Hasta La Ideas

Meet Sir Benfro (above). He’s an adventurous chap with a magic, glowing balloon. Float with him through forests, over oceans, and down into the bowels of the earth, but beware the bizarre and wondrous creatures that inhabit Sir Benfro’s world…

Yes, Sir Benfro is the star of a new illustrated iPhone (and iPad) game app (main menu screen, shown above). He is, says the game’s maker Tim Fishlock, “a naturalist, scientist and explorer. Sir Benfro has made some of the most important discoveries of his generation. Without him we would have no idea that instead of laying eggs, the female Stingomp knits her offspring from the laces of old pairs of sneakers.”

Fishlock, who created the original artwork for the game, collaborated with Giles Hammond on the project who brought Sir Benfro’s world to life.

The idea of the game is very simple – keep Sir Benfro afloat for as long as possible, collecting magical fireflies (called Light Emitting Daves) which power the balloon. As well as playing the game, players can use the Spotter’s Guide to take a closer look at and learn about some of the strange beasts that share Sir Benfro’s world (and obstruct his path), such as the Timorous Fizzle:

Here’s a short trailer for the game:

Sir Benfro’s Brilliant Balloon Official Trailer from Explore and Create on Vimeo.

Sir Benfro’s Brilliant Balloon launched today and is now available from iTunes’ App Store for priced at £0.69 in the UK and $0.99 in the US.

CR in Print

If you only read CR online, you’re missing out. From the meaning of beans to the power of love, the February issue of Creative Review features our 20 favourite slogans of all time and the stories behind them.

What makes a great slogan? We investigate the enduring power of these clever little phrases in our special slogans issue, dedicated to our choices for the top 20 slogans.

If you would like to buy this issue and are based in the UK,you can search for your nearest stockist here. Based outside the UK? Simply call +44(0)207 292 3703 to find your nearest stockist. Better yet, subscribe to CR for a year here and save yourself almost 30% on the printed magazine.