The Game

Max & the Magic Marker is a physics based 2D puzzle platformer, in which the player controls the boy Max and his Magic Marker. While Max enables good old platforming fun, the marker provides the game’s signature feature: the ability for the player to draw directly inside the game world where everything drawn becomes physical objects. This feature is used to complete levels and overcome challenges but it also provides the player with a unique tool that in itself is fun to play around with.

The Story

Max is a young boy, and like most boys he loves to draw. One day he gets a mysterious marker in the mail. There is no letter attached – only the plain orange marker. Max decides to test it right away, sits down and starts drawing. He draws a monster but as soon as he finishes the lines on the paper start moving and to Max’s great surprise the monster runs off the paper and into another drawing. Stunned Max now sees how the Monster messes around with his drawings. Max realizes that he has to stop the monster. So he draws himself on the same drawing that the monster is in and immediately finds himself inside the drawing. The game begins.

The Features

1. 15 inventive and puzzling levels
2. Unique drawing control in a truly dynamic physics environment
3. 3 beautiful worlds inspired by childrens drawings
4. Death traps, monsters, and challenging puzzles
5. Unlockable challenges, secrets and rewards
6. Original and awesome soundtrack by Analogik

The Beginning

Long time ago, or actually in December 2007 a small concept saw the light of day. A simple Flash prototype sporting a simple drawing mechanic as seen in a number of games at the time e.g. Crayon Physics and Line Rider, in combination with platform gameplay, demonstrated a potential that we had not previously seen in Press Play.

Initial funding is secured

Spring came, and people’s response on the prototype was overwhelming. We started believing more the concept, but we needed money for further development.

In May 2008 that money came. We applied for and received grants from New Danish Screen (450.000 DKK) and the Nordic Game Program (400.000 DKK) – a total of 850.000, which is about 114.000 Euro. The Demo development could begin!

More money

In September 2008 the EU Media support scheme decided to support the project’s second phase with 53.000 Euro and another bottle of champagne was popped.

Developing the demo

Fall of 2008 – Work work work…

Demo is ready!

In February 2009 the demo is finally ready. Of course there were a number rough edges that still needed to be polished but finally the game had translated from a simple Flash prototype to an actual game with 6 levels in Unity 3D. We were happy and ready to conquer the world.

Publishers

Publishers were contacted, mails were sent and the response was good – but not overwhelming. No one really wanted to go wholeheartedly into the project. A financial crisis had taken its tow the publishers willingness to take chances. They were not sure how to market Max, and the result was that they’d like to be a part of the project, but not to the extent that we were interested in.

So rather than having a partner who only invested halfway in the project we were inspired by 2D Boy to go all out indie and publish it ourselves digitally. So here we come!