Popular Games
Yeah! You Want "Those Games", Right? So Here You Go! Now, Let's See You Clear Them!
Disney's Aladdin
Epic Mickey
Antonblast
Snowboard Kids 2
Animal Crossing: New Leaf
Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl
Sonic Adventure
Contact
The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
New Super Mario Bros.
New Super Chick Sisters
Undertale
New Super Mario Bros. Wii
The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3D
Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus
AdventureQuest Worlds
New Super Mario Bros. 2
Grand Theft Auto V
Uncharted 4: A Thief's End
Hareraiser: Prelude
Arms
GoldenEye 007
Pokémon Black Version
Zoo Tycoon
Luigi's Mansion
Pikmin 2
Dropsy
Darkstalkers: The Night Warriors
A Game About Digging A Hole
Split Fiction
Marvel Rivals
PowerWash Simulator
Scratchin' Melodii
EarthBound
Bangai-O Spirits
Star Fox 64
Minecraft: Java Edition
Spyro the Dragon
Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes
Team Fortress 2
Star Fox Adventures
Antonball
Secret of Evermore
Super Mario Bros. 2
Dark Souls
Wallace & Gromit: The Big Fix Up
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind
Recently Added
Hareraiser: Finale
Hareraiser: Prelude
Split Fiction
PowerWash Simulator
Antonball
Dropsy
A Game About Digging A Hole
Bangai-O Spirits
The Fairly OddParents: Fairies of Fury
Sunday Funday: The Ride
Verdant Skies
Darwin's Paradox!
MySims Friends
Marvel Contest of Champions
Trex Warrior: 22nd Century Gladiator
Amazing Garden
Marvel Rivals
Kero Blaster
Wallace & Gromit: The Big Fix Up
Where in Time is Carmen Sandiego?
Wallace & Gromit's Grand Adventures
Era's Adventures
SoulCalibur IV
Jim Henson's Bear in the Big Blue House
Carmen Sandiego's Great Chase Through Time
Mindwave
Sonic the Hedgehog Genesis
Pac-Man
Call of Duty 3
Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet
BloodRayne 2
Magical Chase
Jetpac Refuelled
Superman
Sunman
AdventureQuest Worlds
Recycle City
Battlezone
Off
Thomas & Friends: Hero of the Rails
Dragon Ball Z: Extreme Butouden
One Piece: Dai Kaizoku Colosseum
Cave Story's Secret Santa
SoulCalibur IV
Cave Story 3D
Cave Story+
Fate/Stay Night: Réalta Nua
Code Violet
Titan A.E.
Street Dance
Latest Trivia

subdirectory_arrow_right Sonic The Hedgehog (Franchise)
▲
2
▼
The Japanese manual for Sonic & Knuckles alludes to the game's Special Stages in its story section, which includes a moment where Sonic gets sucked through a Super Ring and arrives at the Master Emerald Alter, where the player accesses the Special Stages in the game. However, writer Ian Flynn would later claim the Special Stages seen throughout the series are not considered canon, instead only existing as a gameplay mechanic.
Ian Flynn statement:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oKQNTyGQrCE#t=2230s
Japanese manual translation (page 12 in the manual):
https://info.sonicretro.org/File:S%26K_MD_JP_manual.pdf
https://web.archive.org/web/20151220201009/http://www.sonic-jam.org/sisghzs:md-sonick-t1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oKQNTyGQrCE#t=2230s
Japanese manual translation (page 12 in the manual):
https://info.sonicretro.org/File:S%26K_MD_JP_manual.pdf
https://web.archive.org/web/20151220201009/http://www.sonic-jam.org/sisghzs:md-sonick-t1

▲
2
▼
According to former Mojang business and production director Daniel Kaplan, he came up with the original name for the mobile version of Minecraft, "Minecraft: Pocket Edition", a nod to the Game Boy Pocket, because he was a Nintendo fan.

