Tag Archives: Gaming

Gaming With A Cause: Catalysts for Change

Posted by Chad Knick on

Well folks, once again I find myself stumbling upon a game that can actually assist the lives of many. Now I know that I’ve discussed the idea that gaming can actually help form a better world, and you know my deep appreciation for folks like Jane McGonigal. Well, the Institute for the Future has done it again. Today April 3rd they launched a game campaign called:

Catalysts for Change: A Game To Discover Paths out of Poverty.

Now I have my mixed feelings about social interaction games where it becomes a series of blog posts and social interactions between people. The sociological and psychological aspects of this though are so engrossing to me that I had to take a look. Essentially what you do is register to play the game, and then you can start playing cards which are viewable here.

With so many people in poverty today - we should share our voices to solve it.

Here’s how it works:

You are given either Positive Imagination cards, or Critical Imagination cards. Positive cards describe positive ideas and paths out of poverty. Critical Imagination cards are cards that could lead to greater vulnerability. You can play as many or as few cards as you like but the point is to use these card points to begin engaging people. Once the ideas are spread perhaps they will want to join in on spreading similar ideas and thus the motion of the game progresses into this social brainstorming activity that will last for 48 hours.

Once you play a card there are other cards that others can play off of these idea cards. Momentum, Antagonism, Adaptation, and Investigation.

You earn points based on the amount of engagement you gain during discussions.

Momentum cards are whenever you pose a question that asks:

“How can we build off this idea? What would happen next?”

Antagonism cards are whenever you disagree with an idea and wish to address what’s wrong with it:

” This idea lacks… I think we should…”

Adaptation cards are when you agree with an idea, but choose to accommodate it to your particular region or grouping:

“I love your idea, but I feel that in my country we will probably have to…”

Investigation cards are any time you have questions about an idea and wish to find out more information to gain clarity towards the discussion.

“I appreciate your idea, but could you please explain…”

Now, what exactly are my feelings on all of this social gaming towards the benefit of solving poverty? I love the idea – because gaming is a social media aspect anyways. It promotes socialization and teamwork. We work better at problem solving when we’re grouped together, and honestly, solving poverty sounds like a better solution for our nation than solving a zombie horde in CoD: Black Ops.

My point is, that while I may not agree with the email/blog social interaction gameplay mechanic, I’m just not used to the mechanics of this type of game and I’m getting used to the concept. We need to find ways to allow people to make changes in this world, and not just in virtual ones. You know it astonishes me that people spend so much money on World of Warcraft gear [ REAL MONEY! Check Ebay! ] and yet we are dealing with a poverty-stricken world outside of the virtual one they inhabit.

Perhaps that’s why MMO’s were built? – to hide us away from the sad realization of our world existence. We want virtual worlds, where poverty isn’t even a word and where raiding for gold is as easy as a mouse click. Imagine though if we could devise a way to help poverty that was as easy as a mouse click? Would you join in on a game designed to aid poverty? World-wide poverty? If your ideas had the power to spread action into the lives of others would you do it? How? Would you build a game, or start a blog, or start a youth group of active innovators? The idea of Catalysts for Change is to get people playing a real-life MMO. No, not LARPing, but real people interacting with real people.

Games, if posed in this manner, can change the world. We can make a difference if we expose ideas and generate content that can benefit the world around us. You can check out and join the Catalysts for Change game and it starts as 4 pm GMT time and will run until 4 pm GMT on April 5th. Join the change and let’s see if we can’t make a difference for a better tomorrow!

Development: MolyJam 2012 Wrap Up

Posted by Chad Knick on

Well folks, the wonderful MolyJam 2012 has come and gone, and now only the games remain. This quirky, out-of-the-box, off-the-wall range of ideas from the odd mind of a green pixel named Peter Molydeux, has brought some amazing concepts and, shall we say, very unique array of indie games from all over the world. There are so many that it certainly hard to cover ALL of them in detail within this one post, but I’m going to try and cover some of my favorites throughout this post. I hope you enjoy these odd titles as much as I did.

