If you’re going to make a game in a genre as oversaturated as the side-scrolling runner, you better come correct with some interesting mechanics that can make you stand out from the pack. Well developer David Fu and friends apparently got the message as that’s exactly what they’re doing with the upcoming Chiki’s Chase. This is a game I would classify as an “action runner" as in addition to the running and jumping parts you also have the ability to attack. Think Monster Dash compared to something more pure runner like Canabalt.
You can both shoot projectiles and bop enemies on the head, and the shooting mechanic is something I find particularly interesting as it also blends right into the running and jumping side of the equation. Similar to the legendary Downwell, firing your projectiles also keeps you airborne longer, so not only can you jump and double jump (and even triple jump with the right power-up) but you can also float along horizontally as you fire off your limited ammunition.
The game uses a simple left side of the screen for jumping, right side for firing control scheme and once you wrap your head around using the mechanics to their fullest Chiki’s Chase becomes a sort of chaotic ballet as you find yourself making it through all sorts of hectic situations. This is always the sign of a great game for me, when you can sort of “get in the zone" and rapidly perform a bunch of actions on an almost subconscious level. Check out the latest trailer for Chiki’s Chase.
There’s a bit more Downwell inspiration as too. At its core this is a “see how far you can go" type of game, but at set intervals you’ll run across a shopkeeper who offers you 1 of 3 different random power-ups that you’ll keep for the duration of your run. The longer you stay alive, the more shops you can hit and the more power-ups you can stack. These include things like the previously mentioned triple jump, a shield that protects you from one hit, increased speed, and many more.
If Chiki’s Chase is ringing a bell for you, that’s because an early “student game" version was released back in 2018, 4 years ago exactly as of this past weekend as commemorated by the Chiki’s Chase Twitter account. The team has been working on the full finished version of the game ever since, with a release coming up in the very near future. First though they’d like to gather some more feedback from early players, so if you’d like to take part in that head over to the game’s website where you’ll find links to the iOS and Android test versions as well as a link to the game’s Discord server.
According to David Fu on Twitter, this is a “done when it’s done" situation so there’s no concrete release date for Chiki’s Chase just yet, but a spring 2022 window is the current target. And spring kicks off in less than a week, so be sure to check out these early versions and help shape the final version of Chiki’s Chase ahead of its release.
