When designing the crossbreeding system my co-designer and myself looked to real-world inspiration. We settled on the use of Punnet Squares, a real-world tool used by geneticists to determine the chance of dominant and recessive traits appearing in an offspring. The way in which crossbreeding plants determines the outcome of their offspring is based on “Punnet Squares” the game produces. After producing the squares the game then selects from it the traits of the child-plant, causing the percentage chance of its traits to be realistically influenced by its parents.

The first prototype clock_angry chose to focus on was a farming-sim style game that emphasized the use of plant crossbreeding to accomplish goals. In this game the player is tasked with replenishing land ruined by apocalyptic environmental collapse. To complete their goals the player tends to various plants which will crossbreed and mutate to produce offspring with favorable traits that alter the environment in some way.