One of the things I have noticed about the gaming industry is that programmers often have the best ideas for original game mechanics.  Unfortunately, programmers rarely have the design skills to flush these ideas out into great games.

Nodes is a very original concept created by programmer, Eggy. According to his blog, Nodes was built as a bit of an experiment with some of the programming features in Flash.  How does it stack up against other programmer-concept games?

Art-wise, it’s pretty simple;  Shiney circles, red lines, generic background texture and uninspired menus and interfaces.  It still looks better than most games developed by non-designers, but the art was developed by ShibbyMedia, so I was expecting better.

Sound-wise, there is nothing special here.  The music gets old after a few levels, and the ONE sound effect is rather long and annoying as well.

The gameplay is really all that matters though and this is a brilliant brain-teaser concept.

You have movable nodes that are all connected by lasers beams, and static nodes that star out blue.  The goal is to position the nodes so that the lasers pass through all the blue nodes, turning them red.

This is the type of thinking man’s game I typically enjoy, so when I started this game I really liked it a lot.  Then I kept winning….and winning… without any challenge.  I realize I’m a smart guy, but I’m pretty sure a chipmunk with downs could master this game.
The level design is where the lack of a designer really shows.  Each level is unique, to be sure, but none of them are really well thought out.  There are so many ways to solve each level that I found myself inventing a challenge and trying to do it with the least amount of laser lines possible. As you can see in my screenshot, even as far as level 20, I was able to easily solve the puzzles and still have extra nodes I didn’t need.

Because this WAS designed as an experiment, you really can’t expect a big production, and like I said.. the IDEA is awesome.  I hope Eggy does a second version with more challenging levels and maybe some bonuses for unused beams, so players can really test their minds and compete for high scores or something.

At the end of the day, this is really a tech demo and not a polished game.  But tech demos can still be fun, so go check it out.

[ Play Nodes ]

So yesterday I get this email asking me to review some indie game, and all I can think is… “Oh boy, another lame game hoping for promotion, This will be fun to rip on!”

I couldn’t have been more wrong… and boy I am disappointed, I was really hoping to be an asshole today.

Something Amiss is a testament to what a passionate indie developer can really do.  Sure it has a few small quirks, but everything that has gone into it is just so impressive that it’s easy to ignore them.

The first thing that stands out is that this game is the graphics.  In the first chapter, everything is nicely rendered in 3d, including Alice, the main character.  But where the game gets REALLY impressive is in chapter 2.

Tucker Bowen, the game’s creator, actually ventured out into the rainforests of Kauai to photograph the perfect background images for the game’s dense jungle. The Hawaiian island was one of the locations where Jurassic Park, and several other films, were shot.

While the scenery is well rendered, and the photographic imagery is breathtaking, there are several areas where things seem a little stiff in opposition to other areas that feel much livelier.  Still, even these scenes have a Myst type feel to them.

The sounds in this game are fantastic.  The mood and settings are not tainted by unnecessary music, rather, they all use atmospheric ambiences that just fit perfectly with the imagery.
The gameplay is about the only thing I had any issues with.  The interface, at times, is mildly unresponsive, so clicking an item or command may not actually do anything. This only happens on rare occasions, and is merely a minor nuisance.

The puzzles are the real guts of this game.  Chapter 1 was pretty simple and short, but again, chapter 2 just takes and raises the bar with a much broader playing area, and far more challenging puzzles.

The story is also quiet compelling. You wake up after what was supposed to be a routine MRI, only to find the MRI room abandoned, and you have been locked in.  Some simple investigation points to some kind of experiment, and you need to escape.  From there, it turns into a bit of a mind-bender, and the end of chapter 2 leaves you wanting more.

This game is far from complete, but Tucker keeps everyone up to date via the Something Amiss blog. Unlike most blogs (present company excluded of course), it’s actually worth reading!

Please hurry and finish this game Tucker… PLEASE!

[ Play Something Amiss ]

It’s not an uncommon thing for me to ask for things only to be left with nothing, withering away in a pool of liquor and disappointment. But when I reviewed an amazing game called Gateway and asked for more, I was granted my request!

Okay, so maybe Gateway 2 wasn’t made just for me, but that doesn’t change the fact I am a happy camper.  The follow up game was almost everything I could hope for.

The minimalistic/stylized style from the first game is still as sharp as ever, and yet, this one has even more polish.

The visual beauty of the game is only ENHANCED by the moody background sounds and musical tracks.  You can’t help but get immersed in this game.

