Ubisoft Paris employee Christiaan Moleman has recently released a project that is guaranteed to put a smile on your face. Guppy may be simplistic (graphically and mechanically) but these tiny fish are sure to brighten your day whenever you’re taking that five minute work break. With easy to grasp controls for any age, and charming water color imagery, you will find yourself returning to this game again and again for a little giddy pick me up.
The visual style of Guppy will grab you immediately. Reminiscent of Japanese block prints, the thin outlines filled by globs of wispy watercolor layered over a stark, white background convey a sense of ease that will draw you in for at least five minutes of swimming relaxation. You play as a tiny white fish, allowing your eyes to fully engage with the environment, and the other fish to pop around you with their red-orange hue.
Delightful right from the start, your little fish is pictured on the screen with controls even a small child could pick up without trouble (making this a fun game to distract the kids with if necessary). Guppy uses only the left and right directional keys to navigate your tiny friend through the “pond” by allowing you to move his tale back and forth. Tap the left and right keys in rapid succession and you can really zoom on through the water! You can whip your tail to pick up speed, and then shoot around a black-ink rock, and land on the other side of the pond. This will come in handy when you’re trying to escape the game’s only enemies: larger fish. To be honest, I didn’t realize this was a game until the third play when I was eaten by the larger fish which ends the round.
Other then avoiding becoming someone’s dinner, you do have the opportunity to gain points by venturing out from under the safety of the lily pads to munch on flies and bubbles. Not hungry just yet? Instead, you have the option of just drifting around with your little red-orange fish brethren. As long as you avoid the big fish, there is plenty of time to explore the open, white pond with its black rocks and pastel plant life. Guppy does not have a soundtrack which seems like it would be a major drawback but instead of being disappointed, you can have some fun adding your own soundtrack to the life of your sleepy aquarium. It’s easy to create your own version of the game by putting on different music and trying to move your fish to the beat, or changing the mood through sound.
In a world that often seems dominated by games that require at least a 100 hour investment, I was pleased to find that something so quick and simple could still be executed in such an elegant and truly enjoyable way. Christiaan Moleman has done a wonderful job of creating an experience that calms the brain and genuinely makes you feel a little better (that’s the power of charming little fish). Guppy can be enjoyed by both young and old and can be picked up, or put down quickly making it essential for any PC desktop. You better believe that next time I get frustrated with computer work; my breaks will consist of swimming around to discover new parts of the pond till its calming effect helps me get back on track.
If you would like to download your own copy of Guppy for free or to check out any of Christiaan’s other projects, visit his website at http://www.ninjadodo.net/.