Winner’s Circle
This week’s Flash Game Friday winner is Fling A Thing by Big Blue Bubble!
The creators of the smash hit mobile game Burn the Rope created a Flash version of Fling a Thing (also available for iOS and Android). Fling a Thing is a great example of creating a high quality game for multiple platforms.
In this game, your job is to catch the bubbles with your insect by “flinging” it up. You only get a specific allotment of flings per level, so you have to use them wisely. You collect stars as your in-game currency, which you can exchange for new characters, worlds, and even powerups. If collecting stars takes too long, you can always purchase them in bundles from the store.
Fling a Thing is a well-executed game with a lot of polish. The store really complements the gameplay, and the mechanics are simple. Congratulations Big Blue Bubble!
Get to Know Big Blue Bubble
Tell me about yourself- how many people are on your team? Where are you based?
The Flash Fling a Thing team consisted of three people, a programmer, an artist and myself. I mainly worked on the design. We all work for Big Blue Bubble which employs around 40 people and we are located in London, Ontario, Canada.
How long have you been making games? What did you do before?
I personally have been making games for almost 12 years now, yet Fling a Thing was my first Flash game. I was one of those lucky people who managed to get into the industry right out of school.
Big Blue Bubble has been around for 7 years. Recently, we have mainly been working on smartphone mobile games such as Thumpies and Burn the Rope.
What was your inspiration for “Fling a Thing”?
Fling a Thing came about in a weird way. Our artist was doodling up some concepts for another game which to me looked like characters with suction cups for mouths (I think they were actually characters spitting or something). We then got the idea to have creatures stick to panes of glass where you stretch them back and fling them in the air. I then went home and made up a flash prototype for the game. Everyone really liked it and we decided to make it for the iPhone. In the end, the Flash prototype was sitting there so we thought we’d finish it off and see what happened if we released it.
What types of games do you like to create the most? What types of games do you like to play the most?
My favorite types of games are casual puzzle games. I don’t really have the time for the AAA console games and I’m tired of all the violent games out there.
I like making those kinds of games the most as well because you can rapidly prototype a game in a couple days to see if your idea works. I also like the smaller teams where I can get more personally involved.
How long is your game creation cycle? What is your process?
I would say anywhere from 3 to 6 months, but that is mostly for smartphone titles.
Our process is pretty simple. Come up with a concept, pitch it to my boss and if we get the green light, we start working on it.
Are there any game developers that you admire or consider “rock stars”?
Not really. I don’t really follow developers and what they make. I tend to like games that seem to come from nowhere.
What is it about making a new game that you enjoy most?
My favorite thing is to think of a concept and see it come to life. Most of the magic seems to happen for me at the beginning when the mechanics are being implemented.
Do you have any hot projects you’re working on right now?
Yes. But I can’t tell you about them yet.
For more information about the development of Fling a Thing, visit the artist’s blog.
Thanks Big Blue Bubble, and good luck on your top secret upcoming projects!
