Funny Kitty Stick simulates cat play time with electromagnetic controllers
The 2023 Game Developers Conference will once again feature Alt.Ctrl.GDC , an exhibition dedicated to games that use alternative control schemes and interactions in new, exciting, and clever ways. Ahead of GDC 2023, Game Developer will be talking to the developers of each of the games that have been selected for the showcase.
Funny Kitty Stick lets players interact with a digital cat, guiding it to endless mischief using a tracking stick and feeling its tugs through electromagnets.
The development team behind this delightful feline simulation spoke with Game Developer about how a silly cat wallpaper led to this game of digital cat play, the thoughts that went into giving the cat agency and a personality in the world, and the importance of making the player feel that connection through the electromagnetic tugging and pawing.
What’s your name, and what was your role on this project?
Wang: My name is Fushan Wang and I am the producer and designer of our game Funny Kitty Stick.
Slawski: I’m Jared Slawski, and I was the engineer on the team in charge of implementing 3D tracking of the cat stick.
How do you describe your innovative controller to someone who’s completely unfamiliar with it?
Wang: Funny Kitty Stick aims to emulate the feeling of playing with a lovable kitten through spatial tracking and haptic feedback. The player can move around with our cat stick controller, properly tracking its current translational position and rotational orientation. When the in-game kitty grabs or paws at the dangling toy on the end of the stick, we trigger an electromagnet that latches onto the real-world toy, providing realistic and surprising haptic feedback. The combination of 3D tracking and haptic feedback dissolves
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