By John Walker on May 26th, 2011 at 5:46 pm.
Oh my goodness, the cute-o-meter has just started hissing heart-shaped clouds of steam and leaking glitter. Heroic dad Ryan Creighton (of Flash developer Untold Entertainment) took his five-year-old daughter Cassie to this year’s TOJam, and together they created the adventure game, Sissy’s Magical Ponycorn Adventure. Which has turned out to be the most popular game of the show, to the point where the poor TOJam website has been taken over by it.
An absolutely gorgeously told blog post explains how it came about, and emphatically insists that Sissy was not enslaved but rather an excited, voluntary participant.
A ponycorn, in case you’re wondering, is the magical combination of a pony and a unicorn, and as such is the best thing ever if you’re a five year old girl. Sissy’s goal is to collect five of them and put them in jars. The drawings were all done by Cassie, along with her character’s voice, and I have a sneaking suspicion the same brilliant young mind was behind the logic for the puzzles.
“It’s possibly the greatest game ever made.” – Rock, Paper, Shotgun
Creighton has had the rather sensible idea of putting ads on the front of the game, and a Paypal “donate” button underneath, with the intention of putting the money gained into a college fund for Cassie. Good grief, that’s good parenting. Go put some money in there.
Massive thanks to Fraser McCormick for the link.
26/05/2011 at 17:50 Flimgoblin says:
It’s so cute! I’ve now added “exploit progeny” to my plan for world domination.
27/05/2011 at 01:32 Moorkh says:
Brilliant! It shames me not to have thought of that myself, yet.
26/05/2011 at 17:52 Teddy Leach says:
I wish my dad had made a game so I had a university fund.
I wish I’d had a university fund.
26/05/2011 at 23:03 Jumwa says:
I wish I had a dad.
What? Somebody had to up the ante.
26/05/2011 at 17:52 Meat Circus says:
Ponycorn. Not rude, but sounds it a bit.
I have a sudden craving for a cream tea.
26/05/2011 at 21:06 Koozer says:
I had to read it twice to check the rudeness levels. It still sounds like a dirty word.
“Hey, I’m off to find some Ponycorn”.
26/05/2011 at 22:08 Urthman says:
The sequel involves coneys.
26/05/2011 at 18:07 patstew says:
I think the article says Sissy in a few places where it means Cassie. Unless the game character is going to university, and is voluntarily participating in the game.
26/05/2011 at 18:18 John Walker says:
Thanks! Fixed.
26/05/2011 at 18:10 Sarkhan Lol says:
“Better than ‘Gray Matter’” – Sarkhan Lol
26/05/2011 at 18:12 Terragot says:
What’s a moy’da!?
26/05/2011 at 18:35 tomeoftom says:
SOOOOOOO CUUUUUUUTE
26/05/2011 at 18:36 McDan says:
How cute, lots of my little pony stuff there as well, which the internet seems to have been totally taken with. (it’s because the show is awesome)
26/05/2011 at 18:49 McDan says:
Must say I don’t agree with the hate that lemons are getting in this game.
26/05/2011 at 18:36 rivalin says:
Grrrr. Where’s my Ponycorn!?
26/05/2011 at 18:42 Namos says:
For other 5 year old genius creations, I suggest looking up Axe Cop – a webcomic about a cop with an axe. Awesome enough to become an actual comic. Contains such brilliant concepts as Avocado Soldier and Sockarang.
26/05/2011 at 21:07 Tatourmi says:
And a flying T-Rex-dragon with miniguns for arms and sunglasses, but spoilers!
26/05/2011 at 21:08 Koozer says:
Don’t forget the Liborg: a soldier with a brain of half-man, half-lion, and half-cheetah.
26/05/2011 at 18:50 jealouspirate says:
That was fantastic. Smiled the whole way through. No wonder she loves Ponycorns!
26/05/2011 at 18:50 Buemba says:
“A ponycorn, in case you’re wondering, is the magical combination of a pony and a unicorn, and as such is the best thing ever if you’re a five year old girl.”
If you’re a five year old girl? I’m a 29 year old guy and I’d put a goat on a stick for a ponycorn.
26/05/2011 at 18:53 AndrewC says:
Dad is best dad.
