II - Arcade HistoryU.B. Funkeys - WikipediaMicrosoft Solitaire turns 30 years old today and still has 35 million monthly p… - The VergeNYT Connections Game - The New York TimesTraveling While Black - Felix and PaulEverFiBuild Your Stax (game)Will BredbeckGuestWilliam Bredbeck lives in Milford, CT and is the father of two amazing little girls. He has had a show of oil paintings in Alaska, worked on a 160-foot schooner, is reading through all of the Pulitzer Prize winning novels in order, and climbed to the highest points in many states. He is passionate about understanding the creative process, mentoring designers, and making great things!External linkhttps://www.williambredbeck.com/Will on Instagram

This week, the clubhouse becomes the birdhouse; we're talking pigeons! Dale created a prompt inspired by Ellen's activities as a child and she bombards your nice hosts with a TON of pigeon facts! We somehow designed a game out of it!As a note, Ellen's was still recording remotely but the first 5 minutes she was recording on the wrong mic! We corrected it after those 5 minutes. Breeds of Pigeons across the Globe. - Layne Gardner, The American Pigeon Museum and LibraryRacing Pigeon Training 25 mile - Hoosier Outdoors, YouTubeRacing Pigeons VS. Falcon (Pt.1) - "One Wing" - @Pigeonmaniacom, YouTubeAmazing video of a hawk chasing a homing pigeon -  Their own world, YouTubeA Rare Appreciation of the New York Pigeon - Alexandra Wolfe, The Wall Street JournalEllen's pictures of pigeons she posted in the Miro boardPromptCreate a game where you breed and raise pigeonsGame typeDesign documentSetupNone yet! It's a game design doc.RulesControl a group of pigeonsReal time strategy racing gameManage each bird by going to each bird, checking statuses and causing communication so pigeons can help each other get to the goalPlayers can give stats bonuses to each individual birdYou as the player don’t know where the pigeons are going, you have to figure out where the pigeons’ goal isCan be multiplayerSwapping between each pigeon gives you information about that pigeons’ statusPlayers have a very vague idea of where to go at the startWhen a predator appears, the player needs to outsmart the predator to escape and keep racingThen the player is off course and needs to find their way backSome races can be longer, where you need to find a place to rest for the night and have enough foodGame loopYou get a random selection of pigeonsCompete in a raceStart in a random place on the mapPigeons know where they need to go but the player does notPlayers need to deduce where the pigeons are going and make sure to lead all of them in the right directionPlayers control each pigeon individually, moving a pigeon will influence the other pigeons but will not move fully in that direction. Players need to guide each pigeon to their goal as a group, but control them individually.Control of pigeons is in third-person perspective, players need to jump between pigeons to see the whole view of the flockThere are areas on the map that the player will know about that can have more risk involved (like areas where predators will often be)There can be some collectables around that the player can pick up with birds to get bonuses (more points? movespeed?)When you complete the race, you can remove a pigeon from the racing group and add a new pigeon from a set of 3 randomly generated pigeons