subdirectory_arrow_right Pokémon White Version (Game)
▲
2
▼

Music video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3GKykZ5zmqU
Nintendo World performance:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1YpFb_vdzaw&t=306s
Promotional DVD:
https://www.discogs.com/release/15793431-The-Presidents-Of-The-United-States-Of-America-Cant-Stop-Catchin-Em-All
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3GKykZ5zmqU
Nintendo World performance:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1YpFb_vdzaw&t=306s
Promotional DVD:
https://www.discogs.com/release/15793431-The-Presidents-Of-The-United-States-Of-America-Cant-Stop-Catchin-Em-All

▲
1
▼

"An obsidian axe wielded by the mad Sankis as he turned on his own men inside their fortress. Even as he burned to death himself, he would not stop his attacks on those he had once ruled."
This is a reference to a forum user named Sankis and his role in "Boatmurdered", a Something Awful community playthrough of the game Dwarf Fortress between 2006 and 2007. Triggering a chain of events that would end the playthrough, a defensive pool of lava outside the fortress set a wooden catapult on fire and destroyed an inscription that the dwarf and former ruler Sankis made for a statue. The latter event sent him into a fit of rage that was worsened by the smoke from the burning catapult flooding into the fortress, causing him to catch fire and become violent, beating a cow and two fellow dwarves until he died.
The Burning Axe of Sankis in-game:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4P-seY5IYes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=--zVHx9QaTA
Video covering the events of Boatmurdered:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nI1UmlfP1Cg#t=3560s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4P-seY5IYes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=--zVHx9QaTA
Video covering the events of Boatmurdered:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nI1UmlfP1Cg#t=3560s

▲
2
▼

360 view of the Sparky:
https://x.com/ARMS_Cobutter/status/856751052401524736/
Link to the reveal trailer (error timestamped):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hvbYp47vl5U#t=66s
https://x.com/ARMS_Cobutter/status/856751052401524736/
Link to the reveal trailer (error timestamped):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hvbYp47vl5U#t=66s

▲
1
▼
According to design director JB Long, the penultimate level Devilled Gardens has two different methods of acquiring Spoiler:Paul due to an oversight. The intended method requires the player to reach the top of the tower where the boombox is, then backtrack to the area where the Spoiler:Mirror spawns in, as signified by the laughter that plays upon reaching the top. However, once the Spoiler:Mirror spawns in, it stays there; because of this, if the player skips the boombox and replays the section normally, they can encounter the Spoiler:Mirror without needing to backtrack. Although the oversight had been found in testing, Long chose to keep it in, because he "wanted this Spoiler:Paul to be very obtuse and basically either route offers up the same "wait what why" feeling lol."
Pinned YouTube comment from JB Long:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXWIuOAE0jc?lc=UgwEpedR-i3xqUIxtqR4AaABAg
Archived comment below:
"Okay so here's the deep Developer Lore for you.
The way you got Paul is actually an oversight!
You're meant to get him by getting to the top of the tower and then BACKTRACKING to the Mirror, who you can actually hear spawn when you reach the top. When you get up there, you hear him laugh as he spawns in. The reason you triggered it by "skipping the boombox" is because the mirror, once spawned, stays spawned, and skipping the boombox lets you enter that room from the bottom again "normally" rather than have to backtrack. The "intended" route is that you're meant to climb to the top, NOT go to the boombox, and go back down. That's why the Flame Rings respawn at different rates, as you noticed, so you can drop down to go backwards through all the doors.
We found the oversight method in testing but I left it in because I wanted this Paul to be very obtuse and basically either route offers up the same "wait what why" feeling lol."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXWIuOAE0jc?lc=UgwEpedR-i3xqUIxtqR4AaABAg
Archived comment below:
"Okay so here's the deep Developer Lore for you.
The way you got Paul is actually an oversight!
You're meant to get him by getting to the top of the tower and then BACKTRACKING to the Mirror, who you can actually hear spawn when you reach the top. When you get up there, you hear him laugh as he spawns in. The reason you triggered it by "skipping the boombox" is because the mirror, once spawned, stays spawned, and skipping the boombox lets you enter that room from the bottom again "normally" rather than have to backtrack. The "intended" route is that you're meant to climb to the top, NOT go to the boombox, and go back down. That's why the Flame Rings respawn at different rates, as you noticed, so you can drop down to go backwards through all the doors.
We found the oversight method in testing but I left it in because I wanted this Paul to be very obtuse and basically either route offers up the same "wait what why" feeling lol."

