Spaceteam

Last updated
Spaceteam
Spaceteam icon.png
Developer(s) Sleeping Beast Games
Platform(s) iOS, Android
Release
  • NA: December 1, 2012
Mode(s) Multiplayer

Spaceteam is a free-to-play local cooperative multiplayer video game developed and published by Henry Smith of Canadian studio Sleeping Beast Games for iOS and Android operating systems. It was released on December 1, 2012 [1] and is described as a "cooperative shouting game for phones and tablets". [2] The game uses multiple smartphone or tablet devices, connected via wifi or bluetooth, to enter a shared game of two to eight players. [2]

Contents

Gameplay

Four people playing Spaceteam together Spaceteam multiplayer mobile game.jpg
Four people playing Spaceteam together

Each player is responsible for a different spaceship control panel on their individual device's screen, with various knobs and dials labelled with a variety of technobabble. The players perform individual functions as members of the ship's crew, with the goal of keeping the vessel from crashing. [3] As the game begins, differing orders are given to each player via their device as a task to pilot the ship. The player must then verbally tell the group the order that needs to be accomplished until the person with the relevant control panel activates the order correctly. Simultaneously, the player must listen for any orders that are relevant to their control panel and activate them accordingly. [4]

Upon correctly applying multiple orders from all players, the ship enters warp, and the group of players continues to the next stage of increasingly difficult gameplay. "The tasks get harder. Sometimes you may find your instruments mislabeled, for example." [3] If mistakes are made, damage will occur to the ship in the form of different players control panels breaking, and if too many mistakes are made, the group's ship is consumed by a supernova and the game ends. "There also are events that require everyone to do something three-dimensional with their phones. If you hit a wormhole, you have to tip your devices upside down. To avoid asteroids, you have to all shake your devices, ideally without flinging them across the room." [3]

The hectic gameplay makes most players inevitably begin shouting their orders. Smith suggests this was not an intended feature. "People start shouting because it's the only way to getting someone to hear your instruction. In harder levels, you basically have to talk over each other otherwise the timer runs out too quickly ... it's just what you do in that situation – all hell's breaking loose, and you're trying to get people to hear your instructions." [5]

Development

Henry Smith, who had worked on a failed Irrational Games project as well as Dead Space 2 with Electronic Arts, left his job at BioWare in 2012 to pursue his own work. He began Spaceteam as an experiment in order to learn how to code for iOS and Android devices inspired by science fiction culture, including Doctor Who , Red Dwarf and The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy . Smith stated that his biggest inspiration came from the co-op board game Space Alert . [5]

Smith has stated that the user interface (UI) and icon design is "supposed to be stylized letters 'S' and 'T' joined together. As a bonus, the negative space between them is in the shape of a lever." [6] In addition, the connection flow was to be made as simple as possible, which includes: no host or join, server lists, IP addresses or system dialogs. Smith used a variety of programs and tools to build the game. For example, Cocos2d and extensions for the core engine and CocoaAsyncSocket and HHServices for networking. [6] [7]

Reception

Spaceteam has been met with resounding critical success. It received lavish praise from GameSpot , Kotaku , The Verge , Polygon , and many other video game news and critical outlets. It also won numerous awards and recognition, and has received over three million downloads across the Apple store and Google Play store as of Nov 11, 2015. [10] Despite the popularity of the game and the offerings of in-game purchases available to enhance the gameplay, the game has only made a total of $49,700 directly as of Nov 11, 2015, and $25,000 tangentially through prize money. Smith insists that making money from Spaceteam was never his original design, but comments that the game is finally nearing profitability. [10]

Spin-off board game

Given the mobile game's popularity, "in late 2014, Henry teamed up with Tommy West and Matt Sisson to create a table top version of Spaceteam. Throughout 2015, the team experimented on and off with different concepts, from complex board games to strategy based card and token games...". [11] In addition, the co-creator, Elan Lee, of Exploding Kittens is helping test and produce the cards. [12] On September 23, 2015 a Kickstarter campaign was made to produce a party-style card game while staying true to the original mobile version. As of 2016, there have been approximately 4,220 backers that have pledged a total of $181,600 exceeding their goal of $7,500. [11]

