We’re diving into a review of Which Way Up: Galaxy Games, so I had a chat with Turtle Flip Studio to get the inside scoop on the game’s development. Let’s take a closer look!
PS4Blog: Good day! Thanks for joining us. Could you kick things off by introducing yourself and telling us a bit about your work?
Nick Cellini: Hi, I’m Nick Cellini, the director of Turtle Flip Studio, an up-and-coming game development company based in Australia. Thanks to a grant from Screen Australia, we’ve been able to bring our first title to life. Our game, Which Way Up: Galaxy Games—a wild, gravity-defying multiplayer party game—is set to launch on March 27! Although I have over 15 years of experience in programming and designing games and interactive media, this is my first time leading my own studio and seeing a project through from concept to console launch. The journey has been quite an adventure, with lots of twists, turns, and upside-down moments (quite literally, since we incorporate a lot of gravity shifts)!
PS4B: Speaking of Which Way Up: Galaxy Games, how would you describe it to someone who’s never played it before, especially now that it’s coming to the Nintendo Switch?
Our game is a local multiplayer party game that takes inspiration from the playful gravity mechanics of Super Mario Galaxy, which hit the market in 2007 on the Nintendo Wii. We’ve taken that concept—that up isn’t always necessarily up—and created a competitive, fast-paced couch game where players can run, bounce, and bump each other through a variety of mini-games and arenas. It’s the kind of game that’s easy to pick up and filled with laugh-inducing moments. Imagine racing away from a black hole, collecting comets, or frantically passing a bomb to others while chasing them around planets—it’s perfect for game nights, a sibling showdown, or even friendly shouting matches with buddies as you float through space trying to figure out which way is actually up.
PS4B: How has the game evolved from the demo version on Kickstarter to what’s launching on the Nintendo console on March 27?
The demo—you can always access it because we believe in trying before buying—featured 6 out of the 12 Galaxy Games and 5 of the 7 playable characters. It also gave a sneak peek into the single-player missions, providing a taste of our character dialogues and universe’s personality. The full version, launching on March 27, offers all 12 Galaxy Games, with, notably, 6 brand-new mini-games that weren’t in the demo. For instance, in "Hole In One," you aim golf balls across shifting gravity fields, and "Puff Panic" involves dodging fireballs as a giant baby dragon throws a fit. Meanwhile, "Bumper Stars" lets you and your friends orbit around each other, trying to knock each other into a nearby furnace-star.
PS4B: With the game completed, what does Turtle Flip Studio have planned? Is there a break in sight, or are you already working on something new?
We’re certainly eager to pause and catch our breath a bit—launching a game is a massive endeavor for a small team. Still, we’re equally eager (and a bit anxious) to see how players will embrace the quirky and chaotic world we’ve crafted. Watching folks laugh, compete, and send each other ‘comet-pushing’ into space is a dream. What’s next? Well, we’ve got a few ideas bubbling. We’re still enamored with our cast of Celestial characters and would love to delve deeper into their universe. We’re considering a new project set in the same world but exploring a fresh genre, likely centered around mining and building. It’s very early, but the spark is there along with our character, Spark. For now, though, we’re going to enjoy the launch, soak in the party game’s chaos, and perhaps finally get some sleep!
PS4B: Are there future updates planned for the game with new characters, mini-games, or character customizations?
We’d certainly be thrilled to expand our game with new features, such as characters and mini-games, as well as create aesthetic customizations. We’re keen to listen to player feedback post-launch and hope to continue developing the game if possible.
PS4B: Does Which Way Up feature bots to join multiplayer games?
Deciding whether to include bots was a significant choice for us. Given there are 12 different Galaxy Games, each requiring its own specialized bot, it would have required a considerable amount of work. We chose to focus our efforts on delivering an exceptional local multiplayer experience that brings people together in nostalgic fun with friends and family.
PS4B: That’s all the time we have today. Any last thoughts before we wrap up?
Thank you so much for having me!
