The popular iOS and Android game Whale Trail, uniquely launched in conjunction with a song by Gruff Rhys, has made the jump from mobile app to publishing thanks to Penguin Books.
Penguin's Puffin imprint has secured the global rights to Whale Trail to publish as an e-book, digital picture book and in traditional format.
Launched last year and developed by ustwo, Whale Trail is a psychedelia-inflected game featuring Willow the Whale - and its music is a song by Rhys, who had previously worked with ustwo's Neil McFarland on Super Furry Animals' Rings Around The World and Phantom Power DVDs.
Penguin's Eric Huang said: "I discovered Whale Trail from Gruff Rhys' music video. When I downloaded the app, I was hooked. I wanted to know more about Willow and his world and thought, we should publish a book."
Whale Trail is soundtracked by an instrumental version of Rhys' song, while the full version was released as a bonus track on the reissue of his last album, the award-winning Hotel Shampoo.
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