How Chico the Chipmunk made our puzzle-loving hearts beat a bit faster
I love to check out the work that independent developers are doing because they often have fewer self constraints when it comes to being creative, innovative, or just having fun. And one of the best ways to find out what they’re working on is to ask them directly! With Hello, Indie! I’ll be popping in to say “Hello!” to the devs and ask about their latest projects. Each mini-interview is a series of the same-ish questions that I hope bring a little insight into the developer, their project, and what we can look forward to.
I love classic-inspired games, especially those that wear their proverbial hearts on their sleeves, so I was excited to chat with Nick V from Daikon Games about his project Chico the Chipmunk. At first glance I could tell that it was going to happily push my nostalgia buttons, so getting a little more in-depth with the people behind it was a joy.
Hello, Nick!
Who are you, and where are you (or your studio) located?
My name is Nick, the main face behind Daikon Games. I’m based just outside of Boston Massachusetts!
What’s the name of your game or project?
Chico’s Rebound
If you could summarize your game/project in a 140-character tweet, how would you describe it?
“Break blocks, beat bosses, and explore a mysterious tower! Chico’s Rebound combines puzzle-dungeon-crawling and breakout action in a unique adventure.”
What are you trying to achieve with your game? Is it specific gameplay? Style? Homage to another game?
Chico’s Rebound started as a small follow-up to my first game, Chico and the Magic Orchards. The intention was to do a block breaking spinoff by reusing assets from the first game. I was inspired by classics like Kirby’s Block Ball. Eventually the game grew much beyond a simple spinoff and is a larger and more complex work than the first game
How long have you been working on this project, what platforms are you aiming for, and do you have a release timeframe?
I worked on the game for about a year and a half in total. It released in March of 2026 for Windows and Linux on itch.io and Steam, and on the Nintendo Switch eShop. Thanks so much for taking the time to check it out! It was a labor of love and I hope folks will enjoy it.
Thanks for your time, Nick!
You can find more about Chico’s Rebound and Daikon Games at their website, and the game on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/3139060/Chicos_Rebound/ and on eShop: https://www.nintendo.com/us/store/products/chicos-rebound-switch/
For more chats with indie developers, check out our entire Hello, Indie archive