subdirectory_arrow_right Hareraiser: Finale (Game)
▲
3
▼

However, in 1988, it was discovered that Thompson and Guard had cheated in the Masquerade hunt by using Guard's personal connections to approximate the pendant's location, and then stole a sketch of the area from Mike Barker and John Rousseau, two physics teachers who had solved Masquerade's clues, but failed to find the treasure after searching with metal detectors. Thompson then mailed the sketch to Williams, who was unaware of how it was acquired. Williams was shocked by the revelation, feeling that it tarnished Masquerade's reputation and felt "a deep sense of responsibility" to everyone who was genuinely looking for it, driving him into a reclusive retirement. The Hareraiser games were widely re-evaluated as a scam, with its clues being meaningless so that Thompson would never have to give away the pendant, but in an ironic twist, Thompson was forced to auction it off for £31,900 to recoup his losses when the Hareraiser games flopped. Williams was later reunited with the pendant during a 2009 BBC Four documentary.
Norwich Games Festival presentation about Masquerade and the Hareraiser games:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ouvi-fwrfIY
BBC article about Masquerade:
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-47671776
BBC article about Williams' reunion with the hare:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/arts_and_culture/8212244.stm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ouvi-fwrfIY
BBC article about Masquerade:
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-47671776
BBC article about Williams' reunion with the hare:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/arts_and_culture/8212244.stm

▲
3
▼

In-game, Magnet essentially functions just like the regular polar bear, with the primary differences being a slightly different model with a cream-colored coat and having an additional distinct animation where he plays with his red ball. Oddly, despite being a real-life animal, Magnet is still treated as a standard, adoptable animal in-game, which means that it is possible to adopt multiple Magnets that can also be female. Magnet would later pass away on April 28, 2015 at age 26, after suffering from complications from kidney and liver disease.
Beast in Show voting page:
https://web.archive.org/web/20011201013233/http://www.microsoft.com/games/zootycoon/beastinshow.asp
Beast in Show winner:
https://web.archive.org/web/20011230064756/http://www.microsoft.com/Games/zootycoon/beastinshow_magnet.asp
Magnet death:
https://www.marylandzoo.org/news-and-updates/2015/04/zoo-says-goodbye-iconic-polar-bear-magnet/
Magnet in Zoo Tycoon:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFpIG-5NHSo
https://zootycoon.fandom.com/wiki/Polar_Bear#Magnet
https://web.archive.org/web/20011201013233/http://www.microsoft.com/games/zootycoon/beastinshow.asp
Beast in Show winner:
https://web.archive.org/web/20011230064756/http://www.microsoft.com/Games/zootycoon/beastinshow_magnet.asp
Magnet death:
https://www.marylandzoo.org/news-and-updates/2015/04/zoo-says-goodbye-iconic-polar-bear-magnet/
Magnet in Zoo Tycoon:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFpIG-5NHSo
https://zootycoon.fandom.com/wiki/Polar_Bear#Magnet
Company: St. Bride's School
▲
2
▼
The St. Bride's School was an Irish women's school run by the new religious movement the Silver Sisterhood, who intended to recreate the experience of a Victorian era boarding school for interested adults and frequently used corporal punishment. Despite their anti-modernist teachings, the school took an interest in text adventure games during the 1980s, developing eight of them for the Commodore 64 and ZX Spectrum as a way to raise funds. One of their games co-developed with Jared Derrett, Jack the Ripper, became the first video game to receive an 18 certificate rating in the United Kingdom due in part to its gory box art designed by the game's publisher CRL Group. After the school relocated to England in 1992, large quantities of sadomasochist, lesbian, and far-right magazines were found on their former premises. While one former employee denied they held right-wing beliefs, letters were found indicating the school was in contact with far-right activist John Tyndall for two years. At the same time, the Silver Sisterhood also ran a publishing house called The Wildfire Club, which specialized in lesbian periodicals and books on discipline.
GamesTM Magazine issue #142 (December 2013) (pages 146-151):
https://flexiblehead.blog/2014/02/16/st-brides-school/
Sinclair User issue #70 (January 1988) (page 77 in the magazine):
https://archive.org/details/sinclair-user-magazine-070/page/n75/mode/2up?q=literate+effort
The Sunday Telegraph (3 January 1993):
https://web.archive.org/web/20120117171923/http://www.worldofspectrum.org/interviews2/stbrides-st930103.txt
The Sunday Telegraph (7 February 1993):
https://web.archive.org/web/20120117165422/http://www.worldofspectrum.org/interviews2/stbrides-st930207.txt
Raidió Teilifís Éireann article:
https://www.rte.ie/archives/2019/0319/1037244-saint-brides-school-donegal/
Video on the subject:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-i1tFWmMYg
https://flexiblehead.blog/2014/02/16/st-brides-school/
Sinclair User issue #70 (January 1988) (page 77 in the magazine):
https://archive.org/details/sinclair-user-magazine-070/page/n75/mode/2up?q=literate+effort
The Sunday Telegraph (3 January 1993):
https://web.archive.org/web/20120117171923/http://www.worldofspectrum.org/interviews2/stbrides-st930103.txt
The Sunday Telegraph (7 February 1993):
https://web.archive.org/web/20120117165422/http://www.worldofspectrum.org/interviews2/stbrides-st930207.txt
Raidió Teilifís Éireann article:
https://www.rte.ie/archives/2019/0319/1037244-saint-brides-school-donegal/
Video on the subject:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-i1tFWmMYg

