Armikrog
A stop-motion clay-animated spiritual successor to The Neverhood.
Armikrog (stylized as Armikrog.) is a stop-motion point-and-click adventure comedy game developed by Doug TenNapel in partnership with Pencil Test Studios and Versus Evil. It is a spiritual successor to The Neverhood, created by many members of the same team, and similarly uses clay animation. The game was released for Microsoft Windows, OS X, Linux, PlayStation 4, Wii U, and Xbox One.
Quick Facts
- Title
- Armikrog
- Developer
- Pencil Test Studios
- Publisher
- Versus Evil
- Producer
- Ed Schofield
- Designer
- Mike Dietz / Ed Schofield / Doug TenNapel
- Programmer
- LoongWei Ding / Pip Robbins
- Writer
- Doug TenNapel
- Composer
- Terry Scott Taylor
- Engine
- Unity
- Platforms
- Microsoft Windows, OS X, Linux, PlayStation 4, Wii U, Xbox One
- Released
- Microsoft Windows, OS X, LinuxWW · September 30, 2015PlayStation 4, Wii U, Xbox OneWW · August 23, 2016
- Genre
- Point-and-click adventure
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The game follows space explorer Tommynaut and his sidekick Beak-Beak on the planet Spiro 5, where they crash-land and become trapped inside a fortress called Armikrog. They discover a baby girl named P and learn that the fortress was attacked by an unknown assailant seeking P-tonium crystals, which were transferred to P after her parents, the guardians, were killed. The assailant is revealed to be Tommynaut's brother Vognaut, who has mutated and grown larger. Beak-Beak is killed attempting to rescue P, but Tommynaut fights Vognaut and escapes with P. After reuniting all five P-tonium crystals, Mother's spirit transforms Armikrog into a giant robot, which Tommynaut uses to return to his home planet Ixen. Vognaut is crushed by the robot's leg. Tommynaut is later reunited with Beak-Beak as a ghost, and a distress signal from another brother, Numnaut, sets their next course to Darshon's Orb.
Reader's Guide
Armikrog received 'mixed or average' reviews on Metacritic. Critics praised its fun art style and catchy music, with Destructoid's Caitlin Cooke noting the charm typical of Doug TenNapel's work, but criticized the lack of an inventory system and outdated interface. GameSpot's Matt Espineli gave a 4/10 rating, citing underdeveloped characters, inconsistent sound design, and confusing puzzle elements. In 2017, TenNapel admitted that the developers ran out of resources to apply final polish. The game was crowdfunded via Kickstarter, exceeding its $900,000 goal and the $950,000 stretch goal for a Wii U version by June 27, 2013. Its soundtrack was composed by Terry Scott Taylor, who also composed music for The Neverhood. The voice cast includes Michael J. Nelson, Rob Paulsen, Jon Heder, and others. As a spiritual successor to The Neverhood, it continues the tradition of clay animation and point-and-click gameplay, but its legacy is tempered by mixed reception and acknowledged resource limitations.
Did You Know?
- Armikrog uses clay animation, like its spiritual predecessor The Neverhood.
- Beak-Beak can digest small objects and regurgitate them to Tommynaut.
- In 2017, Doug TenNapel admitted the developers ran out of resources for final polish.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Armikrog?
Armikrog is a stop-motion clay-animated point-and-click adventure comedy game. It was created by Doug TenNapel in partnership with Pencil Test Studios and Versus Evil.
Who developed Armikrog?
Doug TenNapel led the project alongside Pencil Test Studios and Versus Evil. A large portion of the creative team had previously collaborated on The Neverhood.
What platforms can I play Armikrog on?
The game is available on Microsoft Windows, OS X, Linux, PlayStation 4, Wii U, and Xbox One. The Wii U port was specifically unlocked as a Kickstarter stretch goal.
How is Armikrog connected to The Neverhood?
It is widely regarded as a spiritual successor, carrying forward the same clay stop-motion aesthetic and point-and-click adventure format. Many members of the original Neverhood crew participated in Armikrog's production.
How was Armikrog funded?
The project was crowdfunded through Kickstarter with a base goal of $900,000 and a $950,000 stretch goal that added the Wii U version. The funding campaign closed on June 27, 2013.
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