Tyler Glaeil may be best known these days for his work on Closure and Aether, but as a 14-year old he made his debut with 2005's Magnetism, an excellent ball-dropping blend of physics and strategy.
although that would probably break our poor protagonist's mind even further. It may approach the competition's theme from a different angle, but This is Not a Minimalist Game has a neat idea that begs for more fleshing out in the future. It might even be a bit too simple for some players since the story is somewhat underdeveloped to go with the gameplay, though the ending has a cute twist that feels like a punchline. albeit with even less bells and whistles. Though ultimately a short game, which is to be expected given its teeny-weeny development window, This is Not a Minimalist Game is fun and satisfying in the same sort of vein as Evoland.
which is going to be tricky since boxes are all you get. You'll need to think outside the box in order to restore the world. how rude! Use the keys to move and jump, and to select dialogue options, and the number keys to select items or open your map. And all you wanted to do was chop off his head to complete your quest. Made in just 48 hours for Ludum Dare's Minimalism competition, StormAlligator's This is Not a Minimalist Game is a retro-sy adventure that looks ordinary until a curse downgrades your high-tech world into something much simpler. When a world exists only as words and sounds in your ears, you'll be surprised at the horrifying images your brain conjures up. Get ready for one of the most frighteningly lifelike games on any mobile device. And yes, that's the voice of Benedict Cumberbatch you hear! It's a bit on the short side, but the experience is absolutely worth it. There are 14 chapters in all, each lasting just a few minutes for around an hour of gameplay in all. It's a strong story-driven game and puzzles are presented at their absolute minimum. That isn't to say there aren't some twists in the gameplay, however.Īs the story progresses, The Nightjar becomes more of a frightening place. The game often requires you to seek out a particular sound (a door lock release, for example), then find the exit to continue. Sounds appear to come from different locations as you move and pivot.
To turn left or right, simply swipe the top of the screen. Alternate tapping the left and right "tracks" on the screen to walk, your feet making appropriate noises on every surface they strike. Navigating The Nightjar requires you to listen and locate sounds then use a few simple visual controls to move through the world. Now let's see if you can escape this ship you've been stranded on without getting eaten by one of those "complex, non-human" lifeforms! Every sound has a meaning, and every step moves you through a dark labyrinth of mental images.
The Nightjar is an audio adventure from Papa Sangre that uses a rudimentary visual interface to allow you to explore a sci-fi horror adventure world. It stands to reason, then, that in a world where nothing is visible, just about everything is frightening. The most frightening things are often the ones you can't see.