The holiday season is here! Grab those last minute gifts with a little boost in a red cup.
Take to the streets of Seattle, Milan, Tokyo and New York with the 2025 mobile game, Starbucks Merrython. Guide one of four frenzied runners through tight market alleys, rolling neighborhood hills or picturesque parks, as you collect red cup points and more along the way. In collaboration with our friends at AKQA, this exclusive seasonal game treats players to endless hours of fun, blending playful graphics with iconic Starbucks flavor.
Challenge
Our long standing partners at AKQA came to us with a holiday wish that marked the top of their list - create a fun, and challenging mobile game for Starbucks customers to enjoy nationwide. With the Starbucks brand’s global reach, this game would showcase up to four distinct locations from around the world where coffeehouses can be found. Four playable characters represent their home turf, making their way through each city to collect staple items from Starbucks’ menu, in a narrative that would see each dasher reach a Starbucks store finish line.
Creative + Development
The greatest gifts are always made with care, and our team took to crafting each stage of the game with thoughtful details that would delight players and encourage return play.
Starting with the environments, it was quickly decided that three distinct segments delivered the perfect balance of recognizable landmarks and scenic views. The variety was also a factor for developing levels that could play into the mechanics of the game, such as the characters mobility and placement of pick ups. From there the art team designed every building, obstacle and collectible seen throughout the game, by hand. The illustrations serving as the starting ingredient for the world we would go onto create, based upon a visual style set by AKQA and Starbucks.
The buildings were then taken into 3D development to build out each level. Through a series of experiments fusing 3D animation and toon shaders, we successfully baked in the desired look and feel, helping the game take form.
The final piece to add, our caffeinated crew. From concept character art to final gameplay, our collective art and development team delivered the four heroes of the story
that would need to jump, dodge and duck their way through each city. Complete with a finishing celebration, the avatars were ready to run.
Impact
Enjoyed over the span of four weeks, the game saw 38,129,121 races run and 8,903,801 prizes claimed, keeping Starbucks members hooked stronger than their Pike Place roast. From the bespoke illustrations, 3D modelling/animation and undeniably fun gameplay development, this holiday game was a gift for our team to collaborate on.
The greatest gifts are always made with care, and our team took to crafting each stage of the game with thoughtful details.
The final piece to add, our caffeinated crew. From concept character to final gameplay
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