Flare Up

Flare Up is a retro-inspired endless platformer where chronic illness changes the rules as you play.

Chase a highscore while dealing with unpredictable mechanics tied to your player-character symptoms.

Each new day, encounter new symptoms, combos, and challenges.

Over time, learn which symptoms cause which challenges, and use your knowledge to improve your high score.

Creative director has fibromyalgia, a nervous system condition responsible for a constellation of symptoms that can change each day.

Symptoms and their impacts in ​Flare Up ​have been designed to represent her lived experiences.

Originally built to be played in a public venue, Flare Up prioritises pick-up-and-play design.

Easy to engage for a short session for longer durations while chasing higher scores.

Limited settings and accessibility features due to its intended display context (sorry!)

Horned Llama is an Australian-Swedish game studio founded by two developers who have been creating experimental projects together since 2016. Their work spans commercial games, software development, and interactive media, with a shared focus on engaging systems and thoughtful player experiences.
The studio founders have contributed to large-scale titles such as Call of Duty and Hand of Fate 2, alongside smaller independent projects. Their combined background includes frontend web development, software and tool creation, tertiary education, and other forms of creative practice, informing an approach to making games that is innovative, intentional, and accessible.