Review: Attack of the Sunday School Zombies

This Christian computer game CD is NOT going to do big sales.
Not even "modest" sales.

Why? Because it has the words "Attack" and "Zombies" in the title. Kids love the title, but they don't buy software. Parents and teachers buy software, and they've told me they don't like the words "attack" ...sounds too violent, or "zombies" ...sounds too ghoulish. But I adore the title, and the game, and the concept of what the game is trying to achieve.


So this "review" is actually a lesson in THE MARKETING of Christian game software. ;-)

The 3D Game:
Players navigate "Super Kenz the Bible Kid" around a 3d church, flinging donuts from her "donut flinger" at 8 different 3d characters. The 8 characters have been turned into "Zombies" (not the bloody kind, but the church kind) who have a bad attitude or the wrong reasons for going to worship and Sunday School. Did I mention "donut flinger" ?? Super Kenz must find boxes of donuts to reload it. And they're chocolate, so they leave a mess.



After quite a few donuts "hits," the Zombie stops and talks to Super Kenz. First the zombie spouts their complaints about church ("it's boring," or "I don't like some of the people," or, "people are hypocrites."). It's all familiar stuff, unfortunately. Kenz sympathizes a bit, then opens up her handheld iTell Bible Computer and shows them a couple of Bible verses that address the specific complaints. The zombies comes around, and returns to normal. After all 8 zombies are found and corrected, they all show up in the sanctuary to thank her.

I wanted to make fun little game about the RIGHT REASONS to go to worship. I wanted a game that addressed all the EXCUSES I've heard over the years from kids in the various churches where I've served and taught.

But I know what churches buy: they buy software about Bible stories, not topics. "Why you should go to church" is not on their curriculum! So by creating Zombies, I'm trying to force the subject. Because frankly, if you've taught for any length of time, you know it is "THE" topic.

Notes to Fellow Developers:

If this were the only game I ever developed, it would be my last, because most every developer needs to make some profit out of a project in the first year. I could only develop it because I had other more successful titles. So in a very real sense, Attack of the Sunday School Zombies CD is my gift, an indulgence. And because I can carry the title for many years, and keep it in front of my audience, I'll probably eventually make my development dollars out of it. Production houses and bookstore chains can't do things this way.

I knew I needed to make a FUNNY game. (and there's a difference between "fun" and "funny" btw, and games should be BOTH). I knew it had to be a game kids would want to play long enough to get them to hear themselves complaining, and maybe get little attitude adjustment along the way. The game's narrated scriptural "reasons" and attitudes also give teachers and parents something to grab and discuss.

I'm no dummy. I know kids will want to bypass the content and keep shooting donuts. That's the key in my designs: balance. "Balance" means make the game interesting or fun enough that the content catches them with their guard down.


And because of everything I've just said, I knew I needed to make it a "short" game, and not a 10 level 12 hour epic. Epics cost money, and this game would only get bought by church folks who have on average only 35-45 minutes of class time. Zombies takes about 20-25 minutes to play.

Learn and see more at http://www.sundaysoftware.com/zombies


Note about Violence in Christian Video Games...

I've had some customers who don't like the fact that Super Kenz SHOOTS donuts at people. Any kind of "shooting" or "hitting" bothers them. For most developers in this small market, you simply can't make choices like that. You have to appeal to as many as you can to be able to make a ago of it. But once again, because Zombies was a "pet" project, and didn't have to pay the mortgage, I could indulge my strange sense of humor. I think shooting donuts at the pastor is hilarious, and quite appropriate to get him to loosen up a bit. (yes, the pastor is one of the zombies)

Review: Tomb of Moses CD

Tomb of Moses is the latest 3d Christian game to hit the market and one of the best, if you like multi-level, multi-hour, complex mystery games, and can manipulate the keyboard and mouse at the same time. If you like to run around and shoot stuff, this game isn't for you.

Developed in conjunction with the German Bible Society, Tomb of Moses uses the A6 game engine to achieve a really good looking 3d game environment. Copyright 2008. It comes in both English and Spanish versions. http://www.tomb-of-moses.com/

The plot:
"Professor Fog" has left a trail of clues to his whereabouts, which the player collects and follows through 7 3d levels. Lots of stuff to find, use, figure out, with the eventual goal of meeting Fog and discovering the Tomb of Moses. But the Exodus content itself seems to take a backseat to the mystery, gameplay and graphics. For example, the Burning Bush scene is merely an old-fashioned looking graphic of Moses at the bush, with a voiceover.

