12 years ago there was a letter in Science Magazine from a group of conservationists who showed that kids knew a lot more about Pokemon (fictional creatures) than about the animals in their backyard. They asked fellow conservationists to take heed but not much progress was made.

I read it, and being a game developer, I got to work. AnimalAlbum is the result. The playable demo can be found here: dromedarydreams.com

The quick list:
– Adventure game, as in talking, actively thinking about connections between characters.
– JRPG, exploring a world, looking for animals.
– Different sort of battles/encounters. It’s about what you know. Encounters are not mandatory.
– Real animals, real data, real knowledge.
– Jump in, jump out co-op play. One player is the leader (child), other is the follower (mum or dad).

AnimalAlbum is a semi co-op role playing adventure game about animals.
The adventure part is not just thrown in, it really is like a traditional adventure game in that there is a focus on talking and getting players to think about connections between characters.
You can think of it as a Pokemon game with real animals but without the fighting. Encounters are about wits and knowledge, and are not mandatory in the typical JRPG way. The goal is to find new animals, learn about them and explore the world.

The game also allows for a helper player to jump in or out at any time and play along with the main player much like Secret of Mana except that one player is clearly the helper. The cooperation is meant for a parent (or teacher) to play along with their child, where the child is the main player.

AnimalAlbum loosely talks about the themes of nature and technology, if and how those intermingle. It’s very light. I’m trying to convey a sense of kindness and also a little bit of sadness in its world.

Please check out the development section for more detailed information. Or check out the kickstarter page for a good overview and a short video containing gameplay footage and background information. www.kickstarter.com

Please note the game will be released, even if the kickstarter is not successful.

Media & Game development: dromedarydreams.com
Press page with assets: dromedarydreams.com
Rss feed: dromedarydreams.com

Estimated release: May 2015
Platform: PC (Mac & Linux likely, Android & IOS possible)
Estimated price: USD $12, EUR €10, GBP £8
Will be available direct from homepage.

Please let me know if you have any questions or wish to talk.

Kind regards,
Sjors Jansen

all.animalalbum@gmail.com
twitter.com/AnimalAlbum
www.facebook.com