August Luhrs
DYÄD is a semi-cooperative puzzle game where a couple must navigate the struggles of being in a relationship while decorating their home with IKEA furniture falling from the sky.
Description
Inspired by games like Consentacle, Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes, Nour, and Fog of Love, DYÄD is a semi-cooperative puzzle game where two people have to decorate their home with IKEA furniture by dropping it from the sky. A shared physical interface allows players to button mash to spawn a fountain of cheap and sleek Swedish design as they attempt to communicate or not about their individual wants and shared goals (but they can only communicate in Swedish…). Each level is a progressively larger floor plan, but each partner in the couple has different preferences as to what color and type of furniture should be in each room. The partners only know their wants however, by consulting a textless assembly manual that is unique to them and starts nearly blank. It is only by trying and failing to play the game with different partners that they unlock new stickers to flesh out their unique assembly manual, learning through reflection how best to navigate future relationships and ultimately succeed with their partner. Though no pairing is the same, through communication, compromise, and playful exploration, the couple can emerge victorious.
Each button interface has multiple LED pushbuttons that change color to indicate different states in-game, and both are connected via TeensyMIDI to Unity. After giving new players their own assembly manual, explaining the game rules (though leaving most interactions/effects to exploration/discovery), and allowing the pair a minute to discuss, the facilitator (me) starts the game in unity.
Classes
Joy and Games
