Derpy Conga Preview

Sometimes, a title tells you all you need to know. I’m thinking of Snakes on a Plane or Shower with your Dad Simulator for example; both do exactly what they say on the proverbial tin. Derpy Conga is one such piece of work that doesn’t need too much explanation beyond the name itself. You take control of a slew of goofy-looking cute cartoon characters and you have to perform tasks whilst in a conga line.

Now, I know there is a bit of debate about the etymology of the term “derpy” and I appreciate that it could be construed as controversial, but I’ve seen nothing to indicate that developer Giant Door has any negative intention with the name, and they’re simply referring to the overall kookiness and awkwardness of the characters. That awkwardness is compounded when you have ten of the little critters to control all holding hands! Seemingly simple tasks like crossing a bridge or jumping across small gaps become much tricker, usually to quite amusing effect. It’s a similar principle to games like Surgeon Simulator or Getting Over It where the awkward controls are what make the game what it is.

Graphics are varied and colourful, keeping in theme with the game’s cartoonesque design. It’s impossible not to be charmed with how bright and pretty the world is, and the character design is equally lovely, with really creative sets of designs that differ greatly and all feel very unique.

The music is worth mentioning as well, as it’s a dynamically changing piece that adjusts in accordance with the size of your conga line. It’s quite a clever technique and works well compared to just having a single piece of music playing. It gives a nice sense of what’s going on and helps out with setting the theme in a game that has no dialogue.

Although it has platforming elements, the core of Derpy Conga is physics puzzles, often requiring the weight of additional friends to press switches or launch objects. There are various other techniques at play though, such as being able to use rubber trees to fire your characters across the screen or different formations that you can take to squeeze into narrow gaps or press far-apart buttons simultaneously.

Derpy Conga also supports local co-op and Steam’s “Remote Play Together” feature, adding another element of chaos into the mix as you and a friend try to coordinate your movements with each other. This mode was my favourite personally, but be aware there’s a decent chance of ending friendships, as is so often the case with such games in co-op mode!

Sadly the play session that we could have was limited as the game isn’t fully ready just yet, but it will be with us before the end of 2021 and I’m already impatient to play a bit more. Whilst it was part of the Steam Next Fest, the demo is still available to play so you don’t need to just take my word for it on how much fun Derpy Conga is.