HELLCOUCH: A Couch Co-op Game

Be careful what you sit on — it might be a HELLCOUCH! Once you sit on this possessed couch, it’s your moral responsibility to perform the sacred butt ritual to release the demon from its cozy couch prison, or keep it cushioned inside the Hellcouch for the rest of eternity. Built using Unity and Arduino, this cooperative alternative controller game will keep you on your toes AND your tail!

“HELLCOUCH: A Couch Co-op Game” subverts the idea of “couch co-op” local multiplayer video games by cutting out the video part of the game, moving the entire experience onto the couch itself. LED lights and audio serve as multimedia feedback as players interact with the couch cushions, which act as the game’s controller. “HELLCOUCH: A Couch Co-op Game” plays with the way we interact with each other on couches, in video games, and in public spaces, challenging the implicit rules of these social spaces in order to create a silly, unexpected experience for players and spectators alike.

HELLCOUCH was developed by Francesca Carletto-Leon and me, under the advisement of Bennett Foddy at the NYU Game Center. Many thanks to Kaho Abe, Jerry Belich, Brendan Byrne, Frank Lantz, and all of our Game Center colleagues, friends, and playtesters who helped make this game possible! Music by Loyalty Freak Music