| Wattam | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | Funomena |
| Publisher(s) | Annapurna Interactive |
| Designer(s) | Keita Takahashi |
| Platform(s) | |
| Release | December 17, 2019 |
| Genre(s) | Puzzle-platform |
| Mode(s) | Single-player, multiplayer |
Wattam is a 2019 puzzle-platform game developed by Funomena and published by Annapurna Interactive. It was designed by Keita Takahashi, better known for creating the Katamari Damacy series, and was released for PlayStation 4 and Windows on December 17.
The game is played either solo or co-op, and consists of befriending other inhabitants of the world, including trees, flowers, rocks, toilets, poop, mouths, and more by holding hands, uncovering secrets, playing minigames, and solving puzzles. Characters each have unique melodies, which can be combined. [1]
Originally revealed in December 2014 as a PlayStation 4 exclusive, Wattam was to be published by Sony Interactive Entertainment and developed jointly by Funomena and Santa Monica Studio. [1] [2] However, it was revealed in October 2016 that Sony were no longer involved with the game. [3] In August 2017, Annapurna Interactive was announced as the new publisher, and that it would additionally be released for Microsoft Windows. [4]
Regarding Wattam, designer Keita Takahashi said that he was "always" trying to make a game that makes people notice how "our ordinary life is great". [5]
Wattam had a troubled development at Funomena. [6] [7] [8] Takahashi quarreled with studio co-founder Robin Hunicke over the game's design and production, eventually building a physical barricade between their sides of the office. Hunicke withdrew from active involvement in the game's development to focus on running the company. After Sony ended its co-development with Funomena, the studio announced layoffs. The game would ultimately spend over five years in development. [8]
| Aggregator | Score |
|---|---|
| Metacritic | PC: 73/100 [9] PS4: 72/100 [10] |
| Publication | Score |
|---|---|
| Destructoid | 8.5/10 [11] |
| Edge | 7/10 |
| Game Informer | 7.25/10 [12] |
| GameSpot | 7/10 [13] |
| IGN | 8/10 [14] |
| Jeuxvideo.com | 14/20 [15] |
| PlayStation Official Magazine – UK | 9/10 |
| PC Gamer (US) | 76/100 [16] |
| USgamer | 4/5 [17] |
Wattam received "mixed or average reviews" from critics upon release according to review aggregator Metacritic. [9] [10]
The game was nominated for "Family", "Game Design", and "Music" at the 16th British Academy Games Awards. [18]
Katamari Damacy is a third-person puzzle-action video game developed and published by Namco for the PlayStation 2. It was released in Japan in March 2004 and later in North America in September. Designer Keita Takahashi struggled to pitch the game to Namco's superiors, eventually seeking student aid from the Namco Digital Hollywood Game Laboratory to develop the project for less than US$ 1 million. As director, Takahashi emphasized concepts of novelty, ease of understanding, and enjoyment.
We Love Katamari is a 2005 third-person puzzle-action video game developed and published by Namco for the PlayStation 2. It is the sequel to the 2004 sleeper hit Katamari Damacy. The player controls a diminutive character named the Prince as he rolls around an adhesive ball called a "katamari" to collect increasingly larger objects, ranging from coins to pencils to buildings, in order to build stars as ordered by his father, the King of All Cosmos.
The King of All Cosmos is a character from the Katamari video game series. Created by video game developer Keita Takahashi, he first appears in the 2004 video game Katamari Damacy and is presented as a colossal-sized, god-like monarch who rules over the cosmos, which encompasses all the stars and planets in the sky. In the Katamari series, the King of All Cosmos instructs the franchise's player character, the Prince, to collect and roll up assortments of objects using a ball called a katamari until they are large enough to become celestial bodies. The character has had recurring appearances in the Katamari video game series as a major supporting character, as well as a number of crossover appearances. The King of All Cosmos is generally well received by critics and players, and is often cited as one of the most memorable or influential characters in the history of the video game industry.
Keita Takahashi is a Japanese game designer and artist, his most notable titles being Katamari Damacy and its sequel, We Love Katamari. The original Katamari game was a surprise hit and was praised for its quirkiness, originality, and charm. Takahashi is married to pianist and composer Asuka Sakai, who has worked with Takahashi on various projects.
Katamari Damacy Mobile was a video game developed by Namco Bandai Games for the Mitsubishi P904i series of mobile phones for NTT Docomo. It was released in June 2007 in Japan. It is a spin-off of the Katamari Damacy series, the second game on a handheld game console and the third game produced without the involvement of series creator Keita Takahashi.
Katamari Damacy is a third-person puzzle-action video game that was published and developed by Namco for the PlayStation 2 video game console. The success of the game led to the release of six sequels in Japan and other territories: We Love Katamari, Me & My Katamari, Beautiful Katamari, Katamari Damacy Mobile, I Love Katamari, and Katamari Forever. It also inspired a spin-off game, Korogashi Puzzle Katamari Damacy.
