Judero

Last updated
Judero
Judero banner.jpg
Developer(s) Talha and Jack Co.
Publisher(s) Talha and Jack Co.
Designer(s) Jack King-Spooner
Talha Kaya
Composer(s) Jack King-Spooner
Talha Kaya [1]
Engine Unity
Platform(s) Windows, macOS
Release16 September 2024
Genre(s) Action-adventure, hack and slash
Mode(s) Single-player

Judero is a 2024 video game developed by Jack King-Spooner and Talha Kaya, under the name Talha and Jack Co. Set in a fantastical depiction of the Scottish Borders, the player controls Judero, a Celtic warrior with the ability to control enemies with his mind. [2] The game was noted for its use of stop-motion animation, with all the character graphics being based on real life clay models. [3]

Contents

Gameplay

Judero features melee combat against enemies, with the ability to use magic to temporarily possess and take control of enemies, which is often linked to puzzles for the player to surpass. [4]

Setting

Development

All of the assets in Judero were physically handcrafted and animated via stop-motion techniques before being placed into the game. The game was funded via Kickstarter and the UK Games Fund. [5] [6] Judero was the first game King-Spooner had developed in collaboration with any other individuals, noting that he had "went all kinds of grumpy trying to finish a game by myself during the pandemic". He described the possession mechanic as being inspired by the Kirby series. [7]

In June 2024, the game was shown at the Future Game Show. [8]

Reception

Judero was met with positive critical reception. Writing for Polygon, Ian Walker described it as "special in a way video games often no longer aspire to be, melding the developers’ artistic sensibilities with the unique interactivity of the medium". [5] PC Gamer described it as "a game with the kind of rough edges and pleasant surprises that could only come from a genuine artistic vision". Despite criticizing some of the gameplay mechanics, it was summarized as "funky, weird, rough and wonderful in a way only such a small, ambitious project could be", receiving a score of 83/100. [9] Steven Scaife of Slant rated it 4/5, praising the ties between the game's art style and its storytelling, describing it as "an often beautiful treatise on what humanity creates to understand the world". [10] Destructoid rating the game 8/10, noted the game's disconnected narrative makes "it very difficult to really tell you why Judero is such a successful game and why you should play it". [11]

The game received an Honourable Mention at the 2024 A MAZE festival. [12]

Related Research Articles

<i>Tinkle Pit</i> 1993 video game

Tinkle Pit is a maze arcade game released by Namco in 1993 only in Japan. It features many of the characters from the company's earlier games.

<i>Hotline Miami</i> 2012 video game

Hotline Miami is a 2012 top-down shooter game developed by Dennaton Games and published by Devolver Digital. Set in Miami in 1989, the game follows an unnamed silent protagonist—dubbed Jacket by fans—as he commits massacres against the local Russian mafia. As the game progresses, he is frequently interrogated for his actions, and slowly loses his grip on reality. In each level, the player must defeat every enemy through various means, ranging from firearms and melee weapons to more specific methods like knocking enemies out with doors. The player also chooses one of several masks at the beginning of each level, which offer unique abilities.

<i>FTL: Faster Than Light</i> 2012 video game

FTL: Faster Than Light is a roguelike game created by indie developer Subset Games, which was released for Windows, MacOS, and Linux in September 2012. In the game, the player controls the crew of a single spacecraft, holding critical information to be delivered to an allied fleet, while being pursued by a large rebel fleet. The player must guide the spacecraft through eight sectors, each with planetary systems and events procedurally generated in a roguelike fashion, while facing rebel and other hostile forces, recruiting new crew, and outfitting and upgrading their ship. Combat takes place in pausable real time, and if the ship is destroyed or all of its crew lost, the game ends, forcing the player to restart with a new ship.

<i>Crypt of the NecroDancer</i> 2015 video game

Crypt of the NecroDancer is a roguelike rhythm game by Brace Yourself Games. The game takes fundamental elements of a roguelike dungeon exploration game and adds a beat-matching rhythm game set to an original soundtrack written by Danny Baranowsky. The player's actions are most effective when moving the character set to the beat of the current song and are impaired when they miss a beat, so it is necessary to learn the rhythmic patterns that the various creatures follow. The mixed-genre game includes the ability to import custom music, and the option to use a dance pad instead of traditional controllers or the keyboard. The game was released for Linux, OS X, and Windows in April 2015, being co-published by Klei Entertainment, for the PlayStation 4 and Vita in February 2016, for the Xbox One in February 2017, and for Nintendo Switch in February 2018. Crypt of the NecroDancer Pocket Edition, developed for iOS, was released in June 2016.