▲
3
▼
According to game designer Atsushi Tomita, the team chose Morrigan as the representative for the Darkstalkers series, because of her popularity and a desire to add more female characters to the game. The team gave her new moves that matched her nature as a succubus, because they felt that her moveset in her home series had nothing succubus-related due to her originally being designed as a female vampire.

▲
1
▼
The game's main characters, Mio and Zoe, are named after game director Josef Fares' two daughters, who were both in the audience for the game's official reveal at The Game Awards 2024.

▲
3
▼
Troy Baker and Colleen O'Shaughnessey (credited as Maggie O'Connor) are both listed in the game's credits for voicing the referees Espio and Charmy respectively, despite them not having any voice lines in the game itself.
Credits (English voices of Sonic characters come in at 2:20):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ME3rU5PCq-c#t=140s
The Sounds Resource page:
https://www.sounds-resource.com/wii_u/marioandsonicatthesochi2014olympicwintergames/
Events featuring Charmy:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gB-bgyuEJjQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5TvIrB2HOec
Events featuring Espio:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0aw6WmJIXJg#t=1116s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6lMyUJjY_CU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ME3rU5PCq-c#t=140s
The Sounds Resource page:
https://www.sounds-resource.com/wii_u/marioandsonicatthesochi2014olympicwintergames/
Events featuring Charmy:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gB-bgyuEJjQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5TvIrB2HOec
Events featuring Espio:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0aw6WmJIXJg#t=1116s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6lMyUJjY_CU

▲
5
▼
Pre-release interest in Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl managed to stretch out into the Japanese Super Smash Bros. fandom, despite Nickelodeon series not being particularly popular in Japan and the channel being taken off the air in 2009. The initial popularity of the game would lead to an official Japanese release (with only in-game text being translated to Japanese) after work on the DLC was finished in 2022, something that no other Nickelodeon game by GameMill Entertainment has had, including the game's sequel. While the game's popularity would die down like it did elsewhere, steep sales and cheap discount prices would result in a regional competitive scene for the game reappearing and frequent appearances on the Nintendo Switch's sales charts. This would lead to it peaking at number #6 on Japan's Switch download charts for the entire year of 2024, beating out all of Nintendo's first-party titles on the hardware, including Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
Video on earlier NASB Japanese popularity:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yR6GVNdbcb4
Video on later NASB Japanese popularity:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X42U_-ww53c
Video of NASB Japanese version with translated text:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xu6r2sSDxw
2024 Nintendo of Japan download rankings:
https://web.archive.org/web/20250101080107/https://www.nintendo.com/jp/software/feature/ranking.html
NASB Japanese version listing:
https://web.archive.org/web/20250305152309/https://www.japanzon.com/en/game/37269-3goo-nickelodeon-all-star-brawl-ultimate-edition-for-nintendo-switch-4589857090892.html
Nickelodeon Japan article:
https://lostmediawiki.com/Nickelodeon_Japan_(partially_found_various_final_sign-off_footage_of_Japanese_TV_channel;_2009)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yR6GVNdbcb4
Video on later NASB Japanese popularity:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X42U_-ww53c
Video of NASB Japanese version with translated text:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xu6r2sSDxw
2024 Nintendo of Japan download rankings:
https://web.archive.org/web/20250101080107/https://www.nintendo.com/jp/software/feature/ranking.html
NASB Japanese version listing:
https://web.archive.org/web/20250305152309/https://www.japanzon.com/en/game/37269-3goo-nickelodeon-all-star-brawl-ultimate-edition-for-nintendo-switch-4589857090892.html
Nickelodeon Japan article:
https://lostmediawiki.com/Nickelodeon_Japan_(partially_found_various_final_sign-off_footage_of_Japanese_TV_channel;_2009)

