The Culture of Kongpanions: What’s in a Name?
Synapse joined the Kongregate family on October 2, 2017. When we were first granted access to Kongregate’s Slack rooms I joined several player-focused chats for both camaraderie and commiseration. Many of the rooms featured ways to engage or support players, but it was the #whos-that-kongpanion room that gave me an instant sense of culture and connection with the company. Kongpanions are collectables found on Kongregate.com; each Kongpanion is charmingly designed by staff and obtained by players who complete at least one "Badge of the Day" during the week. Players can earn additional prestige by collecting at least five in a week, granting their Kongpanion a crown -- AKA a "Shiny." Developers can use the Kongpanion API to use these adorable companions as characters in their games, and they are tied once a year to larger Quest events. I joined Kongregate.com in 2008, so I remember when Kongpanions were released to the general public. The excitement for something new on Kongregate was overwhelming, and collecting Kongpanions turned into a competition among my group of