Adventure Time: Time Tangle
A licensed premium mobile game developed using Unity.
Role: Design and Programming
Trailer
About the project
Soon after releasing Indiana Stone: The Brave and the Boulder, Cartoon Network reached out to me. They wanted me to create a mobile game for them.
At first I considered developing an original IP but it dawned on me that I was in a pretty unique situation. I’d been a huge fan of Adventure Time ever since Pendleton Ward’s original pilot, and it is not super common that my tastes line up with that of the masses.
What followed was a surprisingly enjoyable dev cycle. My producer was a hobbyist game developer (who later became cofounder of Moonlight Kids) leading to a rare, hyper-productive dynamic. I’m proud of what we accomplished in only 18 months.
This game features 6 vastly different environments and dozens of mission types using a “random quest generator.” There are fully voiced cutscenes by the original voice actors, towering bosses, and a rogue-lite endless mode.
Challenges & Solutions
Finding the right art style
My previous game used a simple voxel art style. This is kind of the exact opposite of the extremely curvy Adventure Time aesthetic.
💡 Using connections from my old college I found a recent graduate who happened to create a ton of professional-grade Adventure Time fan projects. With his help and a technical discovery on how to make the whole world curve under the horizon, we were able to prototype a convincing proof-of-concept in just one week.
Leveraging the IP
It was important that everything felt like it was taken directly from the TV show. We wanted to avoid making a game that was merely skinned like an Adventure Time property.
💡 We ingested a ton of Adventure Time content to make sure we had a consistent tone. All friends and foes and magical items were carefully implemented to feel consistent or to feel like natural extensions. It helped that we had access to the same sound library and voice talent as the show.
Reeling in the scope
In a project like this it’s easy to get far more ideas than is practical to implement in time. I knew from past experience that we had to carefully pick and choose what to implement.
💡 I designed layers of “multiplicative systems” where various elements of the game get mixed and matched to create a ton of unique feeling moments. While it wasn’t easy, it offered players better bang-for-the-buck compared to hand crafting every moment.