The stars of the number one animated broadcast program in Taiwan, the cylindrical Canimals are far too important to worry about silly things like releasing a complete game. Cantasia officially launches on Facebook today, boasting one mini-game and a whole bunch of "coming soon" notices.
The stars of a host of mobile and social apps in Asia, the Canimals are a group of tiny little critters that live inside a vending machine and have magical adventures—pretty much exactly what I wanted to be when I grew up. They're one of the hottest properties on the other side of the world. I would have thought their North American debut would be something a bit more... finished?
Cantasia sounds much better in the official press release than it is at the moment.
Cantasia puts players into the world of Canimals, small loveable creatures with a penchant for mischief and fun. The world is made up of special buildings which players interact with, like "Canstagram," a building that lets you share screenshots from the game, and "Canimal Signage," a marquee that displays the game's leaderboards. Gamers can acquire additional buildings and points by playing match 3 mini-games, with other game types like bubble buster and solitaire coming soon. Match 3 will initially feature solo play, pitting players' scores against others around the world. A "versus" multiplayer, to be released soon, will pair gamers up against friends via social networks. Gamers can also acquire new buildings through the Cantasia shop, earning currency or purchasing currency packs. All game activity is recorded with Cantasia achievements, letting players track their progress as they grow in the Canimals world.
I want to play that game. It sounds like tons of fun.
Unfortunately all there is to do right now is invite friends and play different variations of a match three arcade game. Decorating your area is coming soon. More games are coming soon. Leveling is coming soon. Buying items is coming soon.
Here's what the game will eventually look like:
And here's what it looks like now:
I'm sure it'll be a lovely game eventually. Right now, not so much.
Look on the bright side—by the time you get sick of the match three game, there'll be a version launching for iOS and Android. It's coming soon.