Papo and Yo devs confront more monsters in next game, Silent Enemy

Minority attempted to make its next game a departure from the emotional, draining experience of its first project, Papo & Yo, by crafting a hunting-survival, documentary-style game set in the harsh tundra of Northern Quebec. Somewhere along the development process, that turned into a game about bullying.

Silent Enemy still takes place in the frozen wasteland of Northern Canada, but its message, mechanics and impact have shifted dramatically. Papo & Yo creator Vander Caballero and Minority Design Director Ruben Farrus are collaborating to weave a subtle story about the hopelessness, weakness and determination that victims of bullying regularly face. That message, however, is covered in piles of snow and steeped in legend.

It's an exploration and puzzle game in mind for PC, tablets, Ouya, PS4 and possibly other platforms by the end of the year, but with no concrete plans so far. The prototype uses an Ouya controller, since its touch pad makes sense for the gameplay, but that doesn't guarantee it will launch on Ouya, Caballero said.

Silent Enemy takes place in a world of permanent winter, where springtime is a legend, the bedtime story grandma tells the children to help them fall asleep. Once, animals and humans flourished in the spring, but one species hated such a fruitful time: the crows. They chased springtime away, leaving behind only glowing gold fragments of the season, now hidden throughout the landscape. Players find these orbs and trail them around, using a mix of magic and logic to navigate the whitewashed world.

Yes, it's still a game about bullying.

Gallery: Silent Enemy (Concept Art)

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Papo and Yo devs confront more monsters in next game, Silent Enemy originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 29 Mar 2013 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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