Software:Achievement Unlocked
| Achievement Unlocked | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | John Cooney |
| Engine | Adobe Flash |
| Platform(s) | Web browser |
| Release | 2008 |
| Genre(s) | Platform |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
Achievement Unlocked is a Adobe Flash video game written by John Cooney in four days and published by Armor Games in 2008. The player controls an elephant who moves and jumps around a level with the goal of completing every achievement. Such achievements include finding all numbers, dying, or even doing nothing for enough time.
Achievement Unlocked was recognized as commentary on "meaningless rewards" in video games, and was featured in a book about must-play indie games. Two sequels were released in 2010 and 2012.
Gameplay
While essentially a platform game, it has been referred to as a metagame as well as an "antigame".[1][2][3] The game is a send-up of in-game achievements, still a relatively new concept at the release of the game. While a video game achievement is usually a meta-goal defined outside a game's parameters, they are the only goal of the game in Achievement Unlocked.[4]
Achievement Unlocked takes place on a single screen where the player controls an elephant. All the player can do is move and jump, and the game has various surface-level targets and obstacles, such as finding hidden numbers and avoiding spikes. These elements (among others) have to be interacted with in order to get all the achievements. For example, dying to the spikes, touching the hidden numbers in a specific order, and even doing nothing for a certain amount of time are all achievements that need to be completed.
Development
Reception
It's been described as a "commentary on the proliferation of nearly meaningless rewards in games"[5] and was featured in the book 250 Indie Games You Must Play by Mike Rose and The Game Designer's Playlist: Innovative Games Every Game Designer Needs to Play by Zack Hiwiller.[6][7] Escapist writer John Funk questioned whether it was ironic to enjoy collecting achievements in a game meant to lambaste that mindset.[8]
Sequels
A sequel, Achievement Unlocked 2, was released in 2010 with more rooms and achievements.[9] Achievement Unlocked 3 was released in 2012.
References
- ↑ Salter, Anastasia (2014). Flash : building the interactive web. Cambridge, Massachusetts. p. 108. ISBN 9780262028028.
- ↑ Cornis-Pope, Marcel (2014). New literary hybrids in the age of multimedia expression : crossing borders, crossing genres. Amsterdam. p. 225. ISBN 9789027269331.
- ↑ Ensslin, Astrid (2014). Literary gaming. Cambridge, Mass.. pp. 91. ISBN 9780262027151.
- ↑ "Alt+Escape: Achievement Unlocked". 23 January 2009. https://www.escapistmagazine.com/v2/altescape-achievement-unlocked/.
- ↑ Anthropy, Anna; Clark, Naomi (2014). A game design vocabulary : exploring the foundational principles behind good game design. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Addison-Wesley. p. 192. ISBN 9780321886927.
- ↑ Rose, Mike (2019). 250 Indie Games You Must Play. [S.l.]: CRC PRESS. p. 182. ISBN 9781138427853.
- ↑ Hiwiller, Zach (2019). The game designer's playlist : innovative games every game designer needs to play. Boston. ISBN 9780134873268.
- ↑ Funk, John (December 19, 2008). "Achievement Unlocked Game Exactly What It Says". Escapist. https://www.escapistmagazine.com/Achievement-Unlocked-Game-Exactly-What-It-Says/. Retrieved May 7, 2023.
- ↑ Davis, Justin (March 8, 2012). "Free Game of the Day: Achievement Unlocked 2". IGN. https://www.ign.com/articles/2012/03/08/free-game-of-the-day-achievement-unlocked-2. Retrieved May 7, 2023.
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