I haven’t had a chance to play all of these an most of these are Windows run games [ I learned from experience folks ] but if you’ve got the time and energy to take a look at some of these indie gems I totally suggest it. I’m only going to present a few of them, primarily ones that have content you can view here, but there’s so many that honestly you’re just going to have to gauge for yourself. Here goes, welcome to the world of Peter Molydeux and what his oddities have created.

MolyJam Seattle:

Unbearable 

Molydeux Tweet: “You are a bear but for some reason your oxygen comes from hugging people. Problem is that hugging people breaks their bones.”

 

MolyJam Australia:

The Spandex Parable

Molydeux Tweet: “You know, what if the aim of the game was to resist actually completing it? That kept me up all night yesterday.”

 

The Miner

Molydeux Tweet: “Imagine a world where people don’t talk, physical words are hidden underground. You must travel the world hunting ‘I’, ‘love’ and ‘you’.”

 

MolyJam Netherlands:

My Last Friend

Molydeux Tweet: “You’re a scarecrow in a world with just 1 bird”

 

MolyJam Montreal:

Friends ‘Til The End

Molydeux Tweet: “You play as a small boy with a remote control helicoptor that is alive and your friend, then you discover a nuclear missle inside it”

 

MolyJam Monterrey 

Plug and Slay

Molydeux Tweet: “What if you lived in a world where all guns are required to be plugged into wall sockets? Now THAT would be a tactical shooter wouldn’t it?”

 

All of these games are very simple, and most have surprisingly accessible mechanics involved. The most interesting aspect that I find comes from game jams like this, and why I feel we need to do this more often, is because it breaks us from the mundane. It tears us away from our FPS universe of game design which we, unfortunately, live in today. The games that I’ve posed here [ and the hundreds that were submitted worldwide ] are games that evoke something in us. An emotion comes over us and we’re invested in the game. Watch. You’ll see.

You may think that playing a game with a bear who needs constant affection, or playing a scarecrow who can’t move but desires love from another living creature is a boring concept for a game. Everyone has rights to their own opinions, but what intrigues me about these games [ all of the ones submitted to MolyJam ] is that they took simple concepts and made them into meaningful and intriguing games. So, whether you’re a ‘hardcore’ gamer and wouldn’t dream of touching an indie nugget for the life of you – or you’re a light-hearted video game savant who loves games for the art of it all – I severely suggest checking out the entire listing of MolyJam games.

Many of these games can be played from your computer, but some have added accessibility by allowing for use of a controller of your choice [ PS3, XBox – anything with a USB cord ] Now these are just a small sampling of the games that were submitted over the 48 hour period of MolyJam and so if you’re curious you can go and check out ALL of the submissions and download the games for FREE here:

MolyJam Game Archive

Note: Now folks, let us remember, these games were made in 48 hours. If you’re expecting high-end quality production value I’d try and lower your expectations. Some of the games are incomplete, lack certain physics standards, etc. Don’t let that take away from the enjoyment or the experience. These games are more about the fun and the emotion they evoke than anything else.

In closing folks, this past few days of playing these 48 hour nuggets of awesome has inspired me to truly start working on my own concepts as well and taking them from paper to actual production level. I’ll be using GameSalad, and or GameMaker, and so I’ll keep you folks posted as to when I begin that lush journey into the sea of indie building. I hope you all enjoy these games and get something out of their messages:

Games can be simple, evoke emotion, and have more meaning to a player than mere achievements and trophies. The days of old are gone. It’s time to open up a new slate and share ideas, meaningful ones, with the world.

 

Game of the Week: Super Smash Land!

Posted by Chad Knick on

Hello there folks! Now are you among the vast many people in this world, like myself, who hunger for another Super Smash Bros. game? The type of people who would have ridden their N64’s to the last pixel just to smash a Falcon Punch into Kirby’s face one last time? – Well, then you’re in luck! Today I’ve found a game that provides the love of Super Smash Bros. – with the glory that is Game Boy. Yep. That’s right – Super Smash Land!

