Pinoy-made mobile game encourages kids to stay healthy and travel safely amid the pandemic
The year 2020 really ruined many people’s #TravelGoals, especially for children and minors who have been stuck at home for the past year and a half. Do you want a way to see the beauty of the Philippines while staying healthy and safe from harmful viruses?
Travel around the Philippines while staying safe with the casual mobile game for both Android and Apple users called Running Organgs, a simple yet fun platformer that's proudly 100 percent Pinoy-made.
Running Organgs gamifies different body organs (yup, you heard right), with five main characters inspired by the brain, heart, liver, lungs and stomach. Right off the bat, it sounds like a weird concept, but the characters are kind of cute in a Dumb Ways to Die or RC Cola ad kind of way.
According to game developers from PurpleBug, the digital marketing agency in the Philippines behind the game, Running Organgs aims to educate players by creating “arch nemesis” for each body organ-themed character.
There’s Brainstein (Brain), the one who holds the greatest understanding and wisdom among the gang members, which would probably explain the cane in his design. His arch nemesis are illegal drugs.
Amor (Heart) is the fun and bubbly member of the group, who wears her heart on her sleeve and loves to make friends. Her arch nemesis are the pictures of her ex-boyfriends.
Oliver (Liver) is the cool, laid-back, and most stylish member of the Running Organgs. His arch nemesis are alcoholic beverages.
Lang-Lang and Leng-Leng (Lungs) are twins. Lang-Lang is prim and proper, while Leng-Leng is a free-spirit. Their arch nemesis are cigarettes, vapes, and the COVID-19 virus.
Tammie (Stomach) is the confident and bold member of the Running Organgs. She loves to eat to her heart’s content and knows how to have a good time! Her arch nemesis are poisonous substances.
The gameplay is fairly simple, with characters endlessly running, while the player taps to either jump or slide to avoid obstacles like illegal drugs and liquor bottles. Later on other power-ups like shields and lightning bolts can be collected to protect characters or speed them up.
Each level is set to the backdrop of popular tourist spots Pinoys will instantly be familiar with like the Banaue Rice Terraces, Luneta Park, Mayon Volcano, Chocolate Hills, and El Nido.
“The idea behind the game is more than just entertaining people and distracting them from the setbacks brought by the COVID-19 crisis. Running Organgs also allows players to travel and recall the feeling of visiting the most famous tourist spots in the Philippines, while staying safe from the COVID-19 virus,” said Purple Bug.
Game developers plan to release new installments within the year with additional characters and Philippine tourist spots.
In case you want to try and see for yourself what it’s like to travel around the country as gamified body organs, Running Organgs is available to download for free on both iOS and Android.
(Images via PurpleBug)