Spoonbeaks Ahoy! was created by Beckett as a gift for his girlfriend, and the pirate protagonist Nelly Cootalot is modelled after her.[2] In the fictional, insular Barony of Meeth, the player investigates the disappearance of a fleet of spoonbeaks (the game's term for spoonbills).[3] A few minigames must be completed to reach the ending, including deciphering a coded message and winning a "hook a duck" carnival game.[4]
The game's ending scene alludes to a potential sequel,[4] which development was officially announced by Beckett in September 2008.[5] The second game is called Nelly Cootalot II: The Fowl Fleet. It was crowdfunded via Kickstarter and released in March 2016 commercially.[6][7]
Reception
The game was praised for its story, music and humorous setting, though a few puzzles were considered difficult.[2][4][8] While reviewers felt the game was inspired by Monkey Island series for its setting and dialogues, they acknowledge the originality of its art style and play experience.[4][9] It was rated 80 out of 100 by the magazine PC Format.[10]
The game won five AGS Awards in 2007, namely "Best Game Created with AGS", "Best Gameplay", "Best Dialogue Writing", "Best Player Character", and "Best Character Art".[11] It was also named one of the 20 "Best Freeware Adventure Games" of 2007 by Think Services' IndieGames.com.[12]
