Ace of Mace

Objective

Austrian spice manufacturer WIBERG sought to create an interactive entertainment experience that would engage consumers and establish memorable brand interaction. The game was conceived as part of a university game development course, aiming to prove that games could serve as an effective marketing channel for established brands beyond simple product promotion.

Solution

Ace of Mace is a Flash-based arcade game where players guide a animated nutmeg through a maze of kitchen utensils by snapping their fingers. The finger-snapping mechanic determines the direction and force of the spice's movement. The kitchen-themed level design creates direct visual connection to Wiberg's product category. The game was developed by a four-person student team including a Flash programmer, CG artist, and composer over approximately one year. It launched on January 1, 2009.

Results

By March 2009, the game achieved 53,000 visits with 45,000 unique visitors and an average of 450 daily visitors. Traffic peaked at 7,000 visitors on February 6, coinciding with the FWA award announcement. The game received first place at the Europrix competition, recognition from Adobe, and a Favourite Website Award (FWA).