IGF Spotlight: Planck

Planck is a 3D musical shooter where the objects you shoot emit different sounds, which results in the creation of music. In this game, you start off with a basic weapon to fire that is known as an instrument, but as you move along, you can unlock more of these instruments, and each has its own style of firing patterns. To acquire these instruments, you must destroy a certain number of objects known as motes, and after doing so, the golden path will be unlocked. Once that is done, you submerge under-water and follow the golden path to receive a new instrument.

When first playing Planck, I was a bit confused as to how to play the game. The tutorial gave me a basic understanding of what to do, but I often found myself needing more explanation. Outside of the basic button layout, I wasn't sure of what to do or the point of the game. However, after following the developer walk-through posted on YouTube, all of the questions I had were answered and made the game much more enjoyable.

The walk-through detailed each of the various mechanics of the game, especially the looping that syncs all of the instruments’ sounds and patterns together to allow the song to progress. It became fun to create music with this unique method and listening to the beats you create via shooting feels awesome. By picking up and dropping various instruments, you can create numerous beats, and before you know it, you’ll find yourself moving your head up and down to the sound of the beat.