<i>A City Sleeps</i> 2014 video game

A City Sleeps is a horizontally scrolling shooter video game developed by Harmonix for Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X on October 16, 2014.

Dark Souls is a dark fantasy action role-playing game series developed by FromSoftware and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment. Created by Hidetaka Miyazaki, the series began with the release of Dark Souls (2011) and has seen two sequels, Dark Souls II (2014) and Dark Souls III (2016). It has received critical acclaim, with its high level of difficulty being among its most discussed aspects, while the first Dark Souls is often cited as one of the greatest games of all time. The series had shipped over 37 million copies outside of Japan as of 2024. Other FromSoftware games, including Demon's Souls, Bloodborne, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, and Elden Ring, share several related concepts and led to the creation of the Soulslike subgenre.

<i>Monaco: Whats Yours Is Mine</i> 2013 stealth video game

Monaco: What's Yours Is Mine is a 2013 stealth video game developed by Pocketwatch Games in which players, alone or cooperatively, perform heists and robberies. Players choose from eight characters, each of whom has a unique and beneficial skill, such as the ability to change appearance or tunnel through walls. Monaco's single-player story is told in four acts from perspectives of different characters. The cooperative mode lets up to four players play together in different locations.

<i>Control</i> (video game) 2019 video game

Control is a 2019 action-adventure game developed by Remedy Entertainment and published by 505 Games. The game was released for PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One in August 2019, and for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S in February 2021. Cloud-based versions for the Nintendo Switch and Amazon Luna were released in October 2020, followed by a version for Stadia in July 2021. A version for macOS is set to release in February 2025. Two paid downloadable expansions have been released.

<i>Hades</i> (video game) 2020 video game

Hades is a 2020 roguelike action role-playing game developed and published by Supergiant Games. It was released for macOS, Nintendo Switch, and Windows following an early access release in December 2018. It was later released for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S in August 2021, and was released for iOS in March 2024 through Netflix Games.

<i>Ape Out</i> 2019 video game

Ape Out is a 2019 beat 'em up game developed by Gabe Cuzzillo and published by Devolver Digital. Financed by the Indie Fund, it was produced when Cuzzillo attended game development classes at New York University. The game was released for Microsoft Windows and Nintendo Switch on February 28, 2019, and has garnered a positive reception.

<i>Elden Ring</i> 2022 video game

Elden Ring is a 2022 action role-playing game developed by FromSoftware. It was directed by Hidetaka Miyazaki with worldbuilding provided by American fantasy writer George R. R. Martin. It was published for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S on February 25 in Japan by FromSoftware and internationally by Bandai Namco Entertainment. Set in the Lands Between, players control a customizable player character on a quest to repair the Elden Ring and become the new Elden Lord.

<i>Void Bastards</i> 2019 video game

Void Bastards is a science-fiction first-person shooter and roguelike video game developed by Blue Manchu and published by Humble Bundle. It was released on May 28, 2019, for Microsoft Windows and Xbox One. Ports of the game for Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4 were released on May 7, 2020. The game revolves around surviving in the dangerous Sargasso Nebula by boarding and salvaging materials from spaceships. It received generally positive reviews from critics, who praised its comic-book art style, dark humor, and gameplay, but criticized its lackluster story and replay value.

<i>Command & Conquer Remastered Collection</i> 2020 compilation of real-time strategy video games

Command & Conquer: Remastered Collection is a compilation of real-time strategy video games developed by Petroglyph Games and published by Electronic Arts. It is a remaster of the first two titles in the video game series Command & Conquer with rebuilt graphics, sound improvements and bonus materials. It was released on June 5, 2020, for Origin and Steam. A physical edition intended for collectors was released by Limited Run Games.