subdirectory_arrow_right PowerWash Simulator (Game)
▲
3
▼
Wallace & Gromit: The Big Fix Up and the Wallace & Gromit DLC for PowerWash Simulator both feature prominent appearances of the robot character LAD (Labour Assisting Device). LAD did not appear in any of the original Wallace & Gromit films, and first made his debut in the lesser-known 2010 educational spin-off series Wallace & Gromit: World of Invention.
LAD in PowerWash Simulator:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wbWLbtO-9sc#t=229s
LAD in The Big Fix Up:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKOM7SdVi54#t=24s
An episode of World of Invention with all live-action segments cut, timestamped to LAD's debut:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nC3hK29G5Mw#t=108s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wbWLbtO-9sc#t=229s
LAD in The Big Fix Up:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKOM7SdVi54#t=24s
An episode of World of Invention with all live-action segments cut, timestamped to LAD's debut:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nC3hK29G5Mw#t=108s

▲
2
▼
During the Dragon Funk stage in Scratchin' Melodii, there is a sequence where Melodii and Pitaya battle in a manner resembling fighting games. These reference a variety of attacks from different video games and media properties that creator LJ Lephem Star is a fan of, including Pitaya frequently spinning into a ball like Sonic The Hedgehog, both Pitaya and Melodii briefly appearing in torn manga panels drawn in the art style of Dragon Ball and performing Kamehamehas, and several references to moves from Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl and Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2.
Scratchin' Melodii - Dragon Funk battle scene:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PO-sUMFGJtk#t=15s
SpongeBob neutral air attacks (seen in Melodii's first attack, which also references the series' signature trait of hammerspace prop summons; this is followed by a kick resembling Chun-Li's Spinning Bird Kick in the Street Fighter series, though its placement after two NASB references may suggest it to instead be a reference to Hugh Neutron's parody of the kick in the first game):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wdw_kmjCEGk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pPAMmFbZY4
https://www.vgfacts.com/game/nickelodeonallstarbrawl/trivia-15909/
Sonic Eagle in Sonic Battle (seen in Pitaya's second attack):
https://x.com/SonicBattleOtd/status/1630659106083053590
Sonic Eagle in Project Melee:
https://pmunofficial.com/en/characters/sonic/
Lucy Loud bite in Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl (includes a tooth graphic resembling one seen at the end of Pitaya's second attack):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPT1_LwS2B0#t=76s
Garfield dab kick (seen in Melodii's second attack):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fe-eTALunxg
Gerald down special (skating in a manner resembling Melodii's second attack):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rt6YA_LeQlw#t=24s
NASB-related content by LJ Lephem Star:
https://www.newgrounds.com/art/view/lj-lephemstar/ain-t-seen-nothin-ain-t-no-stoppin-now
https://x.com/LephemStar91/status/1467166015431880705
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PO-sUMFGJtk#t=15s
SpongeBob neutral air attacks (seen in Melodii's first attack, which also references the series' signature trait of hammerspace prop summons; this is followed by a kick resembling Chun-Li's Spinning Bird Kick in the Street Fighter series, though its placement after two NASB references may suggest it to instead be a reference to Hugh Neutron's parody of the kick in the first game):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wdw_kmjCEGk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pPAMmFbZY4
https://www.vgfacts.com/game/nickelodeonallstarbrawl/trivia-15909/
Sonic Eagle in Sonic Battle (seen in Pitaya's second attack):
https://x.com/SonicBattleOtd/status/1630659106083053590
Sonic Eagle in Project Melee:
https://pmunofficial.com/en/characters/sonic/
Lucy Loud bite in Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl (includes a tooth graphic resembling one seen at the end of Pitaya's second attack):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPT1_LwS2B0#t=76s
Garfield dab kick (seen in Melodii's second attack):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fe-eTALunxg
Gerald down special (skating in a manner resembling Melodii's second attack):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rt6YA_LeQlw#t=24s
NASB-related content by LJ Lephem Star:
https://www.newgrounds.com/art/view/lj-lephemstar/ain-t-seen-nothin-ain-t-no-stoppin-now
https://x.com/LephemStar91/status/1467166015431880705