Super Smash Land is a wonderful little indie ‘de-make’ of the classic Super Smash Bros. franchise. Now, I’m just going to give you my brief first impressions here, because Super Smash Land is really in almost a beta form at the moment, and it’s available for download via PC only [ Sorry Mac fans – but here’s hoping he’ll make a version for Mac soon! ] The creator, Dan Fornace, really put a ton of love into this title and it’s evident in the design.

8-Bit Super Smash Bros? PINCH ME I'M DREAMING!

The controls are simple [ Arrow Keys for movement, and Z and X are your A and B buttons respectively – while Enter serves as your Start button. ] but I will be the first to say that this control scheme is counter productive for mobility challenged gamers or one handed gamers. You have to be able to move with the arrow keys and hit the attack buttons if you want the same seamless experience like the N64 gave you. I also, unfortunately, found out that some of the signature moves you’re accustomed to don’t work due to design constraints.

Update: I just went to Dan’s forums, and it states that in the file download there’s a Joy2Key in the zip file. This file allows you to use any USB plug controller that you’d like – so I suppose that jumps the accessibility up just slightly. You’re still dealing with complex move sets in a fighting game though and it would still require two hands to play.

So folks who were hoping that Kirby would be able to own everyone by swallowing their powers? Unfortunately it’s not to be – the function only causes Kirby to spit throw you, which isn’t a bad thing at all, just saying if you’re a purist you might be saddened by that fact. I’m sure there are other missing character moves, but come on, the man built this homage to one of the greatest fighting games ever invented. I think we can cut him some slack don’t you?

Let the Battle COMMENCE!

The graphics are ALL 8-bit, and while I love the nostalgia of seeing Super Smash in Gameboy fashion, I’m sure that my colorblind gamers will probably be roaring in agony. The game is the soft green pixelated coloration of a Gameboy and without different color schemes to diversify the tones it can cause problems for colorblind gamers. The music is a joy, and you can even download the full soundtrack if you want to separately from the game download. Sound isn’t really a factor to the accessibility of the game, but it does add to the enjoyment factor – so deaf gamers may be slightly disappointed by the game without sound to accompany the lush retro graphics.

The game includes four playable characters at the start: Mario, Kirby, Link and Pikachu. Now while I have to admit the controls are kind of clunky, and I would love to see a revised version some day, the joy that I get from the fact that there’s an 8-Bit Smash Bros. emulator out there in this world makes me weak in the knees with joy. So – how can you get this game? Well, you can go to:

Super Smash Land!

Here you can download the Windows 1.1 Version. Fornace has talked about making a Mac version though as he continues to develop updates for the game. One vital note here is that it is a ZIP file, so you’ll need to make sure to UNZIP the file in order to access the game properly. If you don’t you’ll end up getting an error message after the Game Boy emulator screen shows up. Other than that the game includes a LOT for a free to play version of a classic game made even more classic:

  • Arcade Mode
  • Versus Mode
  • Team Battles
  • Endless Mode
  • Online High Scores
  • Tower of Heaven

The game looks awesome and feels nostalgic, and while I would definitely like better controls and perhaps a color version to break up the green blob of pixelated goodness, it’s definitely one of those games you have to try at least once. If you have any trouble with the download, let me know and I’ll try and figure out why it’s going wonky. I know I personally got the Error messages the first time, until I checked Fornace’s forums for advice. So – NO this is not an April Fool’s joke. This game is real. Please go check it out, because it’s something that I would love to see promoted to a mass stage.

Who knows? Perhaps he’ll make a mobile Android and iOS version and then we’ll be able to play it from our phones and tablets. Here’s looking at you Dan Fornace! I wish you the best of luck and success in future gaming endeavors and I look forward to seeing what you have to offer in future installments of Super Smash Land! I also want to give a shout to fellow game bloggers over at Power Cords for introducing the game to me. You guys are awesome. Thank you for keeping me in the loop on a really cool indie discovery.

Oh and one more thing: If you’re still in the mood for Smash Bros. nostalgia when you leave here I suggest taking a look over at my fellow blogger Sam Whelan’s blog. He’s got a really cool segment called Timelapse Tuesday over there and currently he’s been running a poll for which Super Smash Bros. character he should draw. Check out his version of Pikachu!