The gameplay of the game is similar to the original. The maximum number of players are from 3 to 6 with playing time being 5 minutes. [13] "Your goal is to ensure that all ship systems are functioning properly before time runs out. Each player must deal with the various malfunctions in their sector by flipping cards from the malfunction deck in front of them, and fixing the ship's systems." [14] "As the cards are drawn from the malfunction stack, players will have to work together to apply the correct tools to the malfunctions that pop up. Each tool is unique however, and players must communicate at the table to pass the right tool to the right player." [12] "There are no turns; everyone plays and shouts at the same time. Victory is achieved if enough malfunctions are corrected to reveal the 6 hidden System-Go Cards before time is up". [11] [14]

Awards

AwardDateCategoryResultRef.
Game City Prize 2013's Best Game of 2013January 30, 2013Winner 2013Won [15]
IndieCade Interaction AwardOctober 6, 2013Interaction AwardWon [16]
A MAZE Indie Connect Festival's Winner 2013April 26, 2013WinnerWon [17]
10th Annual International Mobile Gaming AwardsJune 6, 2011Excellence in InnovationWon [18]
Independent Games Festival 2013March 17, 2013NuovoNominated [19]
PAX East Indie Showcase 2013March 17, 2013ShowcaseNominated [20]

Related Research Articles

<i>Magic: The Gathering</i> Collectible card game

Magic: The Gathering is a tabletop and digital collectible card game created by Richard Garfield. Released in 1993 by Wizards of the Coast, Magic was the first trading card game and had approximately fifty million players as of February 2023. Over twenty billion Magic cards were produced in the period from 2008 to 2016, during which time it grew in popularity. As of the 2022 fiscal year, Magic generates over $1 billion in revenue annually.

<i>Card Sharks</i> American television game show

Card Sharks is an American television game show. It was created by Chester Feldman for Mark Goodson-Bill Todman Productions. The game features two contestants who attempt to predict the outcome of survey questions to gain control of a row of oversized playing cards, then determine whether the next card drawn is higher or lower. The title Card Sharks is a play on the term "card sharp", a person skilled at card games.

Gameplay is the specific way in which players interact with a game, and in particular with video games. Gameplay is the pattern defined through the game rules, connection between player and the game, challenges and overcoming them, plot and player's connection with it. Video game gameplay is distinct from graphics and audio elements. In card games, the equivalent term is play.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">PlayStation Vita</span> Handheld game console by Sony

The PlayStation Vita is a handheld game console developed and marketed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on December 17, 2011, and in North America, Europe, and other international territories beginning on February 22, 2012. The console is the successor to the PlayStation Portable, and a part of the PlayStation brand of gaming devices; as part of the eighth generation of video game consoles, it primarily competed with the Nintendo 3DS.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jackbox Games</span> American video game developer

Jackbox Games, Inc. is an American video game developer based in Chicago, Illinois, best known for the You Don't Know Jack series of quiz-based party video games and The Jackbox Party Pack series. Founded by Harry Gottlieb, the company operated as Jellyvision Games from 1995 until its closure in 2001. After seven years of dormancy, Jellyvision Games was revived in 2008, and the company rebranded as Jackbox Games in 2013.

<i>Hearthstone</i> Digital collectible card game by Blizzard Entertainment

Hearthstone is a free-to-play online digital collectible card game developed and published by Blizzard Entertainment. Originally subtitled Heroes of Warcraft, Hearthstone builds upon the existing lore of the Warcraft series by using the same elements, characters, and relics. It was first released for Windows and macOS in March 2014, with ports for iOS and Android released later that year. The game features cross-platform play, allowing players on any supported device to compete with one another, restricted only by geographical region account limits.

<i>Candy Crush Saga</i> 2012 video game

Candy Crush Saga is a free-to-play tile-matching video game released by King on April 12, 2012, originally for Facebook; other versions for iOS, Android, Windows Phone, and Windows 10 followed. It is a variation of their browser game Candy Crush.

