There’s always
time for a race.
Knights and Bikes
PREVIEW
RELEASE
2019DEVELOPER
Foam Sword GamesPUBLISHER
Double FineLINK
http://www.foamswordgames.comNEED TO KNOWKnights and Bikes takes place on a
fictional Cornish isle called Penfurzy
Island. Demelza has lived there her entire
life, together with her father who runs the
local caravan park. One summer she
meets Nessa, and since there’s nothing
like a new friend to breathe life into familiar
places, the two of them set out on an
adventure. Despite having charm,
Penfurzy Island isn’t doing so well,
with eviction on the horizon for local
businesses. Perhaps digging up the
island’s cursed treasure will help.
The actual journey isn’t very straight-
forward, as there are many distractions
along the way. Over the week the game
depicts, both girls find a lot of different
games to play and places to explore, just
as kids are wont to do. The second day,
which I play together with Crowle, is a
great showcase of that. We’re on our way
to feed some geese, running full-tilt
through the town’s hand-drawn streets.
Now and then dotted lines will appear,
filling the landscape with something from
the children’s imagination. The space
between two lampposts turns into a goal,
for instance. Of course there’s also a ball
nearby. There’s always enough time tosplash around a puddle or kick up dirt,
which awards me with small treasures
such as yarn or pretty gemstones. Later I
will be able to trade it with the adults for
something even nicer.BOOTS AND FRISBEES
Knights and Bikes can be played alone
with an AI taking control of the other
character, but it’s at its best in local or
online co-op with another player—how
Crowle beat me in an impromptu race to
our next destination has become one of
my favorite co-op gaming memories.
Eventually Demelza and Nessa will both
have bikes, which they can customize with
different paint jobs and flags, but also
better gear to make it further on the
island. Once it becomes time to fight the
actual curse both girls gain health bars,
which can be replenished by high-fiving, a
“representation of emotional support
rather than the usual videogame items
such as health packs”, as Crowle puts it.
Nessa and Demelza are fast friends,
and yet the actions you can perform
together also reveal a bit of the everyday
affectionate rivalry between children.
There’s lots of splashing each other
and attempts at stealing each other’s
things, but none of it ever ends in a
row. After I’ve met my new favorite
videogame character, Captain
Honkers the goose, and debated with
Crowle whether or not he will make kids
want to pet real geese (not a good idea),
our next stop is a mini-golf course, which
we complete using anything but clubs.
Between Demelza’s mighty kick and
Nessa’s newly-acquired Frisbee, we make
short work of the course’s different
targets, styled to depict the Arthurian
legend of the island. Apart from the fun I
had following my whims like a kid again, I
was struck by how alive everything felt—
Knights and Bikes’ pop-up world is filled
with movement and color, and the girls’
smiles rarely falter. There’s always plenty
to see, and while the game is essentially a
linear experience, the different
environments always invite you to roam
and dig up a few secrets. Crowle’s highly
recognizable art style makes Knights and
Bikes instantly memorable, and makes
each character grow on me. I can’t wait to
see them again.
Malindy HetfieldR
ex Crowle and Moo Yu know how to
make games that appeal to children and
also the childish sense of wonder that
stays with us as adults. Crowle worked
on Tearaway and LittleBigPlanet. Yu’s portfolio
includes Ratchet & Clank. And their first indie game
is just as playful as these previous projects.Capturing the magic of childhood
adventures with new friendsKNIGHTS
AND BIKES
I’VE MET MY NEW FAVORITE
VIDEOGAME CHARACTER,
CAPTAIN HONKERS THE GOOSEPLAYED
IT