Eggplant: The Secret Lives of Games EP: A Year of UFO 50 - Rock On! Island
Apr 18, 2025
In this lively chat, Stephanie Boluk and Patrick LeMieux, both game educators at UC Davis, join Gab Koenig, the creative mind behind Tux and Fanny. They dive into the game Rock On! Island, discussing its whimsical premise of defending a cave from dinosaurs. The trio explores tower defense mechanics, reminiscing about nostalgic titles while analyzing the evolution of gameplay. With humor and insights, they share personal gaming anecdotes and the journey of mastering game design, highlighting the importance of community and creativity in the industry.
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Early Hybrid Tower Defense Game
- Rock On! Island is an early tower defense game combining fixed-path defense with an avatar that can move and attack.
- Upgrading cavemen and managing chicken economy adds strategy and action elements to the gameplay.
Tower Defense Emerged Gradually
- Tower defense as a genre emerged gradually that includes games from Space Invaders to Starcraft mods.
- Starcraft mod community notably shaped tower defense's fixed path, wave-based mechanics.
Player Loves Avatar Control
- One player praised Rock On! Island's personal avatar control and upgrade mechanics as empowering.
- They compared the game's vibrancy and meta references favorably to other tower defense titles.