Codeminion Reveals Gameplay Details on Ancient Quest of Saqqarah.

May 6, 2008

Codeminion Reveals Gameplay
Details on Ancient Quest of Saqqarah.

Codeminion revealed more details on
Saqqarah’s varied gameplay along with in-game screenshots and information on the
amount of levels. The company also presented the box art, featuring Khufu – the
game’s main character.

Today Codeminion revealed the
details on Saqqarah’s varied gameplay along with first in-game screenshots
showing its unique mechanics. The company also presented the box art, featuring
Khufu – the game’s main character.

The developers finally provided more
information on the game’s announced varied gameplay and depth. “When it comes to
game mechanics, Saqqarah’s biggest innovation lies in the introduction of the
‘distorted grid’ board topology. Each level is a unique set of nodes connected
with smooth curves. It allowed us to create seven different types of puzzles
with common goals and features but different mechanics. This includes a
classical match-3, which really works great with this setup, and a set of
completely original gameplays. Usage of distorted grids enabled us to create
lots of distinctive and visually appealing levels, adding twists even to the
more commonly known mechanics. Players will get to unlock and explore seven
different temples, each consisting of 72 levels. This gives us a whooping 512 of
puzzles to complete. We also plan to provide our gamers with new content after
the game’s release.” explains Maciej Biedrzycki, game’s programmer and
Codeminion co-owner.

Company’s website
provides an exact list of gameplays in Saqqarah:

  • Isis Swap
    – A classical match-3 on the Saqqarah’s “
    distorted
    grid” board topology.

  • Sobek’s Rotate –
    Rotate clusters of tokens to create closed groups of one type.

  • Puzzles of Thot
    – For the logic puzzle fans. Rearrange tokens freely to find a winning
    solution that matches the underlying distorted grid.

  • Chains of Anubis
    – Drag select mechanics known from Magic Match on the “distorted grid”
    topology.

  • Horus Token Pop
    – Quick paced mode challenging player’s perception. Find the biggest visible
    chains of tokens and race against time.

  • Hand of Osiris –
    Use the token in hand to create one-colored closed fields on the distorted
    grid.

  • Paths of Bast –
    Strategically move the tokens along the paths on the grid to create colored
    groups.

  • Glyph Search – A
    sort of hidden object gameplay used in bonus rounds.


Ancient Quest of Saqqarah PC screenshots


Click here to view all of the new screens for

Ancient Quest of Saqqarah

Konrad Olesiewicz, one of the
company’s owners, adds: “What’s really wonderful, is that these gameplays share
common winning conditions and obstacles, but the differing mechanics encourage
the players to develop varied strategic approaches. For example – removing an
obstacle with an exploding token requires different approach in the classical
Isis Swap than in the strategic Paths of Bast, where you have a direct control
over the pieces and each move should be carefully planned. This makes the game
very easy to learn due to the common features, yet it offers a lot of depth at
the same time”.

Codeminion also presented the
promo/box art for the game, featuring Khufu – a Magical Monkey from the
Underground Oasis – the game’s main character and player’s mentor. This rather
extraordinary gentleman will speak with the voice of Michael McConnohie, known
from such titles as Diablo 2 or World of Warcraft. The box art and a voice
sample are available on the game’s teaser website at
www.saqqarahthegame.com

Saqqarah, Codeminion biggest project
so far, was announced as a rich and deep puzzle game of quality and proportions
not seen in the casual industry before. The exact launch date remains
unannounced.

Saqqarah’s news website containing
all up-to-date information and media:
www.saqqarahthegame.com