Hidden gems: Puzzle Platformers

Today, I am gonna show you 3 decent puzzle platformers: Ageless, Defy Gravity, and The Swapper. You might ask yourselves why did he choose these 3 games, they have almost nothing in common? Well, the answer is very simple: They are 2d puzzle platformers with a unique twist.

Ageless

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1210150/Ageless/

The first time I heard about Ageless was in a recent Humble Bundle Choice. I love puzzles and platformers so it immediately caught my attention. It was developed by One More Dream Studios and published by Team17 Digital LTD on July 20^th, 2020.

You play as Kiara, a young girl with no confidence suffering from depression looking for a “Gift” that she believes will solve all her problems. This gift is a magical bow that lets her become ageless, freeze time temporarily for everything but herself. In addition, it also allows her to channel life energy or nearby lifeforms. You can either give them energy (make them older) or take it from them (make them younger). You can also steal some life force and use it to dash around. Different creatures have different abilities, different interactions and it’s up to you to find the best way to maneuver around the world of Ageless.

Puzzles are interesting, although the difficulty in some areas is not exactly balanced. You can find a room that can be solved with a couple of jumps here, then 2 screens later find yourself needing a dozen tight actions to complete the required puzzle.

While playing you will come across Relics. They are the game's collectibles similar to how strawberries work in Celeste. They are mostly hidden in their own sections, but some appear on the main path. Each relic unlocks a display piece in the relic room. There is also an achievement for getting them all.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:

Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system

OS: Windows 7 64-bit

Processor: Intel i3-2100 @ 3GHz

Memory: 4 GB RAM

Graphics: GTX650 1GB VRAM

DirectX: Version 11

Storage: 2 GB available space

 

 

Defy Gravity

https://store.steampowered.com/app/96100/Defy_Gravity_Extended/

Defy Gravity is a very simplistic sci-fi puzzle platformer. It was made by Paul Fisch and published by Fish Factory Games in early 2016. It’s one of those games that’s easy to get into but difficult to master.

You play as Kara (as opposed but similar to Kiara from Ageless) and attempt to complete the Gauntlet, a series of tests to prove one worthy of calling themselves Gravitymancer.

The graphics are very basic, and the story is practically non-existent, but that’s okay, cause games like these draw you in with gameplay. The main appeal here is that you have a gun that can create gravity fields. You can make it pull objects towards the center, or push objects away (you included). Your suit allows you to temporarily prevent the gravity field effects on you alone. This leads to a very interesting approach to all puzzles, as it allows unique solutions for almost every one.

Once you complete the gauntlet, you will be able to enter the Hard Mode. This is basically the same game but with a simple twist: your gravity fields can only pull objects now! Sounds simple, but you quickly realize that the game is at least twice harder than it was before.

Minimum Requirements:

OS: Windows XP/Vista/7/10

Processor: 1.5Ghz

Memory: 512Mb

Hard Disk Space: 50Mb

Video Card: 128 MB Graphics Card that supports Shader Model 1.1

DirectX®: 9.0c

 

The swapper

https://store.steampowered.com/app/231160/The_Swapper/

Another sci-fi-themed game, this time it’s the Swapper. Narrative-driven, atmospheric and intriguing game which allows you to create clones of yourself and swap your mind between them. A very unique approach to puzzle games. It was developed by Olli Harjola, Otto Hantula, Tom Jubert and Carlo Castellano, and published by Facepalm games on 30^th May 2013.

I would compare the camera and angles to Limbo, but the world and gameplay are significantly different. The art in The Swapper is constructed using clay models and everyday materials, which combine to create truly unique visuals in a detailed and atmospheric environment. It’s something you have to play to fully grasp and understand.

Create up to 4 clones that mimick your moves, and swap your mind (main character) between them. Use them to press switches, create temporary bridges, or in any other way you want. All that matters is that you get your mind to the exit.

Minimum requirements:

OS: Windows XP SP3 or later, 64/32bit

Processor: Dual Core CPU (2.2+ GHz Dual Core CPU or better)

Memory:1 GB RAM

Graphics: GeForce® 8800 or Radeon® HD4800 series, 512 MB of memory, OpenGL 3.0 support required

Hard Drive:1 GB HD space

Additional: Intel HD Graphics are not officially supported. But if you've got yourself a 3000 or better then there is a reasonable chance it will mostly/sorta work. No promises, but we've been working hard on it, at any rate.