Summary

Twitapocalypse is a 2-D, browser-based game that involves maneuvering the main character (the grim reaper) over obstacles and platforms, to decapitate a selection of human targets!. These targets are imported Twitter personas from the players own Twitter account.

 

The game runs in Chrome and uses the Impact.js game engine. The player initializes the game by logging in with their Twitter credentials. We use the Twitter API to pull the last 20 posts from their timeline and render them against in-game characters. At the conclusion of the game, the player has the option of tweeting their score, mentioning the handles of their most recent victims.  

 

The graphics and art are cubist-themed and all sound effects and musical scores are original. The game has a distinctly retro, 'Donkey Kong' meets 'Ghouls 'n Ghosts' feel to it. 

 

Twitapocalypse was created at the MIT Game Lab as part of the Global Game Jam weekend in 2011 (more here). The theme of the weekend was ‘the apocalypse’ and teams were awarded extra credit for infusing a cubist style to their games.

 

The team was truly multidisciplinary (comprising musicians, artists and developers) and worked at a frenetic pace (game-ideation to game-publishing took about 40 hours). 

 

Collaborators

K.Adam White (@kadamwhite)

Akash Thakkar (@AkashThakkar)

Imran Malek (@Imran_Malek)

Darius Kazemi (@tinysubversions)

Vytenis Krukonis (@vyteniskrukonis)

Ryan Kahn (@Myztiq) 

 

Date

2011

 

Relevant material

Media coverage 

Other social game concepts