And the story… wow.  The first game was definitely interesting, but this one actually puts you into a strange, mind-bending tale that makes you really want to explore and see what happens next.
The nitpicky controls haven’t had much of an upgrade, your blockman still gets stuck a lot which at times is rather annoying, but not so bad as to make the game unplayable by any means. Just pretend your blockman is a special needs student and getting him from point A to point B will make you feel like a social worker with a heart of gold.
This game didn’t seem as long as the last one, but with the extra degree of immersion you feel it doesn’t come up lacking.

I’m going to push my luck and ask for even more of this franchise!

[ Play Gateway 2 ]

Five ’til by JMTB02 is a nice addition to the “4 sec games” genre but with an actual plot and a bit more than 4 seconds to know what the hell is going on. Around 30 seconds per level, which is nice for old and bitter people like me.
Nice action and decent art. While it could be spruced up art wise it in no way detracts from the great game play. Some better backgrounds and better explosions would flesh it out more, but you’re going so fast trying to get crap done you hardly notice it, unless some dumb reviewer mentions it then you can’t help but notice.

Sound effects and audio are well played except after I beat the game and listened to the end music for 10 minutes before I closed the window. Other than me zoning out, nothing annoying with what you hear.

ANGRY FIST SHAKING MOMENTS: for some parts where you have to use the mouse I REALLY wish I could see what part of the icon that got changed I’m actually using. The wire cutting took me several tries because it’s different than the glass cutting. Not sure if that’s just a minor bug but yeah, on the wire cutting it should show where your actual arrow cursor is for the hit area, where you click.

Other then that, game play was freaking great. Combining several different aspects of game play I loved helped. I like this approach better then the 4 sec games (which I won’t link cause I don’t want to remember that much to beat a game) as you get some time to learn the controls. I might just be old and bitter though. I also like how if/when you lose a level you start back with the same amount of time remaining when you started that part. Great game to play and get better at, mostly for me since I want to get better then a -C, haha.

[ Play Five 'til ]

In the past I’ve been rather critical of developer Florian Himsl, better known as Komix, for producing some lackluster games since his breakthrough success with Triachnid.

I’m happy to say, he’s back on the scene with a new game that is incredibly addicting.

Rings and Sticks is one of the most original (yet simplistic) puzzle games to come around in some time.  The basic premise is to grow your wood and slip it through every unsuspecting hole you can find.  Sometimes you have to plant your seed so that other shafts can be erected and eventually penetrate rings that are otherwise out of your range.

The art in this game isn’t anything to write home about, nor does it need to be.  The simple use of monotone color for the trees and interface art is very artsy without needing any incredible amounts of detail. The goal in each level is visually clear, and that makes this game insanely easy to pick up and start playing.

The sound is just as simple as the presentation.  No annoying music, just a weird ambience and bling sounds when you poke your chocolate colored pole into a glowing ring.

Most of the levels are very clever, and force you to really plan your approach before you stick your shaft into anything, but other levels seem a bit less thought out and you end up with a lot of extra options after you have penetrated everything in sight.

Still, it’s a very fun game, and I look forward to the sequel: “ribbed for her pleasure”

[ Put your stick in some rings.... ]

Vorticube by BDS Flash and Tasty Lamp is a 3dish ball bouncer where you must collect blocks and avoid the mines.

While pretty, the art is fairly basic, with decent animation. I think if you would be going for something more pleasing to the eye, you might use road kill or baby arms. It would be more interesting then just blocks, but maybe that is just me. Over all the art is good but the look of the game could be better.

What kept me playing was the gameplay. Even with it on easy it’s like trying to steer a 3 wheeled stroller with a couple of retarded pit bulls in it. VERY CHALLENGING.

While frustrating at first, it does not take to long to master (and you better since more and more mines get added). With the game being timed for each level, it helps starting on easy first. Using the arrows to move around with W and S to go up and down is a good idea but I wish it was reversed, or have the options to customize buttons. Much thanks for the pause button, though.

The music and sound effects went well with the game, but it really could have used a sound toggle option, being it’s almost (or at least should be) a standard for flash games now-a-days.

With high scores and the addictive challenge of the game, the weak level art, and lack of sound toggles can be overlooked and you can spend a good amount of time cursing as you try to maneuver your stroller around in this “good but could be even better” game. Heres hoping for a part 2 to this.

[ Play Vorticube ]

I know puzzle games are typically supposed to be all cute or shiny with colorful tiles and all that other vibrant crap that supposedly makes them appealing to girls, but it’s always a refreshing change when we get a puzzle game that looks more like an action game.

