GAME ART: YATCH’S BLIPPO+ (2025)
Blippo+ is an experimental video game created by Jona Bechtolt and Claire L. Evans (the author of the essential Broadband among many things) of the L.A.-based band YACHT, featuring over 100 artists, musicians, and performers from the underground art scene. Originally designed for the Playdate console the game is a FMV blend of video art and interactive theater. It features a low-res, 1-bit display, evoking old-school gaming devices like the Nintendo Game Boy. The game showcases original, avant-garde content such as soaps, sitcoms, news, weather, and talk shows, with new episodes rolling out every week. The project was filmed over a year using analog tube cameras from a vintage 1982 TV studio, led by video artist JJ Stratford. Developed by YACHT, Telefantasy Studios, Dustin Mierau, Noble Robot , it also includes collaborations with several artists and musicians. Created in response to Hollywood’s shift away from L.A., Bechtolt and Evans turned to indie video games as a space for artistic experimentation, bypassing traditional media gatekeepers. Blippo+ reflects the band's ongoing interest in merging analog and digital mediums for innovative art experiences. Notably, it was created without using AI, staying true to YACHT’s artistic vision.
Released on May 29, 2025 for the Playdate console, Blippo+ will be available on Steam and Nintendo Switch in the Fall.