They wanted to make a cute game about gibbons. Then they learned the reality

A cute game inspired by the behavior of gibbons at the local zoo was what Felix Bohatsch wanted to make. Life in the 2020s, however, has a way of complicating things.

After completing a little research into the modern life of apes, suddenly an adorable game about gibbons swinging rapidly among the trees felt disingenuous. The International Union for Conservation of Nature has declared that gibbons are "one of the most threatened families of primates," with more than 14 species listed as either endangered or critically endangered. Such knowledge would inform the eventual game, "Gibbon: Beyond the Trees," resulting in a work that, developed initially for Apple's mobile devices, starts as a calming jaunt among a Southeast Asia jungle and soon transitions to one full of real-life threats.

But "Gibbon: Beyond the Trees" is no slogging game of edu-tainment. Inspired by swift, action-focused titles, such as the snowboarding game "Alto's Adventure," "Gibbon: Beyond the Trees" places the emphasis on gliding, swinging, jumping and soaring among its landscapes,