27 years ago, my parents bought the first sound card for our computer with its 120 MHz processor. Until then, I had known computer games only as pictures on a screen. And then I launched a game. For the first time in my life, I heard real sound from a computer game. Music, sound effects, everything. For today’s generation, that is completely ordinary, but for me back then, it was an incredible experience. I still remember it today, almost three decades later.
Of course, I had no idea then that I would one day return to that memory. And certainly not that it would lead me to create my own game.
Yolko was born from a single memory
When I decided to create my own game 27 years later, that was the game I remembered. Its simple gameplay, the joy of every success, and how little it took back then for a game to keep me absorbed for hours. I wanted to bring that feeling back to life.
But I didn’t want to make a copy. I wanted to take what I had loved so much as a child and give it a modern form. Beautiful graphics, new mechanics, challenging battles, plenty of humour and, above all, something I think many of today’s games are missing. A personality and a soul of its own.
And so Yolko was born. A little yellow chick with enormous eyes, aviator goggles and an eggshell, who feels joy, gets scared, loses his temper, cries and occasionally takes quite a beating. Yolko is no invincible hero. He is a small, emotional underdog trying to survive in a world full of danger.
When he sees a huge boss, his eyes widen in fear. When he knows he is about to take a heavy hit, he starts crying. When something upsets him, he can fly into a real rage. And when he knows it’s all over? He picks up a shovel, digs his own grave and jumps in.
Those little details became what I enjoyed most about developing the game. Over time, I grew so fond of Yolko that he stopped being just a game character to me. He became a little hero with his own personality, emotions and world.
And then came Pinka
One day, it occurred to me that Yolko didn’t have to face all those adventures alone. And so Pinka came to life. A little pink chick who loves Yolko but never misses a chance to give him a bit of trouble.
When Yolko fights a boss, Pinka sits nearby, eats popcorn and watches the battle through a telescope. When Yolko is freezing, Pinka stays cosy, building a snowman or sipping tea by the fire. When Yolko is dying from the heat, Pinka enjoys her own little pool. And when Yolko digs his own grave? Pinka takes a selfie beside it.
But their relationship isn’t just about teasing. Pinka can help Yolko too. Sometimes she pulls out a laser pistol, a bazooka or a basket of eggs and helps him fight. And when things get really tough, she can even save his life.
They are like two little children who love each other but can’t spend five minutes together without getting up to some mischief. That was when I realised Yolko and Pinka had the potential to be much more than just characters in a single mobile game.
Yolko is only the beginning
My goal isn’t to make one game, release it and bring the whole story to a close. I want to gradually build a little world of my own around Yolko and Pinka. A world full of humour, adventure, emotions and absurd situations, where both characters keep their personalities no matter what story they find themselves in.
More games
I am already working on another game inspired by classic arcade games, with Yolko and Pinka as its main characters. This time, they will face mazes, bombs, enemies, explosions and a generous helping of chaos.
In the future, I would like to create more games across different genres, sharing the same characters and their distinctive humour. I want players to recognise Yolko and Pinka at first sight, whatever setting they appear in.
Their own animated series
This is one of my biggest dreams. I would like to create an animated series called Yolko & Pinka. Not just a few seconds of promotional video, but real five- to ten-minute episodes with stories of their own. My inspiration comes from classic slapstick cartoons such as Tom and Jerry and Pat & Mat.
Each episode will have a simple premise. Yolko and Pinka will try to build, fix or cook something, or solve a problem together. But because they are both a little clumsy and love playing tricks on each other, their initially simple plan will gradually turn into a complete disaster.
Minimal dialogue, maximum expression, emotion, situational humour and crazy animation. I would like their adventures to make children and adults laugh, regardless of where they come from or what language they speak. And above all, I want people to grow as fond of Yolko and Pinka as I have.
And perhaps, one day, something more
If Yolko and Pinka find their audience, I would love to develop their world even further. More adventures, new characters, animated stories and perhaps, one day, their own plush toys or figurines. The thought of a child falling asleep with a plush Yolko in their arms is incredibly beautiful to me.
But I don’t want to rush anything. Above all, it will depend on whether people fall in love with these two little chicks.
After 27 years, the story comes full circle. And a new one begins.
There is one thing about this whole adventure that is especially personal to me. Today, my eight-year-old son plays Yolko too. And he loves it. When I see him enjoying the game, I remember myself 27 years ago. A little boy whose parents bought him a sound card, hearing the sounds of his favourite computer game for the first time.
Back then, I had no idea that I would one day return to that moment as the creator of my own game. And today, I watch my son experiencing a similar joy through something I have created. It is strange how things sometimes connect after so many years.
Perhaps that is why Yolko means so much more to me than just another mobile app. It is a piece of my childhood, a memory of my parents, a little dream come true and the joy of creating something that I can now pass on to the next generation.
I don’t know how far Yolko and Pinka will go. Perhaps they will remain two cute little chicks in a mobile game. Perhaps one day they will have their own animated series. And perhaps they will become characters known to children all over the world.
But I know one thing. I want to give them a chance. And if Yolko one day helps another child fall in love with computer games the way I did 27 years ago, that will be an enormous reward for me.
Because some games you finish and forget. Others stay with you for a lifetime. Yolko was born from one of those memories. And I hope that one day, he will become a memory like that for someone else. ❤️