Alice in Clock House is the world’s first multiplayer online battle game featuring slingshot mechanics as its core gameplay. Designed for all ages in mind and supporting up to 12 players in its online co-op mode, the game boasts fun and fast-paced experiences with each round taking 3 to 8 minutes to complete.
Thanks to Taipei Game Show, we had the chance to speak with ASAX Game to learn more about their upcoming title and what inspired its unique slingshot mechanics.
Considering your first mobile release was a turn-based strategy game, what inspired the pivot to the MOBA genre?
The main reason is that the team members are all MOBA enthusiasts and wanted to create a game with a different control scheme from traditional MOBA games. That’s why we designed it in this way. We encountered many different challenges in the process and spent a lot of time debugging and user feedback to make corrections. It was indeed very challenging for us.
With most MOBA games in the market designed for a competitive audience, where does Alice in Clock House fit in?
In terms of game design, our initial design goal was to create a “simple and easy-to-learn MOBA game.” Players don’t need to memorize or learn too many equipment or skills; as long as they know the basic controls, they can experience the game’s unique features. We call it “light competitive,” a short, highly interactive experience.
How did you decide on slingshot as the core mechanic of the game?
Because we all love slingshot games, this was the consensus of our team’s initial decision, and we wanted to create a unique and highly engaging interactive battle game, so we chose the slingshot gameplay.
Were there are any learnings from your previous games that you’re bringing to the development of Alice in Clock House?
To be honest, there were a lot of setbacks and experiences, especially since we were challenging a slingshot-based combat gameplay. None of the comparable games used the same high-density interactive collision mode where players were the projectiles.
These challenges all occurred because the online real-time mechanism needed to be smoother, and we had to consider various situations that might occur when many players were operating the game. We even had to consider the operation time to avoid players getting too tired. It took a lot of time to overcome all of these.
What can players expect from the gacha system in your game?
The game as a whole is not geared towards a pay-to-win system, so the gacha system will only be a fun lottery mechanism. Players won’t gain an absolute advantage by drawing a large number of gachas. However, the gacha system can provide players with a richer and more diverse customization experience, as well as a wider selection of playable characters. Ultimately, the quality of the experience will still depend on the player’s skill and level of engagement.
Are there any plans to make the game a cross-platform experience in the future?
Yes, it is currently expected to be released on at least two platforms: mobile devices and PCs.
If you had the chance to collaborate with another game or IP for a crossover, which would you choose and why?
The game’s design, based on a dream theme, aims to accommodate diverse themes within the game. Dreams themselves can be presented in various styles, forms, and patterns, so even bizarre scenes and characters could be quite interesting. Currently, we haven’t specified any particular IP collaboration, which can be interpreted as us welcoming all possibilities for IP cooperation.
Learn more about Alice in Clock House here, and read our other interviews from gamescom asia x Thailand Game Show here.
