Tricky the Raccoon

Tricky the Raccoon was created as my final project for the Media Arts and Design Capstone Class! It was made in a 10 week period and shown to the public during the Spring MADD EXPO. It was inspired by fake video game albums like Capsule Silence XXIV and Levels, as well as games like A Hand With Many Fingers and Telling Lies.

The project consisted of a modified flash drive filled with concept art, music, and game design documents for a video game that does not exist. This modified flash drive was put on display as part of an art installation with lots of index cards and trinkets, some made by viewers!

If you'd like to download the files originally contained in the flash drive CLICK HERE!

I recommend experiencing Tricky the Raccoon on your own, but if you'd like to read about my creative process, keep scrolling!

The Video Game:

Tricky the Raccoon the video game is a small game about hunting ghosts and collecting candy. I wanted to create something that was spooky but not scary. More about the costume-wearing and candy-collecting aspects of Halloween than the fright factor. In this game, the titular Tricky will explore different areas and collect candy to bring back to the treehouse he lives in. The areas he can explore include a haunted mansion, an abandoned candy factory, and an old cathedral. Tricky doesn't have a sword or anything to fight back against ghosts; all he has is his trusty flashlight. Lots of the game involves avoiding, outsmarting, or tricking enemies rather than fighting them head on.

Unfortunately, due to budget cuts and a lack of funding, Tricky the Raccoon would be stuck in development hell for months, eventually leading to its cancellation. This would lead to most of the data being scrapped, except for a sole prototype game cartridge that made it out of production...

The Game Cartridge Modified Flash Drive:

The game cartridge in question doesn't actually have a game on it, nor is it technically a game cartridge. It's actually a flash drive with 3D printed casing around it to make it look like a very small NES game cartridge. This drive contained all the art, writing, and music I created for the project. It's divided into sections based on each area of the game. Each folder contains a design document, boss sketch, level map, and audio track. These provide the basic structure for each area, but leave enough gaps so the reader can fill in the information with their own ideas.

Two other folders in the drive are the Art and Misc. folders. These contain audio tracks, concept art, and drawings not specific to one area, such as boss music or logo designs. There are also production notes that flesh out the world outside the video game itself.

Before the reader even opens any of these files, they are encouraged to read the included READ_ME.txt file. It acts as both a guide and guestbook for the viewer, with ASCII art that evokes the idea of old online forums.

The Art Installation:

I wanted to crank the interactivity for the installation up to an 11. In order to make the workspace and vibe of the installation even messier, I enlisted the help of viewers to "finish" the unfinished game.

The setup consisted of a laptop, 3D-Printed game cartridges, graph paper, index cards, and colored sharpies. Viewers would examine the contents of the flashdrive and the paper strewn about the table, and then add to the mess by adding their own concept art and game lore to the pile. i was surprised at the large range of game aspects that people focused on. Some talked about music, other talked about tricky himself (He's a gemini now?), and others designed new enemies or areas for him to explore. Tricky was the jumping off point for people to express their own creative ideas, no matter how crazy.

The Creative Process:

Tricky the Raccoon originally started as a completely different thing altogether. It was originally going to be a rhythm game revolving around songs with a 3/4 time signature. However, I found the limitation I put on myself in regards to composition was actually stifling my creativity instead of helping it. So i instead decided (at the advice of my advisor) to "have more fun with it." While not a traditional game, this project allowed me to enjoy the creative process as a whole without worrying about the end product, and encourage others to do the same. Seeing people sit down with sharpies scribbling like a maniac and smiling made me know I succeeded in creating something that would encourage people to create stuff for themselves.