When I was five it was a panther mixed with an eagle.
26/05/2011 at 23:55 Krimson says:
…A peagle?
27/05/2011 at 02:30 Dances to Podcasts says:
An eager.
26/05/2011 at 18:54 Da5id Jaz says:
This was so thoroughly enjoyable!
26/05/2011 at 18:57 DaFishes says:
This is an awesome thing for a dad to do with his daughter. My teeth want to explode from sweetness. I donated to the college fund.
26/05/2011 at 19:18 SuperNashwanPower says:
This is so cute I just shat a bunny rabbit
26/05/2011 at 19:57 yourgrandma says:
This game is discriminatory against lemons. The outrage!
26/05/2011 at 20:06 amandachen says:
Okay. This is better. Play this sort of game.
27/05/2011 at 03:25 BunnyPuncher says:
*** Did you know? Chinese people eat ponycorns.
27/05/2011 at 03:49 sinister agent says:
Only in self-defence.
26/05/2011 at 20:16 Scandalon says:
This is, as you say, delightful.
I found the protagonist to be a bit two-dimensional though.
I’ll get me coat.
26/05/2011 at 20:45 Ace Jon says:
Booo
26/05/2011 at 20:18 lowprices says:
Better than The Longest Journey. Cuter too.
And yes, I donated. How much American education does £5 buy?
26/05/2011 at 20:29 Fumarole says:
Thanks, that made me smile.
26/05/2011 at 20:38 The Promised Landt says:
This is the first time I donated for anything ever
26/05/2011 at 20:40 Hmm-Hmm. says:
Aww!
26/05/2011 at 20:42 Cradlejoe says:
The evil lemon should rank in one of those “Top 100 Video Game Villains” things!
27/05/2011 at 05:32 mwoody says:
She hates him because he’s combustible, you know.
26/05/2011 at 20:48 Tei says:
Secret: Lemons are edible, so if you hate lemons, drink lemonade.
27/05/2011 at 01:45 Eagle0600 says:
Nonono, you burn their house down.
26/05/2011 at 20:56 Farsearcher says:
Thats adorable!
I’m seriously impressed by Cassie, I couldn’t have focused like that for 6 hours when I was 5. That girls got a great future ahead of her.
A great dad backing her up too.
26/05/2011 at 21:15 bluebogle says:
That was the cutest thing I’ve ever played! Well done Cassie! Oh, and your dad did okay too.
26/05/2011 at 22:48 Freud says:
I liked the branching paths that converge at orange boy. Good re-playability.
26/05/2011 at 22:56 Grape says:
…And this was the single most popular game on the show.
There is officially no hope for civilization.
26/05/2011 at 23:02 stahlwerk says:
There is officially
nohope for civilization.26/05/2011 at 23:29 Daiv says:
And you, sir, have insufficient regard for rainbows.
Good day to you, sir. Good. Day.
27/05/2011 at 07:18 JoeX111 says:
There is officially no hope for you.
27/05/2011 at 10:32 Raiyan 1.0 says:
Grape is the sort of people who hate me for liking My Little Pony.
I mean c’mon! Friendship is magic!
27/05/2011 at 00:05 Rii says:
Sissy uses Coconut on Lemon … It’s super effective!
27/05/2011 at 00:47 wruscle says:
People! Spoilers! Please! Let players discover Orange Boy’s secret for themselves!
27/05/2011 at 02:21 Raye says:
cute! this is like Axe Cop, but for little girls
http://axecop.com/
27/05/2011 at 02:47 destroy.all.monsters says:
I take it that it’s called a ponycorn since anything [really? In a thread about a five year old's game? Really? - Ed]
You’re welcome.
[No.- Ed]
27/05/2011 at 04:44 RCGT says:
I think you’re thinking of conyporn.
27/05/2011 at 04:14 Moonracer says:
I think this and Loom are the only two adventure games I’ve finished. Well, Maniac Mansion too, but with lots of walkthrough help.
27/05/2011 at 06:12 wcaypahwat says:
I’m ashamed to say I got stuck for a little on one of the puzzles :(
27/05/2011 at 10:22 mbp says:
Is it true that “Sissy’s Magical Ponycorn Adventure” is banned in Australia for use of the “F” word?