I've used software with children since 1990 and I can tell you that older kids are going to get bored. Teens, 20's and adults who like computer games are going to like it, if they enjoy mystery style games, and have plenty of time of their hands, and don't frustrate easily. Teachers are going to be disappointed that the Exodus story itself isn't really the main focus and that the game takes so long to play. That said, T.o.M. does come with extensive documentation and student worksheets.

One big disappointment:
I didn't like the navigational options they choose to design into the game. Players must manipulate the A,W,S,D keys on the keyboard to move forward back left right. But you must also use your mouse to change your point of view as you move. This gives the game a "side scroller" feel when you press the A key to move left. This left & right hand navigational scheme also requires some keyboard/gamer coordination that many children/adults will be frustrated with. Took me a while to get used to it too.

And they didn't have to make it like that. They had choices in the A6 game engine to choose a different, more natural way of moving through the 3d landscapes. Wish they had used them. Perhaps in version 2, --it would be a BIG improvement.

Disclosure:

We have just finished version 1.1 of our own Exodus Adventures CD using the same game engine (see graphic at right of Sunday Software's Exodus Adventures CD >>>). www.sundaysoftware.com/Exodus

The screenshot from Exodus Adventures here shows the character whom the players navigate, and some of the 3d models from the story with whom she interacts to learn the story. The Egyptian guard, for examples, presses her to make mud bricks for Pharaoh's buildings. Tomb Of Moses has no such characters or open landscapes.

While their are some similiarities, the extensive dissimilarities mean Exodus Adventures and Tomb of Moses are NOT in competition with each other. Exodus Adventures has three adventures, each designed to teach part of the Exodus story in under 40 minutes. Tomb of Moses is an epic game that could take you 7 to 8 hours to play. Exodus Adventures focuses on encountering the actual story of Moses. So for example, the encounters the Burning Bush in a 3d environment, whereas in Tomb of Moses, the burning bush is a 2d graphic and voice over.

In Exodus Adventures CD, for example, you go to Pharaoh's Palace to learn about the plagues, or to the Well of Marah to figure out how to make the water sweet and interactive with an Israelite. In Tomb of Moses, the focus is on the Professor's storyline... he's gone off and you must find his clues, keys and eventually him. You try to figure out how to open locked doors, etc. As you look for him, you can find Exodus story content. But there are no 3d characters from the Exodus story. (I could go on, but you get the idea.)

Both CDs, strangely enough, feature a 3D game level patterned after St. Catherine's Monastery at the foot of Mt. Sinai. But the similarities end there. In Tomb of Moses, the monastery is mostly a level you once again try to find clues and keys to get out of. In Exodus Adventures, it's a base of operations from which the player goes into Egypt, or flys into the Sinai desert to play a game. Exodus Adventure's 3d monastery level is bigger and more wide open to exploring. And, for example, it's a place you come back to at the end of the story. Exodus Adventures CD's monastery also has INTERACTIVE content rich areas, such as "Miriam's library" which features an interactive game to learn Miriam's Song.

Exodus Adventure's navigational controls are much more natural. You can run forward and turn left or right at the same time using just your forward key and the left or right arrow key. In Tomb of Moses, you must press the W key with your left hand, while aiming your mouse with the right hand. This is quite a problem if you're playing on a laptop! Really gives your touchpad finger a hard workout.

And oddly enough, both CDs feature an older gentleman "guide" if you will. In Tomb of Moses he appears as a stiff graphic with only his mouth moving. And his narrations are cryptic, and one reviewer said his voice was "creepy." In Exodus Adventures "Sir Dabney" is a full fledged 3d character who appears throughout the game with instructions, but also with comments and questions for the player to ponder.

The DIFFERENCES in the two games illustrate a key problem I've seen for years with Christian software developers. They know how to build complex games, but they don't devote "creative programming enthusiasm" to the actual Bible content which their games attempt to include. In T. of M. you can literally wander around for 20 to 30 minutes in a level trying to figure out HOW to "get out" of that level and move forward in the game, ...without having any of the Exodus story reinforced to you because you've already read what little they put in that level.

Other "Christian" games barely include ANY content. Tomb of Moses includes quite bit of the Exodus content, but it's buried by the gameplay.

I know, I know.... Tomb of Moses isn't trying to be an "educational" game, -it's tryng to be a game for gamers first, and perhaps teaching about the Exodus to players who otherwise wouldn't get the story. But it's a false assumption, IMHO. Few people who don't know about the Exodus story are going be buying this CD. And secular gamers aren't going to like the lack of "action" in the game play.

They obviously had some talent and funding. Let's hope they upgrade this game with some 3d models, better navigation, and giving the Exodus story itself a little more front and center UMMPFF.