Factsheet

Developer:
Neotenia LTD
Based in Milano, Italy

Release date:
December 7, 2015

Platforms:
PC / Mac / Linux
Obsolete WebGL Demo

Website:
volvox.xyz

Regular Price:

USD$7.99

Description

Volvox is a puzzle game based on a triangular grid. The characters, called Trimoebas, are triangular unicellular animals undertaking the building of the first multicellular beings, traveling through the evolution. The Trimoebas bear functional properties on their sides, such glue to build, explosive to dig and hooks to climb, but these properties work only if the Trimoebas are correctly rotated: you will have to move on the right path and make the Trimoebas overstep each other to complete the mission.

History

Volvox born at the end of 2013 in the attempt to recreate a Lemmingish atmosphere in a triangular grid. In 2014 Volvox is dressed with colors and shapes inspired to an Aborigenal painting. A flexible semi-procedural background system is developed to channel all the artistic efforts in a space populated only by triangles, but organized in a large variety of structures. In April 2015 Volvox won the Microsoft National Imagine Cup, and it has been greenlit at the end of july.

Features

  • The unique feature of volvox is the main mechanic, inspired to the rolling without slipping, a relationship between the path traveled and the rotation of a Trimoeba. Level surfaces and Trimoebas influence each others knotting the whole in solid enigmas.
  • Joining the rolling mechanic with the 7 Trimoebas properties a large variety of situations is generated: Volvox has 250 hand-drawn levels, each with its own identity, for about 60 hours of play, achievements and stats excluded.
  • Volvox is designed as mental flexibility training, inducing the player to find continuously new ways to use the resources on tap, contrasting the functional fixedness. Most of levels are in addition traps, planned to bring you to the wrong solution.
  • Volvox is a game rich of triangles, eyes and curls, which returns continuously in various shapes in characters, interfaces and backgrounds, for a strongly organic result. Estetically it appears watercolor painted, alluding to cellular diffusion phenomena.
  • The sounds and musics are obtained making extensive use of the cosming hang's sound. It is a recent instrument lacking of previous cultural implications, perfect to harmonize a time before the time, the time of creation.
  • Mechanics of birth and reproduction are interlaced with the main game's theme transmitting an intense message of love for the life, celebrating its beauty in all its shapes, such the one of the simplest worm.

Videos

Trailer YouTube

Gameplay Video YouTube


Images

download all screenshots & photos as .zip (68MB)
StandVolvoxGameHappens!.jpg
Backwash.jpg
Bells.jpg
ButterflyAndCocoon.jpg
Cavity.jpg
ChainReaction.jpg
Cilice.jpg
Constriction.jpg
Eaten.jpg
Fishbone.jpg
Goldfish.6526.jpg
HornedTower.jpg
Nudity.jpg
Presentation.jpg
ProdigalSoon.jpg
Raffinerie.jpg
Refinery.jpg
Requalification.jpg
Rotifer.jpg
SpecterOfHunger.jpg
StandVolvoxGameHappens!2.jpg
StandVolvoxNGD.jpg
StickyValley.jpg
Termites.jpg
Trampoline.jpg
Tree.jpg
UnauthorizedDevelopment.jpg
VitalSap.jpg
VolvoxAtGameOver2015.jpg
VolvoxExpo2015.jpg
VolvoxImagineCupWinner.jpg
VolvoxImagineCup_Index.jpg
VolvoxStand2014.jpg

logo
logo

Awards & Recognition

  • "National Winner of Microsoft Imagine Cup" Milano, 17 April, 2015


Selected Articles

  • "Equilateral Thinking: The Triangular Trials Of Volvox"
    - Joe Donnelly, Rock, Paper, Shotgun
  • "A puzzle to widen the mind"
    - Maria Rosaria Iovinella, Wired Italia


About Neotenia LTD

Boilerplate
Neotenia is a project created by Sumero Lira, which intends to produce and publish videogames, books, toys and other instruments aimed to improve the life skills, such critical and analytic abilities. Most of Neotenia game concepts take advantage of modularity, emergent gameplay and procedural generation to provide a rich soil to the player, to develop his creativity, identity and desire of exploration.

More information
More information on Neotenia LTD, our logo & relevant media are available here.


Game Name Credits

Sumero Lira
Game design, Programming, Graphics

Sara Bianchini
Chromatic project, Interfaces

Simone Pagani
Sound design


presskit() by Rami Ismail (Vlambeer) - also thanks to these fine folks