This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Five Provo kids — the youngest is 4 — just published a video game on the Apple Store. What have you done lately?
Granted, the siblings (Merit, 4, Davis, 8, Stuart, 10, Delaney, 14, and Kate, 17) had some help from their audio-engineer dad and the support of their mom. But most of the side-scrolling game, "Crayons on Attack" — released Wednesday — shows off the siblings' programming, music, artwork and voice-over talents.
The idea for the game, in which characters dodge bombs and battle crazed canyons as they run across colorful worlds, came from a nightmare the siblings' father had as a boy. Sitting around the dinner table, Michael Maughan told his children he once dreamed that his crayons came to life and were out to get him.
"We kept kind of talking about it," Maughan said, and about two weeks later, "[Delaney] said, 'Wouldn't this make a funny game, Dad?'"
Though no one knew how to make a video game, Maughan said they decided to try, as a family. It was a challenge, he said, but it was fun, and two years later, they have "Crayons on Attack."
"I had the dream. The rest was essentially them," said Maughan, who primarily produced the sound effects, recorded voice-overs and published the game. "Everything else is the kids."
Seeing his childhood nightmare come to life hasn't traumatized Maughan, though. His children took his frightening crayon assailants and made them nicer, he said.
After the two-year crash course, Delaney and Stuart, in particular, are now keen on programming. With the family's collaboration finished, Stuart is even working on his next game, his father said.
Twitter: @MikeyPanda