<i>Halo: Spartan Assault</i> 2013 video game

Halo: Spartan Assault is a twin stick shooter video game developed by 343 Industries and Vanguard Games. Part of the Halo media franchise, the game was released on July 18, 2013, for Microsoft's Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 platforms. The game subsequently released on Xbox 360, Xbox One, Steam, and iOS. Halo: Spartan Assault is set between the events of Halo 3 and Halo 4. Players control the human soldiers Sarah Palmer and Edward Davis as they fight a new splinter faction of the alien Covenant. The game launched with 25 single-player missions; an additional campaign released as downloadable content. The console versions also feature an exclusive cooperative horde mode.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Game design</span> Game development process of designing the content and rules of a game

Game design is the process of creating and shaping the mechanics, systems and rules of a game. Games can be created for entertainment, education, exercise or experimental purposes. Additionally, elements and principles of game design can be applied to other interactions, in the form of gamification. Game designer and developer Robert Zubek defines game design by breaking it down into its elements, which he says are the following:

<i>Magic: The Gathering – Duels of the Planeswalkers 2015</i> 2014 virtual card game

Magic 2015 – Duels of the Planeswalkers is a video game based on the collectible card game of the same name, first published by Wizards of the Coast in 1993. The game was released in July 2014 on PC (Steam), Xbox 360, iPad (iTunes), and Android devices. An Xbox One version was released in November 2014. It is the fifth game in the Magic: The Gathering – Duels of the Planeswalkers series. The gameplay follows that of the original card game, however within a more restrained framework. The game, like all the previous installments, is priced $10 on most platforms. On the iPad, the game is free for the first realm but has in-app purchases for the remaining realms, more cards and additional features.

<i>Codenames</i> (board game) 2015 spy-themed board game

Codenames is a 2015 party card game designed by Vlaada Chvátil and published by Czech Games Edition. Two teams compete by each having a "spymaster" give one-word clues that can point to multiple words on the board. The other players on the team attempt to guess their team's words while avoiding the words of the other team. Codenames received positive reviews and won the 2016 Spiel des Jahres award for the best board game of the year.

<i>Titanfall: Frontline</i> Video game

Titanfall: Frontline is a cancelled free-to-play card battle video game developed by American studio Particle City for Android and iOS devices, as part of the Titanfall franchise.

<i>Plants vs. Zombies Heroes</i> 2016 video game

Plants vs. Zombies Heroes is a digital collectible card game and the sixth installment in the Plants vs. Zombies series, developed by PopCap Games and published by Electronic Arts. On March 10, 2016, it underwent a soft launch in some countries on iOS, before being internationally released on October 18, 2016. Heroes is the first mobile release in the Plants vs Zombies series in which players can play on either the Plant team or the Zombie team, with the former pursuing the latter under Crazy Dave's leadership following the Hero-Tron 3000's malfunction.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Digital collectible card game</span> Video game that emulates collectible card games

A digital collectible card game (DCCG) or online collectible card game (OCCG) is a computer or video game that emulates collectible card games (CCG) and is typically played online or occasionally as a standalone video game. Many DCCGs are types of digital tabletop games and follow traditional card game-style rules, while some DCCGs use alternatives for cards and gameboards, such as icons, dice and avatars. Originally, DCCGs started out as replications of a CCG's physical counterpart, but many DCCGs have foregone a physical version and exclusively release as a video game, such as with Hearthstone.

A roguelike deck-building game is a hybrid genre of video games that combines the nature of deck-building card games with procedural-generated randomness from roguelike games.

Titanfall is a media franchise that mainly features first-person shooter games. The series was created by Respawn Entertainment and debuted on Xbox and Microsoft Windows; it has expanded to other consoles and platforms.

A digital tabletop game is a video game genre that includes video games that have gameplay similar to physical tabletop games, including board games, card games, and role-playing games. Many digital tabletop games are adaptions of existing physical games into the video games, though some of these are wholly digital games that use tabletop game mechanics. There are also tabletop game simulators that allow for users to recreate tabletop games from a variety of game pieces.

