Corpse Craft: Incident at Weardd Academy
Encyclopedia
Corpse Craft: Incident at Weardd Academy is a Flash
and web browser game
developed by Three Rings Design
and released on their game portal Whirled
in 2008. A version for the iPad
was released in December, 2010.
and puzzle game elements which takes place on single-screen levels. Players must gather resources from an area located along the bottom of the playing screen, which is filled with squares in four different colors. These resources are used to create different types of zombie to attack the enemy's base of operations, a shed
. Once the opponents' sheds has been demolished, the story is advanced and play proceeds to the next level. Unlike typical real-time strategy games there is no infrastructure to be built and units cannot be upgraded or directly controlled. The first eight levels of the game can be played for free using the Flash version of the game, further advancement in the game requires one United States dollar
to be paid.
The four different colors of square within the resource gathering area represent flesh, blood, energy and scrap. These must be collected in order to create zombies, the volume of each needed varies according to the type of zombie the player wishes to reanimate. Resources can be collected by clicking on any square which is horizontally or vertically connected to at least two more squares of the same type, without breaks in the chain. The player cannot move resource squares around the grid, only select which square to remove, along with any others if it forms part of a chain. The larger the number of resource squares in a chain, the more of that type of resource will be allocated to the player's reserves.
During play both sides of the conflict are beholden to the day and night cycle present in the game. All zombies in play are destroyed at daybreak, further combatants cannot be created until nightfall. The daytime is an opportunity to collect resources without fear of attack.
, the style of which has been likened to the work of artist Edward Gorey
and film director Tim Burton
. The game's plot is advanced through limericks displayed before each level of play. The game is primarily located at the Eygor Weardd's School for Responsible Reanimation, an academy where students learn to reanimate corpses under the tutelage of Weardd. When the school burns down, killing the headmaster, a bright student named Jack suspects his rival Ralph of involvement. This results in the school courtyard becoming a battleground, with both students sending their undead creations into the fray.
Adobe Flash
Adobe Flash is a multimedia platform used to add animation, video, and interactivity to web pages. Flash is frequently used for advertisements, games and flash animations for broadcast...
and web browser game
Browser game
A browser game is a computer game that is played over the Internet using a web browser. Browser games can be created and run using standard web technologies or browser plug-ins. Browser games include all video game genres and can be single-player or multiplayer...
developed by Three Rings Design
Three Rings Design
Three Rings Design, Inc. is an online game developer that was founded on March 30, 2001 by Daniel James and Michael Bayne. The company is named after the Three Rings of the Elves in Tolkien mythology, and the names of the Three Rings show up in various places throughout Puzzle Pirates such as in...
and released on their game portal Whirled
Whirled
Whirled is a website created by Three Rings Design. It was announced at the Game Developers Conference in 2007. It is currently in the Open Beta stage, with a scheduled release later in the year. The principle behind the game is that it will be a web-based social world for chat and games, similar...
in 2008. A version for the iPad
IPad
The iPad is a line of tablet computers designed, developed and marketed by Apple Inc., primarily as a platform for audio-visual media including books, periodicals, movies, music, games, and web content. The iPad was introduced on January 27, 2010 by Apple's then-CEO Steve Jobs. Its size and...
was released in December, 2010.
Gameplay
The game is a combination of basic real-time strategyReal-time strategy
Real-time strategy is a sub-genre of strategy video game which does not progress incrementally in turns. Brett Sperry is credited with coining the term to market Dune II....
and puzzle game elements which takes place on single-screen levels. Players must gather resources from an area located along the bottom of the playing screen, which is filled with squares in four different colors. These resources are used to create different types of zombie to attack the enemy's base of operations, a shed
Shed
A shed is typically a simple, single-storey structure in a back garden or on an allotment that is used for storage, hobbies, or as a workshop....
. Once the opponents' sheds has been demolished, the story is advanced and play proceeds to the next level. Unlike typical real-time strategy games there is no infrastructure to be built and units cannot be upgraded or directly controlled. The first eight levels of the game can be played for free using the Flash version of the game, further advancement in the game requires one United States dollar
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
to be paid.
The four different colors of square within the resource gathering area represent flesh, blood, energy and scrap. These must be collected in order to create zombies, the volume of each needed varies according to the type of zombie the player wishes to reanimate. Resources can be collected by clicking on any square which is horizontally or vertically connected to at least two more squares of the same type, without breaks in the chain. The player cannot move resource squares around the grid, only select which square to remove, along with any others if it forms part of a chain. The larger the number of resource squares in a chain, the more of that type of resource will be allocated to the player's reserves.
During play both sides of the conflict are beholden to the day and night cycle present in the game. All zombies in play are destroyed at daybreak, further combatants cannot be created until nightfall. The daytime is an opportunity to collect resources without fear of attack.
Plot
The game is set within a gothic version of LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, the style of which has been likened to the work of artist Edward Gorey
Edward Gorey
Edward St. John Gorey was an American writer and artist noted for his macabre illustrated books.-Early life:...
and film director Tim Burton
Tim Burton
Timothy William "Tim" Burton is an American film director, film producer, writer and artist. He is famous for dark, quirky-themed movies such as Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Ed Wood, Sleepy Hollow, Corpse Bride and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet...
. The game's plot is advanced through limericks displayed before each level of play. The game is primarily located at the Eygor Weardd's School for Responsible Reanimation, an academy where students learn to reanimate corpses under the tutelage of Weardd. When the school burns down, killing the headmaster, a bright student named Jack suspects his rival Ralph of involvement. This results in the school courtyard becoming a battleground, with both students sending their undead creations into the fray.