Which Way Up is a gravity-defying party game from developers Turtle Flip Studio. We met with Nick Cellini, Director of Turtle Flip Studio, at PAX Aus 2024 to talk about this exciting title.
This is the second year in a row we’ve had the privilege of chatting with this team from Sydney. While the past year has been focused on feedback and testing, it’s all led to a key moment for this colorful outing: Which Way Up is set to launch on the Nintendo Switch (and Steam) in 2025.
The pitch is deliciously simple yet makes perfect sense for Nintendo’s hybrid system. The game is described as Mario Galaxy meets Mario Party, a combination of two classic formulas that results in something special. Nick wanted to give players a feeling of freedom when it comes to the ability to jump off one side of an object and land on the other.
Nick himself is a proclaimed Nintendo fan, and the team is excited to be heading to the Nintendo Switch in the first quarter of 2025. When asked about his experience with Nintendo and the eShop, Nick said the experience had been smooth. The team can set the game’s release date and price, and even add discounts whenever they like. It makes the management side of things much simpler.
Although Nintendo works closely with indie devs, how does a newcomer get onto the Big N’s radar for something like the Indie Showcase? That’s not quite as easy, though by all reports Nintendo has been cooperative since Turtle Flip Studio reached out for guidance. The fact is, Nintendo tends to work with longer-term developers, so newcomers might find it slightly harder to be noticed early on. But keen new developers shouldn’t give up hope.
One thing that helped with the Switch development was the use of the Unity engine. The team has been working on Which Way Up for three years now, so seeing a release date hovering in the near future is a key milestone that’s vey exciting.
We were able to try Which Way Up at PAX Aus 24, and it’s a delightfully fun time. The levels are bright and colorful, with super-cute characters known as Celestial Sprites to control. Although there’s no online play planned at this stage, the game is designed for local co-op, helping bring family and friends together to share the good times.
Sounds like a perfect fit for the Nintendo Switch!
Find out more about Which Way Up and view the trailer below to see the game in action.
