More Villains: part 4 - Cymbal Monkey

As an homage to our first game, Alpha Chimp, it was important for us to call back to that game in some way. The most clear way that we were able to do this is (while maintaining a unity of the whole) was to include a cymbal-banging monkey.

To be sure, I am not so certain that this character is necessarily a Christmas themed toy, but it is a toy, nonetheless. I think that there is something terrifyingly real about toys coming to life, and attacking. I imagine that all children might dream of what their toys are doing in the middle of night, while everyone sleeps. (I'm sure that there have even been movies exploring this theme, but none seem to have been memorable enough for me to recall on the spot.) More than the snowman, the rocking horse, or the teddy bear, I have the feeling that all cymbal monkeys have a certain quality that makes them inherently scary, even when they haven't become evil, as the toys have done in The Elf Who Killed Christmas. Therefore, I didn't want the design of the character to be especially scary, since the toy seems scary enough, as it is!

One note must be made regarding the animation. One problem that had to be solved is how the character would move. Most of the real toys simply sit and bang away. Making him walk seemed awkward, so we decided that he would jump in order to move. With each jump, and each slam of the cymbals, the player would hears is sure of the doom that approaches!

Visit the game's website, and download the demo!
http://elfwhokilledchristmas.com/
http://giveupgames.com/