Finding Fun #4: Katamari Damacy
In this installment of Finding Fun, where I try learn game design from some of my favorites, I'm examining Katamari Damacy: a ridiculous game that anyone can pick up and play. Through its distinctive visual style and innovative gameplay mechanics, Keita Takahashi and his team created an experience that proves games can be both fun and accessible while leaning fully into their artistic vision.
Core Gameplay Loop
Katamari Damacy is an action arcade game where you play as the Prince of the Cosmos, tasked with rebuilding the stars by rolling up Earth's objects into increasingly larger balls (or katamari). The core gameplay loop consists of:
- Roll increasingly large objects into your katamari
- Manage time limits while reaching size goals
- Explore progressively larger environments
- Create cosmic bodies from your katamari
What's Fun?
Immediate Fun
Over-the-Top Audio and Visuals
From the moment you start the game, you're immersed in a world of vibrant colors, quirky character designs, and an infectiously catchy soundtrack. The visual and audio design creates an immediately distinct atmosphere that sets the tone for the whimsical experience ahead. The game's low-poly aesthetic, combined with its bold color choices, makes it easy to navigate the chaos.
Satisfying Size Progression
Starting each level with a small katamari and working your way up to rolling entire things like buildings creates a tangible sense of progression that players can feel moment to moment. This growth is both visual and mechanical, as larger objects that once served as obstacles become new collectibles.
Long-Term Fun
How'd They Write This Music?
The game's music is unlike most. The mostly upbeat tracks enhance the gameplay experience without becoming repetitive and add another element to look forward to as you progress. The catchy tunes can readily become etched in your memory, making you want to return to the game just to experience them again or even listen to them outside of the game.
Every Object Tells a Story
Each stage is filled with delightful scenarios and setpieces that tell their own mini-stories. From peaceful suburban neighborhoods to bustling city centers, the environments are crafted to reward exploration. The game constantly surprises players with new situations and combinations of objects to collect.
I'll Roll Up the Street Cones Before the Sumos
While the basic concept is simple, rolling up most of a given level requires careful planning and execution. Players gradually develop strategies for optimal routes through each stage, learning which clusters of objects provide the best size-to-time ratio. This depth of gameplay emerges naturally as players seek to improve their scores and create larger cosmic bodies.
Unexpected Fun
Cultural Discovery Through Objects
Many of the scenes throughout a level serve as a brief window into Japanese daily life and culture. From canned coffee in vending machines to traditional household items, players outside Japan get to experience a curated collection of objects that might be commonplace in Japan but novel to them. This cultural exchange adds a light educational layer to the game for those who are curious.
Absurd Storytelling
The story of the King of All Cosmos accidentally destroying the stars and tasking his tiny son with rebuilding them is the basic premise of the game. Each cutscene offers a couple seconds of absurdist humor while maintaining a charm that doesn't overstay its welcome. The game's narrative serves as a perfect complement to its unconventional gameplay.
Missing Fun
Control Scheme Limitations
While the unique control scheme adds to the game's charm initially, I think in the longrun these are more awkward than they are fun. Perhaps if the controls were easier to handle then the game's accessibility and goofiness wouldn't hit the same.
Multiplayer Shortcomings
The competitive multiplayer mode doesn't capture the same magic as the single-player experience. While it's unlikely this would have been a direct trade, I would have enjoyed another level or more objects in the main single player game rather than this mode.
Stress > Relief > Growth > Progress
Taking notes from Masahiro Sakurai's incredible game design lessons, I want to analyze how Katamari Damacy creates a fun game by looking at how it approaches these game elements:
Stress: The time limit creates urgency while the possibility of losing collected items by colliding with larger objects adds tension to each decision.
Relief: Finding clusters of appropriately-sized objects provides moments of satisfaction and relief from the time pressure. The sound effects and visual feedback when successfully collecting items reinforce these positive feelings.
Growth: The more players play, the more they develop greater control over the Prince's movement and build intuition about what objects they can collect at each size. This expertise is paralleled by the literal growth of their katamari.
Progress: The game's progression system constantly opens up new possibilities, from larger starting sizes to more ambitious level goals. Each completed level contributes to the broader goal of rebuilding the cosmos, giving meaning to individual accomplishments.
Final Thoughts
Katamari Damacy stands as a testament to the power of original game design that prioritizes joy and wonder. Here's what I think makes it a standout title:
Unified Vision: Every aspect of the game, from its visual style to its soundtrack and story, works in harmony to create a cohesive and memorable experience that gives it a truly unique identity.
Accessibility with Depth: While anyone can enjoy rolling up objects and growing their katamari, the game provides enough depth through its scoring system and level design to reward dedicated players who seek to optimize their routes.
Innovative Progression: Each level lets you experience the full journey of zero to huge katamari, from rolling up thumbtacks to collecting skyscrapers, with every object along the way contributing to that satisfying sense of growth.
Credits
All in-game images are from the full game walkthrough by Noire Blue, appreciate the great content!