If you’ve ever wanted to visit Family Guy‘s hometown of Quahog with Peter and the Griffins, now’s your chance.
As of today, the mobile game Family Guy: The Quest for Stuff launches on the Apple App Store and Google Play, bringing not just an animated property to those platforms but innovative uses of animation.
The game allows users to play as multiple characters in the Family Guy universe on quests both large and small. Starting out slowly, the game expands to encompass the entirety of Quahog and allows players to control and play with just about every regular and recurring character on the show.
Andrew Green, head of business development and business operations for game producer TinyCo., says there’s about three months’ worth of content available to play, with new content and features set to be added on a regular schedule.
Green says TinyCo. collaborated closely with Fuzzy Door Production, which produces the hit animated series for Fox. They helped create an original animated opening sequence including original voice over work from the show’s cast.
Take a look:
“Users on the (mobile) platform are demanding more from their games. They want more story, they want better mechanics, more polish, deeper game play,” says Green. “Our company had to adapt and we added more design talent and more production talent and also started working with IP licensors.”
The game was written by the show’s writing staff, Green says, a move that lets TinyCo. focus on the game play aspects and exploiting the already-rich world of the show.
The game is free to play, with in-app purchases available — but not required, Green says — to speed up advancement through the game.
TinyCo. used a group of about six animators plus a lead to create all the animations for the game, including walk cycles, turns, duels and multiple skins for the characters.
“We had to build everything from scratch making sure it was on model using our tools and our processes internally,” says Green. “It’s tons of work, but that’s what we needed for the brand. It feels like Family Guy, and that’s really the No. 1 thing.”
Green says TinyCo. is looking at more animated properties to adapt to mobile gameplay.
“We just think animated properties lend themselves well to gameplay on mobile devices,” he says.
