Sound Shapes
Review

Sound Shapes (2012) is simple rolling and jumping game where you make music by completing the levels. It features music from artists such as Beck and visual elements from other games and game makers. Originally on the Vita, it uses that systems touch screens in the level designer to good effect. But it's the joy of the beat and of evolving songs that really make this stand out.

Like other platform games, play involves rolling left or right and jumping. You work through each level avoiding red elements and getting to checkpoints. You stick to white elements. That's it, although that's not really it because of how it sounds. Each action in the game causes instruments and sounds to be adding to the looping music.

The game also features the ability to create levels, although now the servers are shut down you can't share them. The Vita version of the game features makes novel use of the touch screen and back touchpad to place sounds of different musical instruments during the creation of levels.

Our examiner, Andy Robertson, first checked Sound Shapes 2 years ago. It was re-examined by Jo Robertson and updated 18 months ago.