A cute but very silly Scarecrow lives in a virtual world where the sun is shining brighter and the clouds are much fluffier. All he dreams about is getting back his favorite cherry, which was stolen from him by a cunning giant. However, the path to the berry is dotted with treacherous traps and clever puzzles... This is the story behind the world-famous Chuchel game, the creation of which we will discuss in this article. And if your child dreams of becoming a game developer, they'll love classes at Progkids Online School, where our experienced teachers will support them on their way to success!
How was the Scarecrow born
The story of Chuchel's creation illustrates how one crazy idea and free creativity came to fruition into a popular game that won the hearts of gamers around the world. The idea for Chuchel was born in 2012, when the team of the Czech studio Amanita Design, known for the Machinarium and Botanicula projects, came up with the idea to create a game with a main character who would be a cute and funny “fool”.
And the Scarecrow isn't the same anymore...
At first, the Scarecrow was black. This caused a wide response from the online public, who noted in comments that the character might seem offensive to black users. The developers changed the character's color to red and officially apologized to those who they could inadvertently offend.
It's getting weirder and weirder...
The more creators, inspired by comics and cartoons, worked on the character, the more unusual and funny he became. He behaved like a real child: he cried, laughed, suddenly started dancing, and behaved in an extremely unusual way. It was the unpredictable and spontaneous nature of the Scarecrow that made the riddles and puzzles in the game interesting and unique.
Musical accompaniment
The music and voice acting for Chuchel were written by the Czech band DVA: the game's soundtrack creates a fun and slightly surreal atmosphere.
A scarecrow conquers the world
In 2018, Amanita Design's creation was released on PC and mobile platforms and immediately received positive reviews from critics and players. Chuchel has become an incredibly popular game due to its sparkling humor, vivid graphics and unconventional puzzles. The cool game mechanics plus the funny atmosphere made the story about the Scarecrow a truly iconic one.
Quick facts about Chuchel
- The game took 6 years to create.
- Chuchel has no dialogue.
- Intuition and associative thinking, not logic, help solve puzzles in the game.
- Chuchel has a total of 30 levels.
- The pink hedgehog Kekel is both a friend and an enemy of the Scarecrow.
- According to various sources, the main character of the game is a ball of dust or hair.
- It is possible that Chuchel was named after a village in the Czech Republic.
- According to the players' observations, Chuchel is claustrophobic.
- The first protagonist of the Scarecrow is its creator Jaromir Plahi, designer at Amanita Design. The hero inherited his persistence from him.
- The second protagonist of the Scarecrow was Jaromir's favorite dog. Her name is Anka and she's the cutest creature ever.
What can we learn from the creators of Chuchel: a note for young developers
The Chuchel game has several interesting features:
Original character
The sweet and memorable Scarecrow instantly won the players' hearts. It looks absolutely primitive, but the secret to its success lies in its simplicity.
Humour
The game is filled with absurd humor and funny situations that make Chuchel stand out from others. Each level gives gamers a new reason to laugh.
Custom puzzles
Chuchel puzzles and their solutions are always unpredictable: they force players to think outside the box and “include” creativity.
Visual
The colorful and “cute” graphics attract players of different ages. The game's visual is not overloaded with unnecessary details, which makes it easy to understand.
Sound
A well-chosen musical accompaniment complements the game world, immersing the user in its special and unique atmosphere.
Does your child dream of developing their own games? Then sign it up soon at free trial lesson at Progkids! Our experienced and fun teachers know how to turn any idea into a hit!
