From the moment we read the viral Reddit post, we were captivated by the idea of using humor to discuss serious topics. Its concise writing perfectly conveyed a raw story of bullying and revenge humorously. The humor disarmed us, allowing the serious message to sink in naturally. We loved that. At first, we laughed when we read the post, but after a few seconds, we realized the gravity of the situation. It was a story of bullying that highlighted how easily one can shift from victim to aggressor. Our research revealed numerous studies showing that everyone has experienced being bullied or bullied at some point. Thus empathy is key to overcoming bullying—putting oneself in another's shoes.
Bullying is often addressed with a paternalistic tone, which young people, especially teenagers, tend to reject. Perhaps this is why the Reddit post went viral. We saw it as an opportunity to convey an important message using humor, making it more effective, much like South Park or the IgNobel Prizes, which make you laugh first, then think.
The story of driving someone crazy by placing pineapples in personal spaces is inherently hilarious. Pineapples, of all fruits, are probably the funniest. We considered changing the pineapple to another object, but it didn’t work. There’s something about pineapples—they’re ubiquitous yet amusingly out of place in this context.
Translating the humorous tone of this story into a visual and interactive format like a video game was a natural progression. We had a lot of fun adding humorous details to build the world of Pineapple, such as the collection of books with ridiculous titles in the library prank and the absurd movie titles in the cinema prank.
Additionally, the song at the end of each level, a free version of “Wooly Bully” by Sam the Sham & the Pharaohs, serves as the epilogue to each prank. Inspired by Jonathan Richman’s work in "There’s Something About Mary," the lyrics comically address the moral of the story.
Beyond all those details are what we call "the gags"—short cinematics showing the moment The Witch finds the pineapple. Placed at the end of each level, these gags are classic running jokes, reminiscent of Roadrunner and Wile E. Coyote episodes or the Japanese game "Mom Hid My Game." Players know a pineapple will appear at a certain moment, they just don't know when or how. The challenge is to keep surprising them.
However, we would be remiss not to acknowledge the significant contributions of Xavi Paradis and David Octane. The cartoon-style art, featuring exaggerated faces and expressions, along with the smile-inducing sound effects, are largely responsible for Pineapple's comedic tone.
in summary, using humor has been both a challenge and a delight. We hope it helps PINEAPPLE’s message reach a wider audience, but most of all, it’s been a joy to work on this project. Why aren’t there more games with humor?
Here’s our attempt to list our favorite humorous games:
- Portal 2
- Mom Hid My Game
- The Secret of Monkey Island
- Undertale
- The Stanley Parable
What do you think? What are your favorites?
P.S. Complete list of books we considered to fill the library shelves:
"The Art of Underwater Basket Weaving for Astronauts"
"Cooking with My Pet Rock: Gourmet Recipes for the Inanimate"
"The Secret Life of Left Socks"
"How to Train Your Goldfish for the Olympics"
"101 Uses for Bubble Wrap in Deep Space Exploration"
"The Zen of Unicycle Maintenance"
"Confessions of a Professional Hide-and-Seek Champion"
"The Encyclopedia of Imaginary Friends"
"Fifty Shades of Gravy: A Culinary Romance"
"Dancing Dinos and Disco Ducks: A Children's Guide to Prehistoric Parties"
"The Complete History of Paperclips and Other Office Supplies"
"The Hitchhiker's Guide to Parallel Parking"
"Yoga for Giraffes: Achieving Zen at Great Heights"
"The Secret Language of Garden Gnomes"
"Extreme Ironing: A Thrilling Guide to Domestic Adventure"
"Toaster Repair for Time Travelers"
"The Unofficial Guide to Winning Staring Contests"
"The Potato: Nature's Answer to Everything"
"The Nose-Picking Chronicles: A Coming-of-Age Saga"
"The Mysterious World of Dancing Tumbleweeds"
"The Subtle Art of Mime Communication"
"Zombie Etiquette: Polite Undead Behavior for Social Gatherings"
"How to Speak Fluent Penguin in 7 Days"
"The Great Banana Conspiracy: Peel Back the Truth"
"The Complete Guide to Talking to Plants About Quantum Physics"
"Secrets of Successful Bald Eagle Toupees"
"The Pigeon's Guide to Air Traffic Control"
"The Joy of Random Doorbell Ringing"
"Unraveling the Mysteries of Chicken Crossings"
"The Encyclopedia of Underappreciated Sandwiches"
"The Suspenseful World of Competitive Lawn Mowing"
"Banjo Juggling for Beginners"
"How to Train Your Hamster for Space Exploration"
"The In-Depth Analysis of Colorful Sock Pairing"
"The Unofficial Guide to Reading Books Upside Down"
"The Great Debate: Do Aliens Prefer Smooth or Crunchy Peanut Butter?"
"The Art of Interpretive Dance for Penguins"
"The Complete History of Disco Yoga"
"The Thrilling Adventures of Folding Chairs"
"The Ultimate Guide to Finding Lost Things in Unlikely Places"