• Platypus Reclayed is a remake of a lesser-known game from the 2000s.
• This new version leans into the claymation aspects of the title.
• The developer has shared some behind the scenes looks at the real clay models used in production.

Lovers of obscure games from the 2000s should rejoice as Platypus – a shoot ’em up from 2002 – is being remade with a focus on clay models. The remade game, Platypus Reclayed, is on the horizon and developer publisher Claymatic Games is sharing some behind the scenes about it on Twitter/X.

Claymatic states that real clay is being used alongside modern tools like Photoshop and Unity, while sharing photos of vehicles and game objects made with clay.

The difference between these new HD clay models, and the original game, can be seen here. The original game already had that lumpy, handmade charm, and upping the detail only improves the effect.

It’s not just visuals that are being given the bump, however, as other aspects of the game are being improved too.

“22 years after its first appearance, the iconic indie shoot ‘em up Platypus is coming back, better than ever! Led by the original creator Anthony Flack, alongside the talented Claymatic team, we’re embarking on a journey to bring the beloved classic into the present,” the Steam description reads.

“Platypus Reclayed isn’t just a simple remaster—it’s a complete revamp. Reprogrammed from scratch and updated for modern hardware, with all-new models and artwork photographed in 4k widescreen, featuring updated gameplay, new weapons and additional content. Get ready to dive into the heart-pounding action of this fast, frantic, and incredibly fun arcade-style shoot-em-up!”

There will also be two-player mode, an improved soundtrack, adjustable difficulty and more to entice both newcomers and those who have fond memories of the original, like us.

We played the original Platypus on school PCs in the early 2000s along with other games of its ilk, such as Chicken Invaders. We have to assume that whoever was in charge of the IT infrastructure at our school really loved obscure spaceship-based shoot ’em ups.

We’ll be picking Platypus Reclayed up as soon as it launches, but there’s no date for that just yet. Anyone who wants to join us should add the game to their Steam wishlist and wait for more news.

We’d be remiss not to include the tweet below which shows the clay models suspended on a rig made out of LEGO.

As big LEGO fans here at Hypertext we’re always happy to see the little blocks pop up in game development, something that is more common than you may think, especially as a prototyping tool.

Hideo Kojima, for example, famously used LEGO to plan out the maps in Metal Gear Solid. Kojima, by the way, is an avid LEGO collector and he routinely posts on social media about new sets he has built. The most recent of these is the UCS Star Wars TIE Interceptor. He’s even built a custom set designed by a South African all the way back in 2017.

Back to Platypus and the jig below uses some gears and Technic bricks to allow the spaceship to bank back and forth. We’d be willing to bet that this was used to make this animation in the parent tweet.