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.
It’s so cute! I’ve now added “exploit progeny” to my plan for world domination.
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Brilliant! It shames me not to have thought of that myself, yet.
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I wish my dad had made a game so I had a university fund.
I wish I’d had a university fund.
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I wish I had a dad.
What? Somebody had to up the ante.
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Ponycorn. Not rude, but sounds it a bit.
I have a sudden craving for a cream tea.
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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”.
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The sequel involves coneys.
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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.
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Thanks! Fixed.
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“Better than ‘Gray Matter’” – Sarkhan Lol
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What’s a moy’da!?
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SOOOOOOO CUUUUUUUTE
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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)
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Must say I don’t agree with the hate that lemons are getting in this game.
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Grrrr. Where’s my Ponycorn!?
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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.
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And a flying T-Rex-dragon with miniguns for arms and sunglasses, but spoilers!
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Don’t forget the Liborg: a soldier with a brain of half-man, half-lion, and half-cheetah.
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That was fantastic. Smiled the whole way through. No wonder she loves Ponycorns!
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“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.
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Dad is best dad.
When I was five it was a panther mixed with an eagle.
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…A peagle?
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An eager.
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This was so thoroughly enjoyable!
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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.
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This is so cute I just shat a bunny rabbit
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This game is discriminatory against lemons. The outrage!
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Okay. This is better. Play this sort of game.
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*** Did you know? Chinese people eat ponycorns.
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Only in self-defence.
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This is, as you say, delightful.
I found the protagonist to be a bit two-dimensional though.
I’ll get me coat.
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Booo
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Better than The Longest Journey. Cuter too.
And yes, I donated. How much American education does £5 buy?
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Thanks, that made me smile.
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This is the first time I donated for anything ever
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Aww!
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The evil lemon should rank in one of those “Top 100 Video Game Villains” things!
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She hates him because he’s combustible, you know.
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Secret: Lemons are edible, so if you hate lemons, drink lemonade.
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Nonono, you burn their house down.
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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.
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That was the cutest thing I’ve ever played! Well done Cassie! Oh, and your dad did okay too.
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I liked the branching paths that converge at orange boy. Good re-playability.
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…And this was the single most popular game on the show.
There is officially no hope for civilization.
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There is officially
nohope for civilization.report
And you, sir, have insufficient regard for rainbows.
Good day to you, sir. Good. Day.
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There is officially no hope for you.
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Grape is the sort of people who hate me for liking My Little Pony.
I mean c’mon! Friendship is magic!
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Sissy uses Coconut on Lemon … It’s super effective!
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People! Spoilers! Please! Let players discover Orange Boy’s secret for themselves!
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cute! this is like Axe Cop, but for little girls
http://axecop.com/
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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]
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I think you’re thinking of conyporn.
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I think this and Loom are the only two adventure games I’ve finished. Well, Maniac Mansion too, but with lots of walkthrough help.
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I’m ashamed to say I got stuck for a little on one of the puzzles :(
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Is it true that “Sissy’s Magical Ponycorn Adventure” is banned in Australia for use of the “F” word?
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