MatchUp May & Scratch’s Cat-titude

Though we usually hide from the sun behind our screens - busy grooming Scratch the Cat here at the FlatPonies stables - we’ll soon be opening the stable doors to gallop into the summer sun.

We promise not to stall for too long; we’ll be back in August with exciting news and fresh updates. Before we trot off to frolic, here is a quick look at what we've been up to throughout May and June!

Copenhagen MatchUp: Connecting the Dots

Our General Manager, Julie Heyde, and Writer & Communications Manager, Julie Hindkjær, recently headed out to Copenhagen MatchUp - one of Denmark’s go-to events for connecting local indie studios with international publishers and investors, hosted by Games Denmark.

The day kicked off with an opening welcome from the Danish Minister of Foreign Affairs, Lars Løkke Rasmussen, highlighting the growing value of the gaming industry. Overall, we learned a lot, met some amazing developers, and left feeling truly inspired. Connecting with other studios and showing off Scratch was an absolute blast, and the energy there was completely unmatched.

Writer & Communications Manager Julie Hindkjær (left), and General Manager Julie Heyde (right), sitting with Lewis Speller, Partner Development Manager, Sony. The Julies are listening intently to his words of wisdom. Photo: Hans Oxmond.

Behind the Scenes: Making Scratch 20% Cooler

What is a cool cat without cool expressions? Not very cool, if you ask our Animator, Nanna Lundin. She has been hard at work giving Scratch some serious DJ flair and pizzazz.

Before pushing any pixels, Nanna gathers inspiration from real-world, emotion-packed faces.

“When I've settled on an expression that would suit Scratch, I go to town to make him communicate that emotion as closely as possible,” Nanna explains. “All in all, I think I've had to make almost every expression at least 20% cooler. There's a heavy focus on getting the eyes to have just the right curve and placement. A tiny tweak, and suddenly there's a whole new emotion!"

But as any dev knows, game development is a masterclass in trial and error. Animations can look completely different once they are placed into the actual game context.

“I love seeing him gradually come more and more to life with each smirk and frown,” Nanna says. “It's all trial and error, but with love to the details, he will get the purrfect expressions.”

A sneak peek at what it looks like when our Animator Nanna Lundin edits Scratch's face in Blender - literally pulling his strings to capture all the emotions.

Playtesting: Scratching that 90s Itch

As internal playtesting rolls on, the feedback is keeping us busy squashing bugs—but it’s also warming our hearts. Here is a snippet of what players are saying:

• "A smooth 3D platformer made to scratch (the cat, hehe) that 90s itch. A great nostalgic blast to the past - great visuals, has soul, and a good way to spend a weekend."

• "I really liked the level design. Looking around after reaching a new platform and seeing a hidden cave with a collectible feels very rewarding."

• "The slide-jump feels so smooth to pull off. While I'm not a speedrunner myself, I can see that community really getting a kick out of it."

Community Spotlight: Cat of the Month

From daily snapshots to sudden keyboard cameos, our Discord members love sharing glimpses of their furry co-workers.

Screens down, paws up! This month's feature perfectly demonstrates the art of the purr-sonal space invasion. Who needs a monitor when you have a masterpiece sitting right on your keyboard?

Want to see more cute pets? Head over to the #funsies channel in our Discord.

Meet Henry! Named after Indiana Jones (Fun fact: we had to google it, but Indy’s actual name is Dr. Henry Walton "Indiana" Jones, Jr. We thought he was just born with a fedora and a cool nickname).

Join the FlatPonies Herd!

Want the opportunity to playtest our upcoming builds, or want to see your own furry companion featured in our next newsletter? If you prefer the glow of a monitor to the glare of the sun, come hang out with us this summer. Click here to join our Discord.

Thanks for listening - and remember: ✨ Stay groovy. Stay scratchy. ✨

With excitement and puuurfect hair,

FlatPonies

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