Duende! Explained

Last week I told the story of how Duende! came to be, and I also introduced you to all the characters in the game. For this article I'm going to discuss the technical aspects of gameplay. I'm also going to give away some tips that could possibly help you in case you find yourself stuck.

The Whack-a-mole Concept

If there is ever a Whack-a-mole genre, Duende! definitely fits the bill. It has all the hallmarks of being a Whack-a-mole game: the popping up of targets, and the player's interaction with them by simply whacking, or in the case of a mobile device, tapping them. This is what all Whack-a-mole games essentially boil down to, and is explained to the player on level 1.

The goal in level 1 is to catch 10 Green duendes before your counter (that bar at the top of the screen) expires. As you've met them already, any of the three Green duende variation will count towards your goal. It is also okay to exceed 10 so you can boost your score.

Level 2 introduces one of the added flavors of Duende! to the Whack-a-mole concept: tapping some types of duendes more than once. Actually, there are only two types of duendes that require more than one tap to be captured, and they are the Blue and the Black ones. They both require a double tap.

On this level, the player is presented with two types of duendes: the Green and the Blue ones. The goal is to catch 10 Blue duendes, but it is okay to catch the Green ones also. You are not required to catch them in any sequence; as long as you capture a total of 10 Blue duendes by the end of the level, you're on the clear.

On Combos and Chains

On level 3 the player is introduced to the concept of combos. Combos are a set combination of duende captures. Some combos are strict and require you to capture the duendes in exact sequence, while most allow for wildcards. Be aware that the combo meter does expire; you can't hold on to that sequence forever! The timer on the combo meter varies per level. Fortunately, you won't have to guess these combos. You can find the Combopedia at the level selection screen. It details the combo rewards and requirements.

Combos are primarily for boosting your score, although some have special effects on the game (e.g. Time Warp, Double Points, etc.). Most quests also requires the player to complete combos multiple times.

Performing consecutive combos will form a Combo Chain, or simply Chain. This concept is introduced in level 6 of the game. Combo chains will break when the player takes damage, or receives a penalty. It can also break after some seconds of inactivity, which varies between levels. If you have a quest to make a long chain, but unfortunately there’s no possible combo to make, just keep on catching duendes. The chain will not break since there is an activity. With enough luck a good combination will be on its way.

Slicing Like a Ninja

Another added flavor to the game is the concept of defense. Red and Black duendes will throw a projectile at you, specifically a crumpled paper. Players can destroy these projectiles by swiping on them, much like in the popular game Fruit Ninja-- ours is less flashy though. Destroying projectiles doesn’t reward the player with anything; it just prolongs survival. When the player is hit by these projectiles, 1 Heart is lost. The player will have a fixed number of 3 Hearts at the beginning of each level. When the Heart count reaches zero, that’s a Game Over for the player. Sometimes keeping a certain number of Hearts is also part of the quest.

Fortunately, lost Hearts can be recovered by catching White duendes. It is also possible to restore 1 or all Hearts by performing combos such as Orange Juice, Lemonade, and Citrus Platter. Unfortunately, this means that healing is heavily dependent on how the level is set up, so if the level doesn’t give you these types of duendes your best weapon is your reflex and persistence.

The Angry Bird Riders

One of the most annoying obstacles in the game are the bird riders. This can be any duende riding on a bird. Birds appear from the edges of the screen and fly to their predetermined position. Some birds fly fast, some fly slowly. It is possible to catch them midflight, but it is often difficult. Catching birds also disposes of the rider, but that will only give you points for the bird. Also you are not considered to have captured the rider.

There are two types of birds: the normal ones and the armored ones. The normal ones require only one tap to catch, while armored ones need two. Birds vary in size, but in most cases, they will be blocking your view. Eliminate them as soon as possible, especially if you don’t really need the rider. Bird riders will start appearing on level 21.

The Hermit

The concept of the Hermit is similar to Red and Black duendes, only applied to the other side. Instead of attacking you, Hermits will cast a zap spell to random duendes, including itself, to take them back to their home dimension. There’s really no other way to beat Hermits aside from capturing them first or preempt them by denying their target. Hermits will start appearing on level 31.

The Cat and that Cymbal

Starting on level 41 the player is introduced to a new game mechanic: the Don’t Wake the Cat. Aside from completing the quests, the player must keep the cat asleep at all costs. If the cat ever wakes up, it’s an instant Game Over for the player. The Cymbalist duende will make noise to disturb the cat. You can either capture the Cymbalist before it makes its noise, or you can stroke the cat on its body to calm it. The cat can be disturbed three times before it fully wakes up, so the player has some time to calm it back to slumber.

You will hear a cymbal sound when Cymbalists do their thing. Also, when you stroke the cat you will hear a purring sound. You will also have a visual cue to how close the cat is from waking up by looking at its ears; two ears folded means it’s fully asleep. When disturbed once, one ear will stand up. Another ear will stand up when disturbed again. On the third noise it will open its eyes and jump at the player!

Here is a video of a Cat level in action:

While we have plans to expand the game to have more levels, 50 seems enough for the time being. We’re continuously tweaking and balancing the game, because we want as many people to enjoy them as possible. If you have any feedback or comment, regarding the game or this article, let us know!

You can download Duende! from the Play Store:
Duende! on Google Play Store

-- LJ

To contact the author, just send your e-mail to hobbigames@gmail.com