<i>Kirby and the Forgotten Land</i> 2022 video game

Kirby and the Forgotten Land is a 2022 action-platform game developed by HAL Laboratory and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Switch. It is the thirteenth mainline installment in the Kirby series, second on the Switch, as well as the first game in the series in full 3D, excluding spin-offs. The player controls Kirby in an adventure through the titular forgotten land to rescue Waddle Dees kidnapped by the ferocious Beast Pack. To complete each stage to save the Waddle Dees, Kirby can use a wide range of copy abilities to help battle enemies and progress.

<i>Beeswing</i> (video game) 2014 video game

Beeswing is a semi-autobiographical adventure and role-playing video game developed and published by Jack King-Spooner, a Scottish indie game developer. It was released on December 9, 2014. The game was released following a successful Kickstarter, and is now playable inside of a browser. Inspired by Spooner's childhood in Beeswing, Dumfries and Galloway, Beeswing tells the story of the King-Spooner returning home and meeting the town's inhabitants while reminiscing on their childhood.

<i>Radio the Universe</i> Upcoming video game

Radio the Universe is an upcoming action role-playing game developed and published by 6E6E6E. The game was originally funded via Kickstarter in 2012. A demo of the game was released for the February 2023 Steam Next Fest, the first time the game was playable since it started development more than a decade earlier. Its full release date has yet to be announced.

<i>Dread Delusion</i> 2022 video game

Dread Delusion is a 2024 video game developed by independent studio Lovely Hellplace and published by DreadXP. Described as an "open world" role-playing game brimming with strange places and dark perils," Dread Delusion encourages player exploration and discovery over the use of combat and grinding. Upon release, Dread Delusion received average reviews, with praise directed by critics to the game's setting, narrative and worldbuilding, and mixed views over the execution and depth of the game's combat mechanics.

<i>El Paso, Elsewhere</i> 2023 video game

El Paso, Elsewhere is a 2023 third-person shooter game developed and published by Strange Scaffold. Players control a vampire hunter who tries to stop his ex-girlfriend, a vampire, from destroying the world. It is inspired by Max Payne and has retro 2000s-era graphics.

<i>Crow Country</i> 2024 video game

Crow Country is a 2024 survival horror game developed and published by SFB Games for PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch. Set in a visual style and design similar to PlayStation 1 horror titles including Resident Evil and Silent Hill, the player is an investigator exploring an abandoned theme park. Upon release, Crow Country received generally positive reviews from critics, with praise directed to the game's design evocation of earlier horror games, writing and narrative, and mixed views on the implementation of combat and puzzles.

<i>Skald: Against the Black Priory</i> 2024 video game

Skald: Against the Black Priory is a 2024 role-playing video game developed by High North Studios and published by Raw Fury Games. It has a retro style influenced by the 1980s Ultima games. Players attempt to find a lost friend in a cursed land overrun with Lovecraftian monsters. The game generally received mixed-to-positive reviews, with general praise for the aesthetics and retro feel, though with some criticism for the combat and readability of the graphics.

References

  1. "Judero Soundtrack". Bandcamp .
  2. O'Connor, Alice (2022-10-04). "Jack King-Spooner's next handcrafted game has a teaser demo out". Rock Paper Shotgun .
  3. Litchfield, Ted (2023-04-02). "I had my weekend turned on its head by this stop motion-animated pagan fever dream of a game". PC Gamer .
  4. Litchfield, Ted (2024-09-20). "Judero review". PC Gamer.
  5. 1 2 Walker, Ian (2024-11-11). "Judero is a psychedelic trip through Scottish folklore". Polygon .
  6. "Judero - UK Games Fund". UK Games Fund .
  7. Couture, Joel (2024-10-03). "'Judero' Interview – Mixing 'Kirby's Adventure' and Scottish Folklore". Indie Games Plus.
  8. Gostick, Elliot (2024-06-09). "Here's Everything Shown at Future Games Show 2024". Siliconera.
  9. Litchfield, Ted (2024-09-20). "Judero review". PC Gamer.
  10. Scaife, Steven (2024-09-17). "'Judero' Review: Into the Weird Scottish Yonder". Slant Magazine .
  11. Handler, Zoey (2024-09-27). "Review: Judero". Destructoid .
  12. "Honorable Mentions". A MAZE.