▲
1
▼

Antonblast opening cutscene and boss fights:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lSE6y1Ys01k
Developer interview:
https://gamemaker.io/en/blog/antonball-deluxe-interview
Thumbs-up emoji:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UkAm8l-PDzo&lc=UgxAp1CSPXILzkm6Ry14AaABAg
Flustered emoji:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UkAm8l-PDzo&lc=UgzhhjH4LRqIJ4TaLw94AaABAg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lSE6y1Ys01k
Developer interview:
https://gamemaker.io/en/blog/antonball-deluxe-interview
Thumbs-up emoji:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UkAm8l-PDzo&lc=UgxAp1CSPXILzkm6Ry14AaABAg
Flustered emoji:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UkAm8l-PDzo&lc=UgzhhjH4LRqIJ4TaLw94AaABAg

▲
1
▼
The character of Dropsy, a merciful and viceless clown with a seemingly terrifying appearance, was originally envisioned as a villain in a circus level for an unmade "zombie platformer" game. Creator Jay Tholen would eventually use the character in a "Choose Your Own Adventure" forum game on the Something Awful forums in 2008, where he would build a story out of responses to his art, leading to Dropsy's starring role in a point-and-click game, which began development in 2011. Tholen stated that he was not bothered by initial reactions to the grotesque character design and assumptions that the game was a "stoner-horror-comedy", stating that he liked "hiding a powerfully loving, gentle being inside an unattractive wrapper" and that it mirrored how Dropsy is perceived by other characters in-game. However, he hoped this would not "keep people away from a game that they may actually enjoy."
Dropsy origins:
https://techraptor.net/gaming/interview/jay-tholen-talks-dropsy
Dropsy creator on first impressions:
https://www.gamedeveloper.com/design/q-a-how-i-dropsy-i-fights-cynicism-and-clown-stereotypes-
Archived Something Awful Dropsy the Clown thread:
https://web.archive.org/web/20081004185401/http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=2758907&userid=60222
https://techraptor.net/gaming/interview/jay-tholen-talks-dropsy
Dropsy creator on first impressions:
https://www.gamedeveloper.com/design/q-a-how-i-dropsy-i-fights-cynicism-and-clown-stereotypes-
Archived Something Awful Dropsy the Clown thread:
https://web.archive.org/web/20081004185401/http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=2758907&userid=60222

▲
2
▼
The game was created in fourteen days while developer Cyberwave was on a holiday break. It was initially based on the voxel terrain mechanics seen in another game made by Cyberwave, Solarpunk, but this was soon discarded and replaced with different mechanics inspired by the 2004 browser game Motherload, with digging mechanics and randomly spawning ores being added afterwards.

▲
2
▼
In 2008, the game's publisher D3Publisher and game news outlet IGN held an invitation-only competition to find who could create the best level. The competition was held in conjunction with SMU Guildhall, a game development graduate program at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas. The prize was a $10,000 scholarship awarded on behalf of the winner to a graduate student in the program for tuition assistance. Designers from developers like Naughty Dog, Infinity Ward, and Arkane Studios among six other entrants participated in the competition and created custom levels that fans could download, play and vote for. The winner was Shane Hensley, the studio head of Superstition Studios, for his level "Pinball Wizard".