A court of feathers
In 30 Birds, you play as Zig, a young detective sent to bustling Lantern City to track down The Scientist. Alongside Hoop, a talented hoopoe stand-up comedian, you'll encounter a whole madhouse of feathered friends and quirky characters as you explore dazzling Lantern City from top to bottom. Solve a variety of puzzles to foil the plans of the obnoxious Scientist behind the kidnapping to save the bird Goddess Simurgh.
A dazzling burst of art
Experience a seamless blend of 2D and 3D in this mesmerizing narrative adventure, with hand-drawn visuals inspired by Persian miniatures. Wander through the gorgeous neighborhoods of Lantern City while enjoying a ska - dub - reggae inspired soundtrack and help Zig gather thirty charismatic and chatty birds to save Simurgh! But beware, you might come across puzzling challenges on your way…
A mind-spinning adventure
Discover a gorgeous universe laid out on the surface of rotating lanterns. Wander through a beautiful city inspired by Middle Eastern ****legends, meeting the local goofs, quirky djinns, and regular weirdos along the way. Solve puzzles and interesting challenges to help Zig rescue Simurgh!
Key features
- Meet riotous and (not-so) charming birds, collect your new feathered friends' contacts on your phone. Thwart diabolical and (not-so) powerful foes and find the fabulous Goddess, Simurgh.
- Explore a mythical, colorful, and beautifully hand-drawn world inspired by Persian art! Uncover Lantern City's stunning sights and fantastic characters.
- Take on all kinds of thrilling challenges to advance the story! Solve intriguing and fun puzzles, wander around bars and cafes, create funky music using synthesizers, and play cards to gather clues and bring light to Simurgh’s kidnapping.
- Vibe out to the energetic ska - dub - reggae soundtrack, sprinkled with unexpected twists, as you stroll down the bright streets of Lantern City.
History
30 Birds is developed by Ram Ram Games, a Belgium-based studio whose founders, Coline and Laurent, went through many ideas before this video game came to fruition:
"The project started 10 years ago after a trip to Istanbul. Originally, we were making an interactive travel diary using a Persian miniatures-inspired art style to tell people about our journey. But our concept evolved towards a whole new interactive experience of this art through gaming."
"Persian miniatures are vertical pictures used as book illustrations, and we came up with the idea of connecting them through a cube layout. By doing so, we connected and expanded the miniatures, introducing a third dimension of depth to the setting at the same time. Halfway between a kamishibai—a Japanese paper theater—and a projection lantern, we created a magic 3D city ready to be explored."
"From the lively city of Istanbul to the mystery novel 'My name is Red' by Turkish author Orhan Pamuk, our inspirations are many. The character of Simurgh, a giant god-like bird, comes directly from Persian and various Middle Eastern mythologies. Even, the title of the game—30 Birds—is a play on words with the name "Simurgh", which means “thirty birds” in Farsi. This title is also echoed in the mystical poem, "The Conference of the Birds", by Attar of Nishapur. The poem tells the story of a group of birds led by a hoopoe who go on a journey to meet their god, Simurgh. Thirty of them make it to the ultimate valley only to find a big lake in which they can see their own reflections…"
"30 Birds takes inspiration from mythological and philosophical aspects of Middle Eastern and ancient Persian cultures to create Lantern City, and invites players from all over the world to experience the city's mesmerizing atmosphere."