One of my favorite things about GDC is how really interesting games can sometimes pop up out of the woodwork. Such is the case with Froggle, a new endless high score game from developer Michel Courtine. Froggle is an endless running game where you play as a frog hopping along a string of lily pads for as long as you can.
The level design and landscapes are procedurally generated each time you play, and there is a mission structure similar to Jetpack Joyride that ensures you’ve always got something to shoot for. You collect “glow bugs" on your journey which can then be spent in an in-game store on power-ups, new frog types, and possibly some other fun stuff. Check out the trailer, which features fantastic music but unfortunately it isn’t actual in-game soundtrack, but fits the game incredibly well.
Other gameplay features include 3 different “vehicles" to ride: a flying beetle, a seagull, and even an actual jetpack for your frog. Also, a combo meter builds up the more lily pads you can jump on in a row, and if you get to at least a 6X multiplier you enter “Jesus mode" which lets you run on the surface of the water temporarily. Otherwise, dropping into the water requires a furious bout of tapping in order to paddle your way to the next available lily pad. If you aren’t quick enough, the game ends.
Froggle is still “a few months out" according to the developer as some things like the controls are finalized and the game is balanced and tweaked to perfection. I immediately liked the look of Froggle, which is inspired by origami, and enjoyed my brief demo with this early version. We’ll follow up with the game as development progresses.
