Normally, I’d like to associate Google Docs with work and any form of spreadsheet for even more work, but indie game developer “droqen” made me reevaluate that prospect. . He’s the developer behind the 2D . performance discs Starseed Pilgrim and Probability 0, and now Demon Deleter, a game in which you must remove the name of a horde of demons from a worksheet. It’s a simple yet surprisingly fun idea that allows players to hang out in this unusual communal space together. The inspiration behind it was also pretty random – droqen told me he got the idea after spending hours cataloging items for Animal Crossing.
“I’ve always been interested in ‘shared spaces’ online, but I know how much work it takes to build them,” says Droqen. “It’s easy to create a spreadsheet and invite people to it, but the problem is there’s no ‘game’ for people to join in terms of the socialization aspect.”
When you open Demon Deleter for the first time (you can play for free via Itch.io), you land in Purgatory (aka Google Sheets). It’s basically a waiting room for everyone who wants to play, so a lot of people aren’t all messing with demon erasure at the same time. Here you will find leaderboards, spaces for reviews, general chat and, importantly, rules.
The concept is simple: there is a grid of demons, and you have to erase all their names. When you select the games tab, you will be told the order in which you need to clear them. Wrong an error and you need to reset and start over. The goal is to do it as quickly as possible, which is difficult when you’re snooping around for keys. You can clear the devil any way you want, although droqen encourages players to use different keyboard commands to get the job done, such as “skip tiles”, to make it difficult slightly.
“I’m helping my partner catalog her Animal Crossing and use Google Sheets to filter through lists and lists of items, and if you’ve tried Demon Deleter, you can imagine the kind of thing I’m doing. do in the spreadsheet…” droqen told me.
“Not too deep into the Animal Crossing weeds, but she has a list of items and the number of items we have on the ground doesn’t match the number of items on that list,” he said. to add. “So I have entries in four columns in a spreadsheet, and I’m deleting entries as she reads them from Animal Crossing. And about halfway through, it starts to get FUN.”
At first, droqen intended to create a single spreadsheet game, but then he remembered Spreadsheet MMO, a game his friend made “quasiotter” for the jamming Spreadsheet game earlier this year. To be honest, I looked closely at the mmo spreadsheet and I don’t understand how it is played. I think everyone took turns filling in a box, playing the role of trading goods with each other and continuing the expeditions. All I know for sure is that it’s a colorful spreadsheet full of absolute nonsense, which is a sign that it’s loved by a lot of people.
Demon Deleter also has similar community vibes, with random tiles containing dialogue and commentary about the game. The social aspect is more important than the actual game itself, demon erasing is just a thing to do when you’re chatting with strangers. In particular, the Guestbook section features some selection quotes, and even a runaway demon:
“Damn, never did I think I would die in an excel sheet – M”
“I cleared the demons, but will I become a demon by doing so?” – Ryan
“FUCK you and your puny DELTE KEY – Kinpharaph”
Maybe I’m just confused by playing so many first-person shooters, where players are generally terrible to each other, but there’s something special about seeing strangers interact nicely and anonymously. in a random environment like this. Demon Deleter also has one of the most pleasant reviews I think I’ve seen.
“I created a column for reviews and let people sign their own names in that newspaper, and I think it’s a great place for people to leave thoughts and things like that,” droqen said. “I’m surprised the response is so good, there are more reviews on this than on Steam reviews of the game I released last year! Of course, these reviews are not behind a fee wall and are one part of the game” but it’s a funny comparison to make. ”
If you are interested in any other games of droqen you can find his stuff On steam and Itch.io. As for the Demon Deleter, I think a tournament is going on. Sunday night, anyone?
