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

Into the World of Duende!

By: LJ Gutierrez

Let's start things off with a technical definition for the word Duende. A duende is a fairy- or goblin-like mythological creature from Iberian, Latin American and Filipino folklore. Duendes may also have some traits similar to goblins and kobolds. The word is often considered to be the Spanish and Portuguese equivalent of the English word "sprite" or the Japanese word yokai and is used as an umbrella term for any fairy-like being such as goblins, pixies and elves. (Source: Wikipedia)

It started when I had an inkling to make a game for my own daughter. I thought to myself, what type of game can a one year old like her play? I saw her tapping at just about anything she can see on my Galaxy S2. I had an idea. I'm going to make a Whack-a-mole game! Shortly afterwards I went to the play store and downloaded some Whack-a-mole games. I observed how they are played, and when I got the feel of it I started designing one of my own.

Racer X, a Road Fighter clone

This wasn't really the very first computer game I ever made. I have some experience in game development. After all it has been my hobby since college -- when I first learned about programming. Sadly though my works range from what can only be considered as mini-games (e.g. Worm, Road Fighter clone) to short RPGs, where only 1 out of 4 is actually finished and downloadable somewhere on the internet. Long story short, my degree of proficiency in game development is just a notch above that of a hobbyist's, and I owe this to six months of working for an actual Game Publishing company. I wasn't delusional about my experience, but I know where my talents lie. I was confident that I can publish a game for commercial consumption, but I know that I had to start small.

3D Snake

Worm

Trio of Destruction, a JRPG

Heraldry: Freija, the game that I really wanted to make someday

As you can see, I'm no stranger to creating game environments. Over the years I have developed this ability to conceptualize how I want my game to look like, and how to present it to people. For the Whack-a-mole game I was going to make, I had to think of a theme. I had to think of characters people can relate to. I had to come up with something feasible. Lastly, I want to put a little of my own childhood in it.

When I was a child, I use to hear a lot of stories about these small creatures called Dwende. Our folks would tell kids stories about the good and the evil types of dwendes. Primarily they're tools to ensure we are well behaved. When we tend to wander off they would say that we're disturbing the dwende's homes, pointing at the lump of earth they called punso. A few years later I've learned that they're either anthills or termite mounds. While I was generally scared of the bad dwendes, I'd always imagine meeting at least the good ones.

Since dwendes are a memorable part of my childhood, I chose to base my first game around them. The premise of Duende! is simple: the Duendes are out and they want to play with you! This mirrored my longing to meet an actual dwende and play with them when I was a boy. There was a story for the game, but I've decided to go with a simple, more casual tone for the presentation. After all this is just a whack-a-mole clone. There's not much story to add to make it any more interesting. If I do decide to tell their story, it will be in a different game. Maybe a RPG or a Strategy game, who knows?

If ever I get the chance to turn Duende! into a strategy game,
I'll definitely be borrowing elements from Pikmin.

Let's get to know our little friends, shall we?

First off we have the Green duendes. They are most common types and are easily captured. They are Patrick, Annie, and Clomp.

Patrick and Annie are fond of people, while Clomp is very shy.

Next, we have the Blue duendes. They are also common duendes, but more sturdy than most, due to the invisible barrier they cast on themselves. They are Harry, Marilyn, and Principe.

In case you're wondering, Harry is the twin brother of Patrick. Marilyn was obviously inspired by Marilyn Monroe, and Principe was inspired by Prinsipe K from a local sitcom Okay Ka, Fairy Ko!

Prinsipe K

The only Red duende featured in the game is Doze the Sleepyhead. He likes to sleep all day, and hates it when disturbed. He shoots out projectiles from his slingshot.

Bully is a Black duende who dislikes people. He is big and strong and can throw projectiles with his bare hands.

The game features two kinds of Yellow duendes: Pat and Momo.

Pat is Patricks and Harry's brother. Yes they are triplets. Momo likes to travel and to tinker with things. These two when combined with other types of duendes give out bonus score and a special effect for manipulating time.

Mother Queen is the only White duende in the game. She has the power to heal wounds and restore lifeforce. She is very kind and caring. She can cast a protective barrier on herself too, being a powerful duende, but she chose not to for the sake of evening the playing field.

Living on the trees is Mama Jujoo. She is a Fruit duende who, along with other Fruit duendes, take care of the trees that bear fruits.

The Hermit is a type of duende that hates company. They are very reclusive and will even go as far as to zap other duendes away (back to their home world, don't worry).

Finally we have the court Jester. In the game he is referred to as the Cymbalist. He is very playful and pleasant, although a little too mischievous. He intentionally makes noise to wake up the cat and get the player into trouble.

Catch the Cymbalists before the make a noise!

And there you have it. Now you know a little more about the duendes. On my next Duende! coverage we will discuss the game mechanics, the combos, and the quests. Hopefully I can drop some hints that will help you on the tougher levels. See you again soon, and don't forget to leave your comments!

In case you haven't played Duende! yet, you can download it from the Play Store:
Duende! on Google Play Store

To contact the author of this post, write to hobbigames@gmail.com