SUPREME CHICKEN SHOWDOWN

A SNEAK RELEASE

Hello my friends! It is a great pleasure to me and I am very excited to finally inform and surprise you with a small secret I've been keeping during the last months: I've made a small game for you! It is called Supreme Chicken Showdown and as off now it is available to download on itch.io (here's already a direct link while I am working on getting a widget up on this page)!

Please hold your horses because it really is just a very simple fast-pace, arcade-style, multiplayer game and I don't want you getting disappointed because you crazy people might expect the next Minecraft or something that come close to Phi. Trust me, chances are you might not even be able to play the game at all :) - Funny story: Seriously, not everybody can play this game... intentionally! But I will get to that later. Boy am I glad it's finally out!! I can't tell you how frustrating it was not to constantly tweet about this during the last weeks! I have no idea why I wanted to surprise you so badly and decided on keeping this a secret. So much for the "sneaky release".

BACKGROUND

Supreme Chicken Showdown started a few months ago as a rather primitive prototype I did in a couple of night sessions before I began the intensive model of Daniel for my main project Phi - Beyond Immortality. At that time I didn't think about making a complete game out of this, I just had this idea that I quickly wanted to prototype and try out. After a few tries with friends we thought that this idea has potential and I put a bit more effort into getting it documented and theorized. Then I concentrated on Daniel for some weeks and as soon as that was done, around the beginning of April, I was sure that I wanted to stray a bit and make SCS real for several reasons:


First and foremost because I had a lot of talks with other indies and industry people, and knowing that with me alone working on Phi it will take like years until it is really done, they all suggested to more or less "just release something". We talked a lot about being able to finish a project and the relevance of this versus working on the "real" or rather ambitious stuff. Personally I still don't fully agree - especially when it comes to skill and knowledge - that it is better to release small and simple games instead of... well "bigger" games. Because the stuff I do and learn on Phi goes far beyond anything I did in Supreme Chicken Showdown for example. However, I do understand the notion that there is a difference between finishing something and most likely endlessly working on something else. I agree even more on the fact that also we indie people need to live from something. If I'd work the next two years fulltime on Phi it would eventually be done, yes, but until then I have either perished from hunger or disease.

Secondly I really like the great indie community I am becoming part of more and more. So I really wanted to give something back especially to the indie guys. SCS is not a game for the masses - at least not as it is now. During theorizing, naturally the thought about making money from it came up and while there still are pages in my design document on implementing a single player mode, match-making services, getting this game online, on micro-transactions, customization options, or even on how to make this game possible on mobile platforms and utilizing advertisements and/or in-app purchases, I never really wanted to walk down this road. I wanted a game that can be done as quickly as possible and that fits both the old-school player as well as the actual indie developer audience more than any other. Something that doesn't take itself too seriously, that will just seem a bit crazy but has a very enjoyable and classic fast-pace feeling to it.

FREE BUT WITH A CATCH

So yeah, Supreme Chicken Showdown is free. Why? Because I especially want you developers to have something to play in your lunch and crunch breaks! I guess most of you are probably working alone, but for those who aren't and/or those who still see some friends from time to time, SCS can be quite a tricky, tactical and challenging multiplayer/versus experience ideal to relax and laugh in a short break from excruciating work. What's the catch? Well, you need two gamepads to play this game! As a serious developer I hope you have a lot of Xbox 360 controllers laying around... seriously guys: controller support is soo important and sometimes I still can't believe how the greatest indie titles (even predestined to be played with a gamepad) on Steam for example come out without it! In a way - as I said intentionally - SCS goes the other way and sets an exclamation mark by giving you a game that you can ONLY play with two controllers. Personally I also always liked to play games together the old-school way; meaning two controllers, one couch and at least one friend (irl!). This is something I miss a lot in our modern days of online gaming and crappy headset communication. So I guess even the non indie developer with lots of gamepads can play the game after all, right? Just invite a friend and tell him to bring his Xbox controller...

So please - in order to avoid any misunderstandings - let me tell it one more time: You need two gamepads to play this game! Actually even two Xbox 360 or Xbox One gamepads - and I recommend the wired ones, because I only have those and I honestly have no idea on how to connect those wireless or rather battery draining bastards. People that tested the game however told it is possible to connect the wireless ones as well. If you don't have the two controllers please don't even bother because the game will not work. One 360 pad and a PS3 controller for example? - Nope. Any combination of other gamepads? - Nope. The game most certainly will not work. I found this nice tutorial on how to hook a PS3 controller to your PC and even simulating it like an Xbox 360 controller seemingly without some other nasty software. - Looks promising but I haven't tried it and I won't because... yeah. There is also a program called MotioninJoy or something like that... Personally I don't need it and I don't want it, but if you get the game working that way, I would be glad to see some comments/tutorials for other people who might need it.

In the past I was also frequently asked why there is no support for keyboard and mouse so that people would need only one additional gamepad. My answer: Because first of all it would be unfair and secondly because it kind of goes against my whole philosophy behind this game being played comfortably on a couch with a friend or as a quick party/drinking game. - Wait did I say that? Don't drink people. Drinking is bad! Pfui!

WHAT YOU GET

Naturally I am not going to review my own game, but I still want to tell you what you can expect from it. Like I already said, it's a (really) fast arcade style 2-Player versus game. You have to skillfully navigate between enemy projectiles and other hazards while trying to stay and conserve your playfield and trying to shoot your opponent thus destroying all of his playfield. The game features several items that can be picked up and increase your chances of survival as well as a few random events to make it more interesting.




Experience has shown that it often is not good to play too aggressive but to play smart; using items in certain situations, being patient and so on. Ultimately you would have to find your own tactic to be victorious and to get the most out of it. The game has three awesome stages to battle at and each stage's background theme music is better than the last, filled with great sound effects partially self-recorded or lend from a great free 8 Bit Retro Rampage sound effect package. - Many thanks to the guys behind Red Button Audio btw. this package is just remarkable!

WHAT I GET

:) Well, nothing they tell. But I hope you guys will be happy and have a bit of a laugh. That makes me feel good already. Something tells me it is quite unrealistic that I would get enough donations to be able to pay the next rent from it or to spend more cash on other indie titles, but you know maybe... I humbly estimate that Supreme Chicken Showdown will be downloaded at least 10 times worldwide and if only one of those players donates 6€ or two players each pay 3€ I would already be able to buy beer for myself and the guys who helped, which would clearly be a success in my world. So, many thx in advance and (also on behalf of the other contributors) I wish you a great time and many laughs with Supreme Chicken Showdown!

Play more! Cluck more!