Birthday Party: instructions
Overview
Birthday Party is a collection of three mini-games designed to celebrate children’s birthdays.
Although all games are team-based ("team versus team"), players share a common goal: to create the best possible party for the birthday player. To do this, they need to collect everything required—party hats, candles, and gifts. How well they perform affects the celebration level, which is announced at the end of all three maps.
Important Notes:
- Before starting the game, make sure to designate the birthday player by using the button provided. A party hat will appear above their head.
- The games are interconnected: throughout the three games, players work toward increasing the celebration level (total score of both teams). Therefore, the games should be launched automatically, playing in sequence. At the end of the third map, a final result is displayed.
- The celebration level can be tracked on the progress bar at the bottom of the stats screen. Progression is accompanied by voice-over lines.
Mechanics:
- The games include a grabbing mechanic, so players should be taught how it works (using a grenade as an example or during gameplay).
- At the start of each game, a voice-over explains the rules.
Games and Rules
Balloon Blast
Summary: A team deathmatch (TDM) version of the arcade game, set in a birthday party environment.
Details:
- Players split into two teams, start from their respective colored bases, and try to defeat each other.
- Points are scored not for kills, but for "party hats" that appear above defeated opponents.
- Destructible objects (balloons) pop when hit.
- The team with the most party hats collected wins.
Candle Hunt
Summary: A giant cake sits at the center of the map. Each team must find as many candles of their team’s color as possible and place them on the cake.
Details:
- Blue and red candles spawn on the map throughout the game. Candles that remain uncollected disappear after some time.
- Candles emit a sound to help players locate them.
- Players must pick up candles of their team’s color and place them on the cake in the center of the map:
- Pick up candles: Hold the grab button.
- Place on the cake: Move your hand over the cake and release (the candle attaches automatically).
- Players cannot pick up candles of the opposing team.
- The cake changes color based on the candles placed on it.
- The team with the most candles on the cake wins.
Gift Rush
Summary: The birthday player shoots piñatas, while other players collect dropped gifts in their team’s color and deposit them in their team’s bag.
Details:
- The birthday player is equipped with pistols, while other players get laser pointers.
- Laser pointers do not deal damage; they are used to wave at the birthday player, point at piñatas, or signal to teammates.
- At the start of the game, the birthday player stands on a platform in the middle of the map.
- Piñatas spawn from the ceiling, and the birthday player must shoot them.
- Destroyed piñatas drop gifts in blue and red colors.
- Players on the ground must pick up gifts of their team’s color and carry/throw them into the bags at the edges of the map:
- Pick up gifts: Hold the grab button.
- Throw gifts: Swing and release, like throwing a grenade.
- Players cannot pick up gifts of the opposing team.
- The team that deposits the most gifts in their bag wins.
Final Results
At the end of the third map, the game praises the players and displays the results.
Based on the total points scored, the game will announce how successful the party was, with a line such as:
- "Your party looks like... a friendly gathering" (for low scores).
- "Your party looks like... a worldwide celebration" (for high scores).
Players can use the progress bar to see how close they were to reaching the next celebration level.
