SuperChop Games is a two-man team from Austin who created a singular experience deliberately designed to synthesize with the game’s music. Where most music games create soundtracks to fit gameplay, SuperChop Games created an original soundtrack first and built Ephemerid’s mechanics around the music. Every delicate detail of the game from aesthetics to the physical elements to the emotional experience was thoughtfully imagined to transport players into a fantastical and rhythmic dreamworld. They believe touchscreen devices offer unique opportunities for game developers to create more tactile and meaningful game experiences, which is why Ephemerid’s scenes are all made entirely of hand cut paper. Each scene took months to complete, and the team then set out to remove all on-screen instructions to make an intuitive experience.
“Matt and I wanted to tell a story through music. We didn’t want anything to get in the way of that emotional connection,” said Brent Calhoun from SuperChop Games. “Ephemerid will have different meanings for anyone who plays it, no matter how young you feel.”
Ephemerid was an IndieCade finalist in 2013 and has been nominated for a handful of awards, including best sound at the BIG Festival, a SXSW Gamers Voice Award, and was a finalist for Captivate 2013.
For more information on the game, check out the official Ephemerid website.