Turbo Pudding
Fluffenders is a game about bedtime. Every night the Moonberry Tree glows, the Fluffs sleep snug in the burrow beneath it, and the Grumps, who can’t sleep a wink, come shuffling across the meadow to steal the dreamy moonberries. Nobody fights. Granny Hoot’s plan is bubbles, sneezes and cuddles, until every Grump has been tucked in.
For a gang that never sleeps, the Grumps have a lot of time on their hands. So they write letters.
Dear Fluffs
Before a few special nights, the map goes dim and a note appears. The letters are wobbly crayon, every one at a slightly different angle, as if written by someone who has been up all week. At the bottom there is a little doodle of a sleepless Grump and a “Zz” with a big line through it. It is signed simply: the Grumps.
The first one turns up before night 5, Rolly Bowling. That is the night the Fluffs get to bowl Rollys, the hedgehogs who curl up and roll down their row, straight at the Grumps. Word has clearly got around:
“Dear Fluffs, we are NOT scared of your rolling hedgehogs. Not even a little. Please roll them slowly.”
We think that tells you everything about the Grumps. Very firm, a little worried, and still polite.
A hundred years without a nap
The second note comes before night 10, and the Grumps are clearly proud of it:
“Dear Fluffs, our Big Grumbo is coming. He is VERY big and has not napped for a hundred years. Do NOT sing him a lullaby!”
Big Grumbo is the king of the Grumps. He wears a small crown, carries a giant pillow mallet and bonks Fluffs with it, which sends them running home to the burrow. A hundred years is a long time to stay up. You can probably guess what the Fluffs plan to do about it.
Meet the gang
The Grumps who sign those notes are a mixed bunch, and each one says a lot about the Fluffs you will need:
- The Grumplet is a grumpy fuzzball who hasn’t slept in a week. It just wants your moonberries.
- The Acorn Cap Grump wears an acorn cap that soaks up bubbles, so knock it off first.
- The Kettle Grump wears a whole tea kettle. Nobody knows why. It is very tough, so bring friends.
- The Pillow Grump hides behind a pillow. Pop it and the Grump gets very cross and very fast.
- The Pogo Grump bounces right over the first Fluff in its way.
One from the woods
The last note is different. It comes before night 20, in the Whispering Woods, and the ink is a different colour. The doodle is a bubbling cauldron, wide awake, next to the same crossed-out Zz. This time it is signed Grumbelda, the Grump witch who brews wide-awake cocoa:
“Dear Fluffs, nobody naps in MY woods! Not tonight, not ever.”
We won’t tell you how that goes. Granny Hoot has an opinion, though.
How the Fluffs write back
The Fluffs never send a letter back. They answer on the meadow. Bubbun the bunny blows sleepy bubbles down its row. Achoo Kitty lets out one giant glitter sneeze that sends every nearby Grump to dreamland. Woolly the sheep is so soft that Grumps nibble the wool for ages. And in the woods, Huggy Koala gives the first Grump a cozy hug, and the Grump turns into a friend.
Fluffenders has twenty nights across Moonberry Meadow and the Whispering Woods, sixteen Fluffs to collect and a lot of Grumps who really should get some sleep. The first two nights are free to play in your browser. Keep an eye on the map. There may be mail.
