Grobe Rode! Weird Stretchy Fun
Grobe Rode is a newly released Kickstarter game, about moving a snake-like character around a variety of sandbox levels that are cluttered with junk. You control both ends of the snake-like character at once, with the right and left a stick of the controller, and can use this movement to push or wrap yourself around objects to help move them. With the cluttered mess of objects in each level, it's your job to clean up, by using the stretchy character to knock objects off the stage you can grow longer in length and mess. This game is designed around the simple fun of making a mess. Each level is styled in a simple blocky and colorful art-style, matching the fun and playful nature of the game.
Key Features:
- Unique physics-based gameplay Open-ended approach to each level
- Unique level settings
- A large number of unique objects
Platforms:
The game demo is on and is scheduled for completion in May 2020. The game will be released on Steam (PC / Mac / Linux). With Beta builds of the game available for Kickstarter backers. The game is relatively simple to run with no intense, HW, FPS or graphical demands.
Gameplay:
Use the body of the snake-like character to push objects off the edge of each level, the main goal of each level is to knock as many objects off the stage as possible with each level having around 100 to 1000 objects placed for you to knock off. With each object you knock off the stage, the length of your character increases and the mass of the object is added to your body, letting you grow to a huge size! Going from the size of dice to the size of a house.
You control each end of the character at the same time, this allows for a unique play style as you can wrap your body around large objects to pull them along easier or try to collect many small objects in your length to push off at the same time. Since you control each end of the character with different control sticks, you can easily play couch co-op style with a friend! Don't worry if you fall off the stage, Grobe Rode is designed for a more relaxed play style and will place your character back on the stage if you are to fall off. Each level can be easily beaten, however, you are scored on how many objects you push off the stage and how quickly you do this. This means the game can be played casually or more seriously if you are aiming for a high score.
The Kickstarter demo currently has 3 available levels, along with 1 tester level. Each level takes you to a new location with unique objects cluttered around the level that you can interact with. Each level is completely open and can be navigated in any way you like. Currently, the game has one game mode, that being cleaning up each level by knocking objects off the stage, but the game is planned to involve additional game modes, focusing around making a large mess in a level, and carefully navigating a level without knocking objects off the stage.
Stuck?
You can reset your character anytime in the pause menu, just in case you get tangled up in too many objects. The levels can be easily replayed so take your time to learn how to play effectively.
Additionally, the game in planned to included 15 more levels, along with unlockable characters and skins.
History
The game was originally created as a way to test physics objects and hitboxes in the game. However, testing these features was enjoyable enough that it was developed into its own game. The game was created by solo game developer Alice Jarratt, and currently includes 3 tracks in the demo by musician Us And It. The game is currently being funded on Kickstarter, with options to gain beta access to the game, design characters, and even design your own level as backer rewards!
With the demo publicly available try it out yourself, and have fun stretching around!
