In 2017, Double Duck was partnering with popular web game portal Kizi to bring new titles for their growing library of HTML5 games. One of these games was Dynamons, a tiny take on the popular Creature Catcher genre. While basic in terms of gameplay, the game showed very positive metrics and quickly became the platform's top performer. Surely enough, we released a slightly beefier sequel, Dynamons 2, to even higher acclaim. This success showed there was demand in the market, and we decided to invest in a much larger and better third title—Dynamons World.
Dynamons World was released for both web and mobile platforms. It featured a vast map to explore, online PvP battles, more creatures to collect and a somewhat intriguing story (of my writing, shamefully).
In terms of visuals I was drawing inspiration from, um, a certain popular anime series. Key takings for the art syle included hand-drawn, organic backgrounds; cel-shaded, outlined, Eastern-styled characters; and simple, clearly shaped items. For VFX, I tried to capture the feel of animated TV, using techniques such as flipbook effects and smudge frames. This "limited-animation" approach paired well with the shortcomings of mobile web performance and made for a coherent, charming look. Some corners were still had to be cut though, and tricks be made in order to best use the platform's modest capabilities.
Once released, the game took off extremely well, far beyond our expectations. Over ten million (!) players have since played the game, leaving overwhelmingly positive reviews. We continued to release updates and support the game through live-ops for a while, adding features and advancing the story. Today, Dynamons World is still being developed, albeit by another team.