vK Games

Factsheet

Developer:
vK Games
Based in Aberdeen, Scotland

Release date:
7th October, 2020

Platforms:
Apple App Store
Google Play Store

Website:
http://www.pandainia.com

Regular Price:

Description

High in the mystical mountains of Minshan is a secret hidden sanctuary called Pandainia. A place where pandas eat, sleep and play under the watchful gaze of a golden panda statue. It’s time for the panda family photo, but wait… The Pandas of Pandainia are missing! In Pandainia: Panda Pick-up, the player is against the clock to find all of the wandering pandas and get them back to the Panda Temple in time for the photo.

History

Watching panda videos on YouTube sparked the idea for the game. The game’s creator, Phil van Kuyk, watched as zookeepers struggled to go about their work or to keep the pandas together for a publicity photo. The pandas were constantly moving around, climbing into the leaf baskets or on to the zookeepers, who couldn’t do what they were suppose to do because they were constantly having to wrangle the pandas. This visual calamity inspired the initial premise for the game - get pandas in to one place, and keep them there. Armed with this idea and a vision of how it should look and play, but not knowing the first thing about coding an app, a friend’s introduction to Daniel Dawes and Mike Langley-Abbie at Spud Gun Games proved invaluable. Switching from 2D to 3D early on introduced added complexity to the gameplay, but ultimately produced considerably more rewarding game visuals. Over the course of almost two years, countless meetings, multiple test builds, and a problematic first name, Phil, Daniel and Mike saw the basic game idea grow and evolve. Nearing completion of the gameplay and graphics, Jessica Kelly was brought into the team to produce the game’s music, who’s musical scores added the missing ingredient that brought everything together, and finally Pandainia: Panda Pick-Up was ready.

Features

• The higher the level, the more pandas to wrangle. The game starts with players looking for one roaming panda. More pandas are added as the levels progress.
• Unlock items to entertain the pandas. The pandas are easily distracted. They’ll follow butterflies, sleep in patches of comfy long grass and feast on wild bamboo. As you level up, you will unlock new items like Beach Balls and Tyre Swings, that can be used in the game world for the pandas to interact with to stop them wandering off.
• Watch out for their mood swings. Happy pandas are sleepy pandas, but an unhappy panda may get angry and run away. Use items to improve the pandas’ moods.
• More pandas, more points, more coins. Points are scored by getting all of the pandas to the Panda Temple area before the timer runs out. The quicker the pandas are retrieved, the more points scored. Points are converted into coins, and these coins can be used to buy items in the ‘in-game shop’.
• Beautifully designed 3D game world. The Pandainia world has been crafted to be a rich, colourful arena for the pandas to inhabit. As the player progresses through the levels, the game area increases, revealing more of the panda’s world.
• Simple Drag & Drop gameplay. Utilising intuitive gestures, players navigate the game world with a swipe, move pandas with a drag & drop motion, and even zoom in and out with a pinch.
• Time Challenge and Sandbox modes. The objective of the Time Challenge game is to retrieve all the pandas before the timer runs out. Sandbox mode takes a more serene approach, allowing the user to watch and interact with the pandas without the constant pressure of the timer.

Pandainia: Panda Pick-Up Credits

Phil van Kuyk
Creative Director, Game Concept, 2D Graphics & Character Design - vK Games

Daniel Dawes
Gameplay Mechanics, 3D Models & Animation - Freelance

Michael Langley-Abbie
Gameplay Mechanics, Shading & Lighting - Freelance

Jessica Kelly
Composer - Freelance

Contact

Press Inquiries
contact@vkgames.studio

Twitter
http://twitter.com/vkgamesltd

Facebook
http://facebook.com/vkgamesltd

Web
https://vkgames.studio