Robin Hunicke is an American video game designer and producer. She is a professor of game design at UC Santa Cruz and the co-founder of Funomena.
Katamari is a Japanese video game franchise created by Keita Takahashi and developed and published by Namco. The series puts players in control of a young character called The Prince as he assists his father, the King of All Cosmos, in the re-creation of stars and planets by using a ball called a katamari to roll up objects. The first title in the series was Katamari Damacy for the PlayStation 2, which became a cult classic and led to several sequels and spin-offs.
Donut County is a puzzle video game developed by American designer Ben Esposito and published by Annapurna Interactive in 2018. The player moves a hole to swallow objects, which makes the hole increase in size. The concept originated in a game jam based on pitches from a Twitter account parody of game designer Peter Molyneux and later added a mechanic similar to that of Katamari Damacy. Other inspirations for the game included Hopi figurines—a theme Esposito later relinquished—and locations from Bruce Springsteen songs. Donut County was released in August 2018 for iOS, macOS, PlayStation 4, and Microsoft Windows platforms, while versions for Xbox One and Nintendo Switch were released in December 2018. It was also released for Android in December 2020.
Life Is Strange 2 is an episodic adventure game developed by Dontnod Entertainment and published by Square Enix. Its five episodes were released between September 2018 and December 2019 for PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One and later for Linux, macOS and Nintendo Switch. A main sequel in the Life Is Strange series, the game's plot features Hispanic American brothers Sean and Daniel as they travel along the US West Coast as fugitives from the police after the younger brother discovers his telekinetic abilities. In the game, which is played from a third-person perspective, Sean must make crucial decisions that will lead to different branches in the storyline, while serving as a surrogate parent for Daniel.
Celeste is a 2018 platform game developed and published by indie studio Maddy Makes Games. The player controls Madeline, a young woman with anxiety and depression who aims to climb Celeste Mountain. During her climb, she encounters several characters, including Part of You a personification of her self-doubt who attempts to stop her from climbing the mountain.
Annapurna Games, LLC is an American video game publisher and developer. The company is a division of Annapurna Pictures, and was founded in 2016. Notable games published by the company include Donut County, Kentucky Route Zero, Outer Wilds, Sayonara Wild Hearts, Wattam, What Remains of Edith Finch, Telling Lies, Neon White and Stray.
Telling Lies is a narrative video game developed by Sam Barlow and Furious Bee and published by Annapurna Interactive in August 2019 for iOS, macOS, and Windows. Ports for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One were released in April 2020. As with Barlow's previous title, Her Story, the game uses live action full-motion video of four people as part of video calls made between them, and the player will need to use tools provided from the game to piece together events and what statements may be lies to determine the overall mystery.
Moss is a virtual reality adventure game developed and published by American video game development studio Polyarc. The game is presented from a blend of first-person and third-person perspectives, with a primary focus on solving puzzles. Moss was released for the PlayStation 4 in February 2018. In June, a PC version featuring high-resolution graphics was released. A PlayStation 5 version was released in February 2023.
Overcooked 2 is a cooperative cooking simulation video game developed by Team17 alongside Ghost Town Games, and published by Team17. The sequel to Overcooked!, it was released for Linux, macOS, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One on August 7, 2018. The game was released for Amazon Luna on October 20, 2020. Overcooked: All You Can Eat, a compilation game that includes both Overcooked and Overcooked 2, was released for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S on November 12, 2020. The compilation came to Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One on March 23, 2021, and on Google Stadia on May 5, 2022.
Bayonetta is an urban fantasy action-adventure video game series created by Hideki Kamiya. It is developed by PlatinumGames, owned by Sega, and currently published by Nintendo. The franchise was introduced in 2009 with Bayonetta, which was followed by two sequels, Bayonetta 2 (2014) and Bayonetta 3 (2022), as well as a spinoff, Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon (2023). The games follow the titular character, a witch who wields dual pistols, shooters in her high heels, and long, magically transforming hair which becomes a deadly weapon.
LA Game Space was a nonprofit organization focused on experimental game design, research and education. The crowdfunded project planned to open an exhibition space in Los Angeles, along with a research wing, a space for workshops and support for artists in residence. The organization exceeded its crowdfunding target in 2012, but closed down in 2018 having failed to open a physical venue.
Alphabet is an experimental video game that was developed by Keita Takahashi and Adam Saltsman, designed "for 1 to 26 players". Saltsman has additionally described the title as a "massively single-player offline game". The game has variously been presented either as a downloadable title or as an installation piece.
Laura E. Hall is an American immersive artist, puzzle game designer, and writer. She has written several books about video games, immersive entertainment, and escape rooms.
