Knit Wits

# VIDEO GAME

Rocket 5 Studios partnered with Cartoon Network to develop Knit Wits, a browser-based puzzle game featuring characters from the hit animated series Regular Show. Based on the episode "Merry Christmas Mordecai," players help Eileen manage her Christmas sweater party by keeping guests in matching sweaters apart—earning over a million plays on CartoonNetwork.com.

The Knit Wits title screen featuring Mordecai, Rigby and Eileen

The Challenge

Cartoon Network needed original browser games that could capture Regular Show's quirky humor while working within the technical constraints of 2014 web gaming. The game had to integrate with CN's badge system, support localization for international sites, and run on browsers as old as IE7—all within a three-month timeline from concept to delivery.

The Solution

We designed gameplay around a simple, chaotic premise: guests keep arriving at Eileen's party wearing matching Christmas sweaters, and players must keep them apart to avoid awkward encounters. Drawing inspiration from Flight Control, players click and drag to route characters to distraction points—the record player, snack bar, eggnog bowl, conversation couch—where they'll stay occupied until wandering off again.

The challenge escalates naturally. More guests arrive, movement speeds increase (synced to intensifying party music), and up to four characters might share the same sweater. Visual electricity crackles between matching characters who get too close, warning players before a collision ends the game in awkwardness.

We built 19+ playable Regular Show characters on a flexible animation system, each able to wear any of the unique sweater designs through runtime material swapping. Three levels—Living Room, Garage, and Backyard—offer varied layouts and distraction configurations, while the Party Awesomeness Meter rewards skillful play with multiplier bonuses and celebratory status messages.

The Cartoon Network games page with Knit Wits feature

Outcome

Knit Wits launched on CartoonNetwork.com and resonated with Regular Show's dedicated fanbase, achieving strong engagement on the platform.

Total plays: 1,000,000+
Production timeline: 3 months (on schedule)
Playable characters: 19+ from Regular Show
Game levels: 3 themed environments

The project established Rocket 5 as a trusted Cartoon Network development partner, leading to additional work including Wheels of Rage based on The Amazing World of Gumball.