‎

Developing under the name Papan Games, these four outstanding Entertainment and Multimedia Computing (EMC) students brought their platformer game to life called Quick, Quack! which will be launched during Aniraya 2025 on February 24 at Saint Joseph Hall’s Academic Hall, while its demo will be on February 26 at Plaza San Jose. 

Introducing the talented team behind the up-and-coming indie game, Quick, Quack! with Derek Lampa as the programmer, Leila Parungo handling sound design and play testing, Ysabella Berico as the 3D, UI, and VFX artist, and Nicole Santos, the 2D concept artist and illustrator. After a year in development, the game is finally expected to launch on February 24 on the Nintendo eShop. The team will be showcasing their newly released game through a live demo at Aniraya on February 26. The Aniraya 2025, organized by Multimedia Aficionados For Interested Artists (MAFIA), will also feature other exciting activities, including GameJam and the Character Design Competition, sponsored by RLUX Customs. This demo provides students with the opportunity to experience the game firsthand.

While spending their OJT at RLUX Customs, where they gained valuable industry insights, hands-on experience, and most importantly, the opportunity to publish their game. Starting their Project last year, Papan Games decided to create something for their portfolios. Through RLUX Customs, they were given an opportunity to pitch a game in just within 3 days. Although they initially faced rejection, after some valuable feedback, multiple pitches,  and refining of ideas, they were able to come up with Quick, Quack!

Hours of time, effort, creativity, and careful thinking was poured into the project. From the starting concepts, game mechanics, to the final look of the game, each and every aspect of it was well thought out. Drawing inspiration from other classic games like Icy Tower and Doodle Jump they were able to come up with fun and exciting gameplay mechanics that are sure to keep players hooked. Additionally, by adapting an origami-inspired art style from games like Flat Kingdom and Tear Away, they were able to give Quick, Quack! its own unique, cute, and charming aesthetics.

Despite the current success, the team also faced challenges that served as hurdles during the game’s development. Lampa stated “actually yung pinaka-challenging saakin is galing sa mga changes and revisions ng laro. Yung ginawa ko kasi, hindi lang isa yung ma-eedit kundi yung mga iba pa, kasi interconnected silang lahat sa architecture”. Lampa also had to learn Unity on his own, as he had no prior experience before the project began. He shared, “I’m mostly self-taught, meron lang one time na nagbigay sila ng programming sa EMC”. On the artistic side, Santos encountered a lot of difficulties trying to find the overall visual identity, stating that “Minsan hindi match yung visuals and aesthetic na gusto namin pero once na kuha naamin yun tuloy tuloy na yun sa visuals”. The game went through numerous iterations before settling on its final art style, balancing cute yet simple aesthetics that matched the mechanics. On the other hand, Parungo despite having to deal with the time constraint, stating, “Dapat mag foley ako but kulang tayo sa time so nag hanap nalang sa mga site ng mabilisan.” Despite the lack of time she was able to find audio elements and sounds that perfectly fitted the game, completing Quick Quack!’s playful and charming atmosphere. Berico also shared her experience, stating, “One of the most challenging would be rigging…. kailangan mo pag-aralan kung pano gumagalaw yung duck, apparently hindi lang taas baba yung flap nung wings”. She had to tackle the complexities of rigging and 3D animation, ensuring that the character movement felt smooth and natural.

With their achievement, Papan Games hopes to inspire other students to embark on their own game development journey. The advice that the team shared, drawn from their own experience, is to “Just start something”. Just as they created Quick, Quack! by taking the first step and pushing through, others can also create something remarkable by simply starting.

Quick, Quack!’s success and Papan Games’ achievement are a testament to student excellence, creativity, and perseverance. Through dedication and hardwork, they have demonstrated the remarkable potential of emerging developers in the gaming industry. Their journey serves as an inspiration, highlighting the potential of students to make meaningful contributions to the game development industry.

For more details, visit the team’s page Papan Games. 

By Adrian Curley and John Harold Doton