Saving Costa Rica One Sloth at a Time: Teeko

What do you get when you combine a cute sloth, Costa Rican folklore, and a little chaos? Teeko, an adventure game created by a Creative Media & Game Technologies student, inspired by El Día de las Mascaradas, a traditional Costa Rican festival filled with music, dancing, and giant colourful costumes.

Players take on the role of Teeko, a lovable sloth who must travel across the seven provinces of Costa Rica to stop the festival’s giant mascarada costumes after they mysteriously come to life. Along the way, players jump, smash enemies, and plant trees while combining platforming with tower defense gameplay.

The story follows Teeko and his owner, Grandma Tita, who gather with their family in the small town of La Fortunita to celebrate the festival. But when the mascarada costumes become possessed by spirits from Costa Rican legends, the celebration quickly turns into chaos. Now, Teeko and Tita must rescue their family and save their hometown.

For the team behind Teeko, the game is also a way to share and celebrate Costa Rican culture. From the environments and music to the characters, mechanics, and folklore, the game draws directly from traditions that the team feels are rarely represented in games and media. 

And, of course, there are sloths, fruit, and plenty of other cool things along the way.