BAKLAVA: A Couch Co-op Brawler Update [Part 2]
BAKLAVA has been updated and is getting even better! Here’s everything you need to know…
One of the biggest changes we’ve made since March has been towards the game’s story and aesthetics. While the name of the game came from a one-off pun, we decided to go all in and develop a story around dinosaurs living in Greece who are now up against a world-ending threat.
Step one was finding the location in Greece where the game should take place. After some extensive research, I found that in 1600 BC there was a major catastrophic volcanic eruption in the island of Santorini which is thought to be the largest eruption in humankind’s history. Santorini had a variety of cities, a rich culture, and several different types of terrain. It is full of historical, cultural, and environmental material for the game!
From there, our simplistic story began to expand into a deeper narrative:
Players take the role of a group of young tyrannosaurus rex friends who are thrust into an adventure to save their island. After the sudden and earth-shattering eruption of the island volcano, lava monsters pour forth and threaten to destroy all the friends hold dear. They must battle their way to the source of the threat and defeat it, even if that means delving into the depths of the volcano itself…
We now have a sprawling story taking players throughout the island, meeting interesting characters, and discovering the mystery of the volcano. We also recently brought on a narrative designer, Jim, to the team, and with his experience we hope to create a cohesive and engaging story for BAKLAVA from beginning to end.
Now, who are these friends really?
Neo (Blue)
Neo is the leader of the group of friends because he can keep cool under pressure and always has a plan (unless he doesn’t, at which point he makes something up to sound all leader-y). Food is his one weakness; he can’t put up a resistance to the smell of some fresh souvlaki.
Thera (Red)
Thera is the epitome of grace and ferocity in one; she has the elegance to sweet talk her way into any situation, and the fighting prowess to get herself out of one. Her annoying little sister loves tying bows to her tail, but despite her complaints she keeps them on because, well, she likes to see her sister smile.
Tyr (Green)
Tyr is cool. You can tell right away by his cool sunglasses and silent demeanor. None of his friends have seen him without his sunglasses on before; one time Thera snuck behind him and pulled them off, but to her surprise he had another pair underneath them.
Coel (Yellow)
No one knows what happened to Coel. Some days he’ll come up with philosophical ideas that touch your soul and make you question if you’re even really here, or suddenly have an epiphany that solves one of the ancient questions of the universe, and other days he’ll stare at a rock for hours.
