Are You Gaming Son?
This past week, I tried out some indie games on itch.io and I want to highlight two different platformer games, each with their own twists.
The first game I played was, "This is the Only Level," a platformer that used the same platforming layout, but changed its rules throughout each part of the "only level."
The second game I played was, "Cool Dudes Entropic Door-Porium," a platformer that had the character move through doors and moving doors to achieve a walk to the exit.
At first glance, the mechanics seem similar as they are both platformers. However, "This is the Only Level," went above and beyond through its interesting use of level completion using odd mechanics. The most notable one for me was the level that requested the player to refresh.
At first I was confused. Does it mean I should restart my life in the game?
So I moved to restart my character's life and gained a death toll.
It didn't work.
Despite this, I repeatedly tried this method and got nowhere. After several attempts, I found another solution.
Refresh the page.
Best case scenario, I move on. Worse case scenario, I have to go back to part one and begin the climb again. I pressed the button and resumed my game.
End of level opened up perfectly.
With these puzzles solved through a good amount of trial and error, I eventually found the end of the game. Overall, a pretty great experience and a wonderful puzzle platformer. So I booted up "Cool Dudes Entropic Door-Porium," excited for another puzzle platformer.
I wish I could say the game brought me a fraction of the same joy as "This is the Only Level."
Despite both games being puzzle platformers using the keyboard to move, the enjoyment was lackluster in "Cool Dudes Entropic Door-Porium." The good mood I felt from the last game I played was immediately dampened when I reached the last level. A simple level that includes moving a door onto a section on a higher platform.
At first, the door missed the mark. Nothing too terrible, so I tried again from a bit closer.
And again.
And again.
I don't know how many times I tried to move the door onto the ledge, but I could feel the weight of my partner's gaze as they watched me fail time and time again.
At that point, I had witnessed my partner's playing of "Injection Deflection," a game where you walk around in a top-down style through a maze while attacking and avoiding zombies chasing you down. My partner lost easily and tried one more time before accepting defeat and moving on.
Now, I have seen many a Twitch stream in my day, so I was aware of how the mechanics of fighting and movement worked out well. However, watching gameplay in front of me was quite a different experience.
The urge to take over the controls as I am right in arms reach. The restraint against arguing for my partner to try again. Burdened with the knowledge of seeing the mechanics work up close knowing I might achieve more in the game.
Yet here I was. Powerless against the game's level design or my own ineptitude of jumping.
Here is the level I was stuck on. A level I went back to in order to take a photo for posterity's sake. A photo that made me pause for a moment. And in that moment, I decided to try something I hadn't done before.
I went into a door while holding the door in the photo.