Topping the finals at the Independent Games Festival is a pivotal moment for any indie game developer. The prestige attached to even being nominated can catapult newcomers into the big leagues, so it’s easy to see why designer and interactive artist Partick Smith, along with publisher Vectorpark, is psyched about his new edu-game Metamorphabet gaining recognition before it’s even been released.
Metamorphabet offers a child-friendly interface and organic aesthetic that helps the game to double as an educational tool that helps kids to learn their alphabet, improve their vocabulary, and have fun while doing it.
Minimalist glyphs are displayed that react to the player’s touch, morphing into abstract shapes that represent words beginning with a particular letter. For example, the letter D is transformed – via a super-smooth and attractive animation – into a door when prodded by the user. The transformation between a malleable shape, letters of the alphabet and representations of different words becomes a subliminal teaching method that kids will easily remember.
Smith also points out the game’s appeal to adults and parents, thanks to the slick and alluring design work that brings the different elements of Metamorphabet together, which we’re very much inclined to agree with.
Metamorphabet is due for release on iPhone and iPad on February 12, 2015, (to be followed by desktop version, too) and has been nominated for the Visual Arts category in the upcoming IGF, as well as the Seamus McNally Grand Prize.