The Crew: The Quest for Planet Nine is a board game for 3–5 players designed by Thomas Sing and released in 2019. In The Crew, a trick-taking cooperative card game with 50 missions, players aim to win tricks based on their task cards, but can only communicate limited information on their cards. Upon its release, The Crew received critical success and won numerous awards. A sequel, The Crew: Mission Deep Sea, was released in 2021.

<i>This War of Mine: The Board Game</i> 2017 Polish cooperative board game

This War of Mine: The Board Game is a 2017 Polish cooperative board game published by Awaken Realms, designed by Michal Oracz and Jakub Wiśniewski as an adaptation or port of the video game This War of Mine. It has been noted for its bleak, unforgiving gameplay, often forcing players into ethical dilemmas. A war game from the perspective of civilians trying to survive a conflict that is primarily based on the siege of Sarajevo, it was announced in November 2015 by 11 Bit Studios, the video game's developer; after a successful Kickstarter campaign in 2016, it was released through several distributors the following year. While agreed upon by reviewers to not be a "fun" game, it has received mostly favorable reviews for its role as an artistic statement or educational tool.

References

  1. ↑ "Spaceteam". GiantBomb.
  2. 1 2 "Spaceteam". Sleeping Beast Games.
  3. 1 2 3 Tsukayama, Hayley (October 30, 2014). "App reviews: Spaceteam mobile game; a Reddit-like reader". The Washington Post – via Academic OneFile.
  4. ↑ Blagdon, Jeff (December 11, 2012). "'Spaceteam' for iOS makes you scream sci-fi technobabble at your friends". The Verge . Retrieved March 22, 2014.
  5. 1 2 Farokhmanesh, Megan (18 March 2013). "Shouting crazy science fiction terms with Spaceteam". Polygon.com.
  6. 1 2 "Stories Behind the Apps: Spaceteam". powerslyde. Retrieved February 20, 2016.
  7. ↑ Smith, Henry. "Spaceteam Credits". Breaking The Code. Retrieved February 20, 2016.
  8. ↑ "Spaceteam for iPhone/iPad Reviews". Metacritic . CBS Interactive . Retrieved September 19, 2018.
  9. ↑ Craddock, David (April 3, 2013). "'Spaceteam' Review – Pushing Buttons and Shouting at Your Friends… as a Spaceteam". TouchArcade . Retrieved September 19, 2018.
  10. 1 2 "Spaceteam Downloads & Sales". Sleepingbeastgames.com. Retrieved February 20, 2016.
  11. 1 2 3 Sisson, Mathew. "Spaceteam". Kickstarter. Retrieved February 20, 2016.
  12. 1 2 Hall, Charlie (2015-09-24). "Exploding Kittens co-creator teaming up for Spaceteam card game". Polygon. Retrieved 2016-02-21.
  13. ↑ "Spaceteam | Board Game | BoardGameGeek". boardgamegeek.com. Retrieved 2016-02-21.
  14. 1 2 "Spaceteam: A Chaotic & Cooperative Card Game". Spaceteam. Retrieved February 20, 2016.
  15. ↑ "Spaceteam wins GameCity Prize 2013". NewBay Media.[ permanent dead link ]
  16. ↑ "2013 Award Winners". IndieCade. Archived from the original on February 22, 2018. Retrieved March 22, 2014.
  17. ↑ "WINNER 2013: SPACETEAM". A MAZE Indie Connect Festival. Retrieved March 22, 2014.
  18. ↑ "Annual Report 9th International Mobile Gaming Awards". Issuu.com. 19 July 2013. Retrieved March 22, 2014.
  19. ↑ "2013 Independent Games Festival Winners". Independent Games Festival . Retrieved March 22, 2014.
  20. ↑ Suszek, Mike (January 26, 2013). "PAX East Indie Showcase to include Spaceteam, Saturday Morning RPG". Joystiq . Retrieved March 29, 2019.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.