So, yes, go forth my minions! Play as you will! The Smash is calling you!

Development: What Would Molydeux?: Game Jam Tomorrow

Posted by Chad Knick on

Hey there folks! So today – to build off of my Tech Talk argument of yesterday, I figured I would give my developer folks a heads up [ because unfortunately I can’t attend – but you might! ] So, if you haven’t heard yet, there’s a funny little faux Peter Molyneux Twitter account out there and it’s posted up some really odd and intriguing game concepts under the tag Peter Molydeux. I figured this was a wonderful idea and so I wanted to share it with fans. Essentially here’s the deal:

People all over are going to be running a 48 hour gaming jam to come up with ideas based on these game concepts that greenpixeldeux has come up with. Thanks though, goes to Anna Kipnis of Double Fine Productions suggesting the game jam.

Reading his Twitter feed, some of the concepts are incredible and I would love to see the outcome of the games! I mean, they are off the wall and cooky. Some are so off the beaten path that I shudder to think how someone would make a game out of something that odd. Here are just a few to get you understanding the insanity and fun of this event at hand:

“Imagine, you play a baby in a pram and can only see your parent’s faces. Studying those faces deeply is the key to true progress”

“Game in which you can only progress during one minute silences. You need to find creative ways to keep the nation having 1 minute silences.”

“Imagine carrying a radioactive baby in a pitch black environment, your baby would act as a torch. Rocking the baby intensifies the glow etc”

“Game in which you must comfort children on a plane who are afraid of flying, game mechanic is similar to spinning plates.”

“What if your tummy rumbling created earthquakes? In a world where food is rare.”

If you are interested in joining the efforts of this wonderful game opportunity then here’s what you need to know:

Cities that will be hosting MolyJam:

What Would Molydeux? Jam Sessions

You can just click your city of preference and go directly to their Facebook sign up sheet. I’ll be following up with this as it goes along and I can’t wait to see what kind of games come out of this wonderful idea! I’ve heard of game jams before, so they’re not uncommon, but this is the first time I’ve ever seen a Twitter account used in this way to promote the operation of game design. It’s a neat feeling knowing that there will be possibly thousands of designers attending and huddling in different cities all over the world and using these small suggestions via a faux Twitter account to make interesting, innovative and brilliant new IP’s. I can’t wait to see the end result – but what’s the best part you ask?!

Peter Molyneux will be ATTENDING the LONDON MolyJam!

The whole thing is apparently going to be live streamed from the MolyJam website so I’ll keep people posted about that. I am so stoked for this, and it’s a shame I can’t attend, but I never hesitate to be excited for my fellow gamers.

I say happy programming and designing to all of you who manage to attend this awesome experience! I, for one, am not going to let the lack of my jam session access deter me though. I am definitely going to be using inspiration from some of these tweets for future reference and perhaps future game concepts. Thanks Peter Molydeux – your epic oddities and whimsies about what gamers deserve – are awesome.

Much more follow up on this in the days to come!

UPDATE: This was a promotional video for the Game Jam release via the Twitter last night:

Join up folks developer powers unite!

Tech Talk: Molyneux on Motion = Controller Chaos

Posted by Chad Knick on

Usually, I would wait till Thursday to post a Tech Talk discussion, but since this is pertinent information and a recent development, I figured that before it gets swept under the rug by other media updates. Here’s the issue at hand: controller chaos.

What do I mean by controller chaos?

Well, recently, Mr. Peter Molyneux had some choice words to say about today’s industry and current market controllers in his interview with an online game publication Beefjack. His statement was as follows, and thus where my frustrations begin:

“I am just sick to death of having my hand clamped to this controller – of having to be forced to use my thumb in a certain way, and having my other hand clamped to the other side of the controller, and having games say ‘No, you will do it this way, and if you don’t do it this way then we will punish you’.”

