About this project
I created the first Tiny Diggers almost 3 years ago for my first son who was 3 at the time.
It was an awesome experience to be able to create a game that my son could play and enjoy. Tiny Diggers is a popular educational kid's 2D game I first created by myself for iOS, Mac and Android. At the time I saw that there were no decent construction truck games on the mobile market for kids age 3-5 and parents. A lot of kids around this age love trucks of all kinds, so I went ahead and created the game and it received success in a crowded app store. I continued on making more kid's games for my audience, my own boys and for clients internationally.
The Twitter and Facebook messages from parents I received were very rewarding and after 3 years, we still get feedback. I noticed that the parents are a lot more involved with their kids in Tiny Diggers than I expected, so I wanted to create a successor that brought them closer together in involvement and participation.
Early Prototype Gameplay Video - Tiny Diggers 2
Tiny Diggers 2 is a HUGE leap forward from the first title; It's taking the likeness of the characters, trucks and experience and putting that into an entirely new setting. Eight months ago I started working on prototyping Tiny Diggers 2 in Unity 3D while I worked on other kid's games for clients, toiling away on evenings and weekends. I experimented with so many options for everything from: How the trucks handled, the perspective, what's the goal of the game - and so on. I'm very passionate about this series I've created, and I hope you can see that in the prototype. I bootstrapped a lot of what you see in the early prototype videos, and now I've run out of funds.
I have an immense passion for developing kid's games, I love the feedback I get watching them play my games, and I hope I can fulfil this experience with Tiny Diggers 2.
Tiny Diggers 2 is one of the few games that are not only great for kids but for their parents, too! Parents will be able to join in with their kids in co-op mode, assisting in construction jobs throughout the map or take control themselves.
Flashback: Tiny Diggers 1 Trailer
The above video is at an early alpha stage.
------------------------------------------------
UPDATES
Tiny Diggers has been featured on...
The VitaLounge.net
"...the game has an art style that is both bright and colorful, much in the vein of many modern computer-animated children’s shows..."
IndieGames.com
"It's hard to find games that parents and kids can play together..."
IndiePubGames.com
"...an educational construction truck simulator game geared towards young children and their parents. Both are great examples to show how video games can be both fun, interesting and informative."
Erin Klein - KleinInspiration.com
@KleinErin via Twitter: "My 5 yr old would love this!"
Tiny Diggers 2 is at a point where we need your help to get it finished. Thus far it has been bootstrapped out of pocket, it's currently at 40%-50% complete but needs a Developer, 3D Artist and Musician who are all standing by. A lot of key elements have not yet been implemented or very little, such as:
- GUI
- Interaction between characters
- Additional assets for the town
- More Trucks and Tools
- Defining the Job Areas
- Gameplay mechanics
- Content for the job areas
- Better terrain deformation
- Reward system
- In-game shop
- Polish, tweaking and so on.
We will utilize your support funds the following way:
- Programmer
- Creative Director / Project Managment
- 3D Artist
- Music Composer
- Small overhead (low-cost office space, utilities)
- Marketing
- Trademark
- Rewards
We're budgeting with a 6-month time frame to finish Tiny Diggers. With your help we can create this large-scale multi-console game that's well beyond our usual self-publishing budgets.
Here's a quick breakdown of the Core Mechanics
- Fun learning through construction jobs
- Drive and operate a number of trucks including: Excavator, Dumptruck, Bulldozer, Forklift and many more
- Build or demolish houses, fit and transport pipes, blast or pickaxe boulders, dig out and place objects in ground holes, gas station duties, foundation filling, recycling plant jobs and many more!
- Use tools such as: Jackhammer, saw, pickaxe, shovel, hammer, road line painting machine and many more
- Dig and dump dirt in real-time in the terrain with trucks and tools, build and work almost anywhere on anything.
- Large world to explore on a truck or on foot
- Earn helmet rewards, higher ranks and unlock new trucks and tools.
- Side Quests
- Customize your trucks and characters
- Numerous environments to play in
Tiny Diggers 2 is an open-world sandbox game for kids and parents who love trucks and tools. In Tiny Diggers 2, the player will take control and operate Trucks and Tools in an engaging, brightly coloured cartoon world. The player can operate and drive an Excavator, Dumptruck, Forklift or Bulldozer and many other popular trucks. The player begins the game with one Truck (Excavator) and one Tool (Shovel). Explore the world as the player in 3rd-Person either driving in the Truck or on-foot with your tool at hand.
Here are some fun features of the game:
Construction Jobs
Numerous job areas will be present all throughout the map where you can use your truck to dig or dump dirt while manipulating the terrain in real time, move and transport pipes, wood or many other objects. With the tools, you may be instructed to dig holes in a certain area manipulating the terrain, hammering nails, sawing wood, operating a jackhammer or painting road lines. As you reach a job area, typically marked off with construction tape, you can head to the local Foreman hanging out in that area. He'll give you quick (cinematic cut-scene style) instructions on what you're supposed to be doing there. Well avoid using words for directions and instead use iconic imagery.
Trucks
Some of the trucks that will be available will be:
• Excavator
• Dumptruck
• Bulldozer
• Forklift
• Flatbed
• Wrecking Ball
• Steam Roller
• Cement Mixer
• Food Catering Truck• Car+ more...