Mindfields 2204 is a brain-busting puzzle game where you essentially place tiles on a grid-based level to direct a tank through various perils in an attempt to capture the world’s most valued military targets…. FLAGS!!!!

The art in this game isn’t that impressive. The terrain looks like what Advance Wars may have looked like had it been an 8-bit NES game rather than a GBA game. The tank, mines and turrets are all rather plain as well, but I’ve seen plenty of games with way worse art. At least you can tell what everything is supposed to be.

The sound isn’t so bad… basic effects, nothing fancy. It only uses one looping music track. It’s a pretty subtle one and doesn’t make your ears bleed in any way.

It took me a little time to really get this gameplay down, but not so long that I gave up on it. Once I did figure it out I kept playing and playing until, before I knew it, I had beaten it.

Basically you play with the mouse and you drag tiles onto the map. When you are ready the tank will drive on it’s own in whatever direction it’s facing. If it hits a tile with an arrow, it will change direction. You also have tiles that trigger the cannons and force fields on the tank so you can get past the mines and laser turrets that are diligently guarding the precious flags.

The challenges of each level keep you thinking, and you feel REALLY good when you finally solve them.

The only gripe I really have with this game is the speed. It would be nice if the tank went a bit faster so you didn’t have to wait as long to find out of you screwed up or not.

I would really love to see a more polished version of this game, perhaps as a sequel. It’s a ton of fun, and it really could be a contender as a fully produced game.

[ Play Mindfields 2204 ]

Once again, I’m here to review what I feel is a brilliant hybrid of game-styles I absolutely love. Gateway is a brain teaser that mixes the gameplay and controls of point-and-clicks like monkey island, with the level-based puzzle solving of games like chip’s challenge.

The art in this game is designed to look low-poly 3D. It’s not detailed in any way, and the animation is pretty minimal, but this simplified approach is rather quite pleasing, much like Apple’s design approach in their hardware.

The sound also has a simplistic elegance. The buttons, objects and footsteps are all fitting, and the music has been bypassed for more of an eerie ambiance. That, mixed with the minimal level art, draws you into a void-like atmosphere that you really do want to escape from.

The gameplay is very easy to pick up. All you do is click where you want to walk, click on things you want to use, and…well… that’s about it! But if you aren’t too bright, the first few levels will tell you exactly how to click on stuff.
The levels are brilliantly designed, each one forcing you to use your brain to figure out what you need to do to progress. I especially loved some of the later levels where you spy on this house and watch other block-people moving around.

There is some degree of frustration in the collision. A lot of the time if you are near a wall or edge, and you click to walk in a straight line, your block-man won’t move. Kind of like guiding a fat, blind man with no arms, through a narrow hallway, only not nearly as funny. It’s a minor annoyance most of the time, and you just need to click a little closer to get unstuck.
About the only thing stopping this game from getting a much higher score is how short it is. There’s only around 10 levels or so to figure out, and if you are smart each one will only take you a few minutes at most.

If you aren’t the brightest crayon in the box, there is a save feature so you can spend as long as you need figuring out each level, and you can always pick up where you stopped at any time.
I’m really hoping to see a sequel or an expansion of some kind, because I really enjoyed the challenge and style of this game. Now… where did that armless, fat-ass, blind guy I was looking after go?

[ Play Gateway ]

Care The Monster by Free Creation Games is a great little puzzle game. I like the author’s comments and I’m not feeling well at the moment, so I’ll just quote them:

“Your goal in the game is to guide the monster to reach the exit door of the labyrinth. But it won’t be so easy, because the monster is really hungry and the player is it’s favorite food, so try to keep away from its range.
Finally, a new actor will enter in this party, the hunter. He will try to catch the monster if he is able to catch it.
You are part of a curious love triangle, would you like to become part of it?”

Great graphics, sound and level design makes this one a winner. Definitely go through the help section. Takes a sec to get a handle on how to drop the boulders. With 50 levels you’ll be playing this one for a bit.
[ Play Care The Monster ]

Rolley-Ball by Jiggmin is a cool 3dish dealio where you’re in control of the playing field, guiding the ball to victory and what have you. While in no way is this a new idea, it’s pulled off exceptionally well.

A nice feature is being able to use either the mouse or arrows for control. Also the walls moving with the tilt to show perspective helps with the curve on learning how to play.

With high scores , a nice audio track and effects this is (insert ball joke here), very much so.

[ Play Rolley-Ball ]