Now while I don’t necessarily agree with him, I don’t want to be reduced to using motion control in any way either. Mr. Molyneux there was a time in my gaming life when I used to look up to you as a designer. I loved [ and still love ] the original Fable, but quite honestly there comes a point in time when I just have to ask:

Why would you want to alienate your consumers by telling them that Kinect is the way to go? You are only doing yourself a disservice by expressing that you hate having games tell you how to play them right? Well then why would you express your verbose opinions of Kinect and next-gen gaming on us as if your opinion is the wave of the future? I’m not try to rant, because I truly look up to you as a designer – but come on man – doesn’t that sound a little bit hypocritical?

If you came out and said something like – I don’t know – this:

” I feel like the current game trend and controllers that are sweeping the market don’t provide nearly the amount of accessibility that we could achieve with games today. That’s why I’m so adamant about making sure the game controller trend changes.”

I would have totally backed that! – but instead you stuck your foot in your mouth and stated an opinion that most core gamers are going to be exceptionally disappointed with. Here’s my whole take on controllers, just so everyone is aware – because I think I’ve talked about this before on my blog already. We’ve discussed the possibility of button remapping, but motion control is a different animal. Motion control is different, because it was originally designed for the casual gaming industry. Nintendo came out with the Nintendo Wii to allow for families to get involved with gaming together instead of separately with visceral experiences.

Here’s the problem: Everyone saw the idea and ran with it. Now there’s too much.

Look I’m an advocate for the controller, but I’m also an advocate for accessibility. This industry is filled with pressure to conform to motion control and controllers that require us to use both hands in order for them to function properly, but what if we can’t move much? – it makes motion control absolutely pointless. Kinect is meant for people to get up and get moving, and sure, I’ve seen videos of players in wheelchairs trying to use Kinect, but that’s not what gamers want either. We want accessibility not conformity.

The controller, in and of itself, hasn’t changed very much. Why break what formula seems to have worked for years right? Well, here’s a video I’d like to share with you from the AbleGamer’s Foundation. Mark Barlet and Steve Spohn have made some amazing strides in getting the word of accessibility in games out there.They express why game accessibility is so important, and they show off a wonderful prototype piece of equipment I talked about in an earlier post, the Arodite Switchblade controller. The controller allows for disabled individuals to remap their button schemes accordingly throughout a game to provide an easier and more accessible play experience.

Instead of focusing on how can we get players more active in games, we should start focusing on how we can get more players to experience our games in the first place. You know what I’m sick to death of folks? – companies cramming this ‘new age’ of gaming down my throat and claiming that ‘motion control‘ is the way to go. It’s not from my perspective [ and many others ] we want great games – not great tech. The tech we have works, we just have to utilize it properly to make games more accessible. Now, hold on, there may be a shining light at the end of the tunnel in this rant and that’s with Nintendo.

Nintendo has been promoting their new Wii U system pretty well at conventions, and I have to say I’m excited to see what this thing can do. If it does what I think it can, it may very well provide a brand new form of gameplay and accessibility to gamers who couldn’t play with traditional control schemes in the past.

Does that mean that I think disabled gamers should be reduced to touch screen gaming?

No. Absolutely not.

There’s something meaningful about button inputs and having the feeling of full control in the palm of your hands, but some folks don’t have the luxury to experience that sensation. This is why I think providing cutting edge technology like the Wii U touchscreen, the voice activation in Kinect, and the Arodite Switchblade are great signs for the gaming industry. We’re learning methods of game design that promote accessibility. The controllers are alright as they are for most gamers. We don’t want to ruffle the feathers of a mass fan-base by any means. I mean look at Sony – their control scheme hasn’t changed in years and they still make bank off sales.

This is point proven in a rant by IGN’s Luke Riley who shared his thoughts on the whole Molyneux/Kinect bit:

My point here is that Molyneux, you may be a ranting gentleman, but some of your points stand. The gaming industry does need to look at how games are played. We need to be more cognizant of the audiences we provide for, but at the same time we should open up venues for the most accessibility possible. If that means new controllers, if that means changes in gameplay, etc. I’m excited for either, but I will say that I want to see a change. There needs to be one, and it’s either going to come in the form of hardware or software. I’d prefer the software first, but that’s just me.

