BEHIND THE SCENES
The puzzler inspiringincredible player art
KAMI 2
A calm, compelling puzzler
Paper-folding puzzle game KAMI 2 is a work of art in every respect – from the beauty of its handcrafted look to the ingenuity of its colour-based conundrums.
The game’s puzzles are already worthy of being hung on a gallery wall, but some of the stages created by the game’s player community are even more striking.
Outside of the developer-designed puzzles in the “Journey” mode, there are thousands more player-created KAMI 2 puzzles tucked away in the “Explore” feed. It’s a constant source of surprise for the game’s creator – London indie studio, State Of Play.
It’s very satisfying solving a puzzle that one of our players made.
Steffan Glynn, KAMI 2 designer.
“When given very restrictive creative tools, you can bet that players will fully explore those limitations,” says KAMI 2 designer Steffan Glynn. “We’ve seen artwork that we hadn’t even considered possible while developing the game.”
“A lot of KAMI 2 players churn out these mesmeric kaleidoscopic patterns,” Glynn continues. “I get the sense that the Editor mode is a therapeutic space for them in its own right.”
Of course, it’s not all beautiful works of art in the “Most Popular” feed. There’s some sillier stuff – in amongst the many recognisable game and movie characters, there are some genuinely impressive portraits, landscapes and other inventive creations.
“There’s everything from Adventure Time’s Finn the Human to Warhol’s Marilyn Monroe, 1967. There’s even a KAMI rendition of Mona Lisa with a cheesier grin than the original,” says Glynn.
“Our favourite genre is probably the surreal landscapes and brutalist architecture, made possible by the isometric grid,” says Glynn. “It’s boggled our minds how much time people have put into making these. The best part is that these 3D-looking levels often make for really tricky puzzles. It’s very satisfying solving a puzzle that one of our players made.”
KAMI 2’s potentially endless assortment of player-made stages make firing this one up every day a surprise. This isn’t just a beautiful, clever puzzle game; it is also inspiring a growing community of KAMI 2 artists, too.