Title: Co-Op Chickens
Developer: Starscream Team
Publisher: Jangle Games, Chik-In Chik-Out LLC GmbH
System: Miniware Ytoy 2, Musjido Magica, Phonos FunSystem III
Release Date:
JP: N/A
NA: April 1, 2012
EU: N/A

Co-Op Chickens was a twin-stick shooter that was available from 2012 to 2014 as a download only, as a commercial tie-in for Chik-In Chik-Out fried chicken sandwich stores.

Developed by Starscream Team and published by Jangle Games, many of the developers had worked on Epic Combat and War of the Whirls before taking the contract from Chik-In Chik-Out to make the game. Given carte blanche, they came up with a mechanically satisfying game with online and couch co-op, an RPG-lite progression system, and procedural weapon generation. The result was an instant hit, with over 10 million downloads in the first month of availability alone, major positive review coverage from industry press, and a prominent position in several e-sports tournaments.

The game was pulled from distribution after Chik-In Chik-Out revoked its license. Officially, the given reason was that Cathy Truscott, widow of founder J. Samuel Truscott, objected to the level of gun violence in Co-Op Chickens, calling it “un-Christian.” Given J. Samual Truscott’s close ties to senior NRA figures in life, and his service as honorary vice-president of the organization from 1998-2002, many suspected that Cathy Truscott pulled the license in response to a June 2014 “Pride Month Update” that had included a rainbow chicken and rainbow blaster weapon.

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