Gaming With A Cause: The Humble Bundle for Android 2

Posted by Chad Knick on

Well, if this isn’t a glorious day? A glorious gaming day which allows me to provide more opportunity for gaming AND aiding my fellow gamer. Folks, if you haven’t heard of a lovely little program called the Humble Bundle. You’re missing out. Honestly, I’m kind of sad that I haven’t mentioned this before now – I apologize profusely. So, what exactly is this Humble Bundle thing? Well, it’s a collection of games that comes out on a rather regular basis. [ Opportunities vary so I’ll keep up with it and provide updates for sure! ] This month a new Humble Bundle has been released and here’s what you need to know:

The Humble Bundle for Android 2 is a game collection that helps charity, and if you’ve followed my posts, you know how devoted I am to giving back to gamers in some fashion. The proceeds go to help the Child’s Play charity and the EFF [ Electronic Frontier Foundation ] If you want to know more about the organizations you can check out the Organizations section of my blog. The glorious thing about this whole project is that you can pay what you want for the WHOLE Bundle! You get five wonderful games [ six, if you donate over the average donation! ]for one easy donation:

  • Snuggle Truck:
    • Snuggle Truck is a quirky game from developers, Owlchemy Labs, which puts you in the driver seat of a flat bed truck driver who delivers – what else? Snuggly stuffed animals. The quirk here is that, instead of your basic 9 – 5 traditional commute, you’re driving your flat bed truck into swirling, winding and twisting race tracks.

The cutest escape that's ever been attempted!

    • The goal here is to try and keep your lovely little stuffed pets within your truck at all costs and get them to a zoo that will provide their cuddly bits with all the care they deserve. You earn points based on how many pets you kept within your truck by the end of the track.
  • Canabalt:
    • Developed by Semi Secret Software, Canabalt is reminiscent of a traditional jumper game. Your character starts running as soon as the game starts and your score is based off how far you can run across the rooftops. It’s a very basic game, but it’s so exhilarating tense and fun. It can be played online for free, but you get it in a package for your Humble Bundle! How cool is that? The game continues to get faster and faster and the music is cinematic and intense. The bonus with getting this Humble Bundle version of Canabalt is that it allows for 2 player multiplayer! Enjoy!

Run Forest! Run!!

  • Zen Bound 2:
    • Zen Bound 2 is the sequel to Zen Bound by Secret Exit and it’s a wonderfully peaceful puzzle game. You are given a statue, reminiscent of a particular object, and then are required to wrap a piece of rope around it. Everywhere the rope touches gets lit up with color and thus – the concept of Zen Bound 2 is born! Enjoy this tranquil puzzle game that is both casual and mind-bending all at the same time!

How dare you invade my space? I shall bind you where you stand!

  • Cogs:
    • Cogs is another grand puzzle game within this Humble Bundle. This sliding puzzle game from Lazy 8 Games gives us steampunk junkies a bit of a swooning factor. The game essentials are as follows: Slide the pieces of pipe around until all the pipes and cogs connect correctly, to allow the actual puzzle to spring to life. How cool is that? Here’s particular rocket puzzle to get your lips smacking!

Rocket Man! Making sure my pipes are working' y'all!

  • Avadon: The Black Fortress:
    • Do you like RPG’s? Do you find turn-based RPG’s tend to have died off with all sorts of games other than Final Fantasy? Well then have no fear – Avadon is here! This game from Spider Web Software is vintage RPG. Battle across mass maps in an old-school RPG that will make you swoon for vintage consoles and the old days of gaming. Check out this screenshot of the game and you’ll see what I mean. Inventory, Parties, and RPG upgrade fun:

Oh look at how it's ma' inventory! Hot dog!

and …

  • Swords and Soldiers [ if you donate over the highest average donation]
    • Swords and Soldiers is a side-scrolling action game. You control a variation of warriors ranging from Vikings, Chinese warriors, and Aztec shamans to thwart off hoards of enemies as you go along your way through the side-scrolling environment. While this game is available on the SOE [ Sony Entertainment Network, or PSN ] who would want to pass up an opportunity to get the game by the use of a donation? The game is pretty addictive and the coloration is comical while still being entertaining and aggressive. Here’s a screenshot of the action:

This lil' Viking went to town, a' smashin' on a monster!