Tools
Some of the in-game tools that players can utilize are:
Hammer
Shovel
Pickaxe
Jackhammer
Saw
Road line painter
+ more...
Side Quests
Assisting the construction of a house, gas station jobs, pipe fitting and many others.
Helmet Rewards
Once a ‘Job‘ is completed, you will earn construction helmets as ‘rewards‘ for your actions. Collect as many helmets as possible to earn and unlock more trucks and tools throughout the map. The player will have the choice to perform any number of jobs for the given truck or tool at any time. Each Truck and tool will have their own set of ‘Jobs’.
Throughout the game, players will gradually earn the status of ‘Foreman’ or Chief of Construction World. This gradual status rank will be visible via Badges and clothing colour on the character.
Customize
Choose your gender, colour of clothing or modify your truck in the Trailer-Shop. Here are some of the fun things you can unlock by playing and earning helmet rewards:
- Unlock Forklift to drive
- Unlock Cars to drive
- Tiny Trucks
- Big Trucks
- Tiny Characters
- Big Characters
- Change colour of trucks
- Change colour of Characters
- Night time mode
- Raining mode
- + More
Age-Specific Modes
In Tiny Diggers 2, the player can choose from 2-modes. The 1st mode is aimed at kids age 3-5. In this mode you can only drive your truck forwards and backwards on rails in a side-camera view. This allows much easier controls for the age range and more time spent enjoying the experience. In this mode you can still perform jobs with trucks and tools.
The 2nd mode is aimed at kids 6+ who are more comfortable with 3D games and can move a character or truck in full 3D space. This mode is also geared towards the parents who want to join in.
Trailer (Shop)
Inside of a construction site trailer will be where you can choose your jobs on a map, customize your truck and the options for the game.
Easy Gameplay Mechanics
One of our key goals in creating this game for kids is gameplay mechanics they can get behind. For example - when controlling a truck like the Excavator, you only need to press one button to operate the arm and shovel in one motion. There's no complicated button pressing at key times. This will go for any platform the game is released on.
Over the last 14 years, we've created many games for kids, from the first Tiny Diggers to the first anti-bullying game, Awesome Upstanders and many more.
Tiny Diggers 2 will best be available on the following platforms: Select iOS and Android devices, Wii U, PS3, PS4, Vita, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Ouya. We're going to port the game to as many platforms as we can. After our launch in June 2014 for Windows, Mac, Linux we will start working on the platforms.
Expected launch dates on consoles:
- July 2014: Pad + Android (Selected devices)
- Sept 2014: Wii U + 3DS
- Nov 2014: PS3 + PS4 + Vita- Dec 2014: Xbox 360 + Xbox One (Not confirmed yet)- Jan 2015: Ouya and possibly others
At the end of a successfully funded campaign, we will start development of Tiny Diggers 2. During the course of development backers will be sent a survey which allows them to select their platform/console(s) of choice.
NOTE: Subject to availability of the platform based on the achieved stretch goals. This option is region specific.(North America codes will arrive first and EU and Asia will be announced as it becomes available).
Tiny Diggers 2 is already approved for development on Sony platforms and of course iOS and Android, and we're now in the process of acquiring the remaining licences. We're very confident we can acquire all the remaining (Nintendo, Microsoft and Ouya), however this is subject to platform approval from each company. Now it's time to start finishing the game.... all we need is your support!
Previous Tracks - Tiny Diggers & Tiny Drivers: Schoolbus
Tracks from our previous games, composed by the talented Hessel Van Hoorn
Tiny Diggers 1
Tiny Drivers: Schoolbus
TouchTilt Games is a small studio based in Halifax, NS founded 1 year ago by Shane Whitehouse. We strive to make high-concept kids games for multiple platforms. Our educational games and simulations focus on the child and parents’ wants and needs in an interactive game without being a babysitter toy. We emphasize simple play, fun and effective yet positive experiences solving everyday problems at the core. We’ll focus on creating games that are ‘sticky’ and not just a one-off experience for the Family.
Tiny Diggers 2 has a talented, experienced team working on the game if funding commences:
Stretch Goals are an important part of the Tiny Diggers 2 project, because they will shape the game's content in a big way. New trucks, tools, expanded map size and jobs will add something special to the final product and make an already great game even greater!
A final word
We hope you'll get behind our team to make this game. If you can't back, we'd love it if you could share our Kickstarter link with your friends! Thank you!
Risks and challenges
Time management can be difficult in game development, and sometimes even finishing a game can be a challenge for developers. Fortunately, we have a lot of professional experience in the video game industry: with over 12 years of combined experience. We've planned the schedule and budget to the best of our abilities and are eager to get moving on Tiny Diggers 2.
Additionally we have a lot of experience in Graphic Design and print, so shipping the rewards like the shirts, stickers and tattoos shouldn't be a problem.
We hope that through the early prototype video and information above, that we've shown you how great the game is, but that isn't the same as the experience of playing it. Therefore, with the community for Tiny Diggers 2 through Kickstarter, we feel it's is the best option. We will keep you up to date, give you sneak peaks, and even early access (at certain reward tiers). Your feedback will be critical in helping us make the game awesome.
Questions about this project? Check out the FAQ
Support this project
Funding period
- (30 days)