From Game Jam Idea to Mobile Classic
Taking a closer look at Mini Metro and Mini Motorways
Game jams continue to be among the greatest events in the gaming community. They both inspire and teach players and designers to have fun and explore off-the-wall ideas in response to deliberately open-ended challenges. Some highly notable games have emerged as a result of these events, having started life as a game jam prototype. New Zealand-based Dinosaur Polo Club’s popular Mini Metro and Mini Motorways were conceived in exactly this way.
In fact, way back in a 2013 game jam hosted by the company Ludum Dare 26, twins Robert and Peter Curry submitted their entry called Mind the Gap. The theme for this particular jam was minimalism, and as such, they created an experience with a simple aesthetic akin to a subway map.
The prototype itself may have been simple — as you’d expect for a game jam — but the Curry brothers decided to develop the game further. A little over a year later, they released Mini Metro for the PC (via their newly-formed studio, Dinosaur Polo Club). The game was later released for Linux and OS X. Developed in Unity, Mini Metro later saw release on iOS and…