The games are available for practically every platform you could ask for:

  • Android
  • Mac
  • Windows
  • Linux
  • Steam

I’m a huge fan of these opportunities and I urge folks who are really looking for some great indie games to jump on this opportunity to help a wonderful cause. This Humble Bundle is going to be open for 5 MORE DAYS , so you won’t have long to grab these great games while you can! You’ll be helping children experience the joy of gaming and you’ll be helping yourself to the same thing! Here is a trailer from the Humble Bundle to you:

The Humble Bundle for Android 2

I see nothing but positives folks! Happy gaming to all! Enjoy the Bundle of joy!

 

Game of the Week: Continuity

Posted by Chad Knick on

Hey there fellow gamers. I’ve desperately been trying to find games that are accessible via a console setting for reviews – and trust me – reviews are coming for console games from Gastrogamer mark my words! I’ll sedate your gaming appetites for now though with a lovely little indie game developed by Guy Lima Jr. and Stefan Mikaelsson or as they are called Ragtime Games. The game is extremely fun, even given its simplistic nature and there’s already a sequel hitting the App Store for iPhone and iPads for 99 cents! So let’s take a look at the parent game: Continuity – shall we?

Continuity is a wonderfully simple puzzle mechanic game that relies on the use of the space bar and arrow keys [ on touchscreen devices it’s merely a touch mechanic to achieve all of the moves – accessibility ftw! ] and your goal in the game is to retrieve a key from one area of the puzzle and get it to unlock the door in another section of the puzzle. Pretty simple concept right? Well, for the first few levels I have to admit it’s pretty simple and addictive fun. The further you get though, the harder and more complex puzzles you’ll face and so it can be challenging, which is actually a great thing for indie game titles, as it allows these games to stand on the same interest level as say a mainstream title.

This is the first level - seems simple right?

The game gets more and more complex as time goes on, but the great thing is that the accessibility of this game is through the roof. The minimalistic style of the graphics allows anyone to play this game, albeit except the blind. The game is simple enough and doesn’t require much physical motion to accomplish [ I assume Continuity 2 is even more accessible with the mere touchscreen access. ]

You have to switch the tiles around to allow access to the door.

Continuity sometimes requires precision timing on switching the slides and timing your jumps, but other than that it’s a highly accessible title that anyone can play. The instructions are done visually and it’s a puzzle that can be played using simply one hand to control the arrow keys and the space bar. What I find most intriguing about this title is that I have seen plenty of ‘key grabbing‘ puzzle titles, but none have really grasped me like Continuity. There’s just something so graceful about this game. Perhaps it’s the etherial music that plays as you go through the puzzles, or the monochromatic color scheme – but this game takes my breath away at how a simple platforming game can be made so complex and beautiful.

If you like Continuity, then I recommend checking out Continuity 2 for iPad. It sounds like the game is far more intricate, but with the same simplistic style as before. It sounds as though it contains more levels than the original and the gameplay is more engaging than ever due to the touchscreen interface. I can’t wait to see what capabilities Ragtime has put out for this mobile installment of the game.

More complex puzzles = More love imo

Here’s a video of Guy explaining some of the changes coming in Continuity 2:

I’m in love with this game and even though it only has 30+ puzzles – they’re a challenge and they get your mind thinking. It’s something I think all people in this world need today. So, if you’re in the mood for a great accessible game title I suggest you give Ragtime Games indie classic a try. It’ll be worth it I promise! I can’t wait to see if I can get my hands on an Android market one, but alas, I guess I’ll have to wait till they make that decision. Till then I’ll be hoping and praying for when consoles begin to think up wondrous, accessible indie games like this. You have my love Ragtime Games. Thanks for making such an engrossing indie title that I can honestly say I’m looking forward to sharing with others!

Play Continuity Here:

Continuity