https://www.youtube.com/embed/VLACZ9KGNu4?si=X3wFafoTjDs4rcPS
We Were Here Expeditions: The Friendship (WWHE:TF) is a game recently launched by Total Mayhem games. It advertises itself as a short collaborative puzzle game that aims to test the capability of the two player’s communications as they make their way through multiple challenges.
One of the most important game mechanics is the in-game voice chat that is a ‘press-to-talk’ style of communicating with your partner. This walkie-talkie toggle can arguably be the most integral thing to the completion of the game as once again, communication, is the main driving point of the game as you have to learn to trust each other.
Another form of communication presented to the player is the emote key which gives the player a non-verbal method of signalling to one another. This features simple gestures such as a wave, thumbs up, and a pointing indication.
In the main game, an interesting mechanic they use is the asymmetrical puzzles that have to be completed. This means that the players are put in different environments that provide useful and mutually beneficial information. This means that whatever Player 1 does has a direct consequence to Player 2 and vice versa. Puzzle 3 is a good example of this. The goal of this is to connect tiles or pillars of corresponding colours together which means that Player 1 has to pick a tile that allows them both to increase in points. The number of points within each colour category is multiplied between the two player, this means they have to strategize it to fairly distribute points among the categories. Ultimately, it is a game of ‘compromise, communication, and collaboration’
Collaborative puzzle games are always entertaining to play with others as it promotes you to put your heads together and work together towards a common goal. It also can be entertaining to watch a friend follow your instructions blindly with a wavering sense of trust which leads way to some fun moments- especially when things take a turn for the worst. The voice chat element also gives the players a sense of immersion and presents as a fun way to roleplay and get into character. There’s also a short subplot that presents itself in the game which appears to be a continuation of the franchise made by the studio. This gives the game a little bit of context through animated cutscenes that further immerse the audience and are a fun showcase of the studios capabilities in art direction. Speaking of design direction, the approach that they take with this game is certainly unique and plays nicely with the context of the game.
I especially like the designs of the NPC pirate as they take the wooden aesthetic of the abandoned playground and use the ‘DIY’ look to interestingly articulate emotion from subtle movements. The way it’s designed makes it look like it would be a functioning animatronic-like character that would be expected to be seen in a real theme park.
I also liked how they added a sort of customisation reward to the ship that you use to traverse from each challenge depending on how well you do on specific challenges. Each having the chance to merit you a bronze, silver, and gold ticket. These earn you different add-ons which leads to a curiosity of the different routes you can go on. As a result, this increases the possibilities which in turn encourages the player to replay it.