VVVVVV
Review

VVVVVV (2010) is a running and jumping game, without the jumping. Not having the ability to jump may seem like a disadvantage, but instead you can flip gravity to get around the various rooms of the abandoned space station. It looks like a 1980's game for the Spectrum or Commodore 64 but combines the single room puzzles into a large labyrinth you can explore as you want creating a puzzle on multiple levels.

Play involves simply moving either left or right or flipping from floor to ceiling. You cannot flip while in mid-air so need to think ahead before making your move. The control of your player requires impeccable timing and positioning as you try to evade enemies and dangerous spikes. As you play, the map of the spaceship you are exploring is revealed and the size of the task at hand.

Those of a certain age may feel nostalgic over the design and sounds of this game as it draws inspiration from classic early computer games. Very simple graphics, a simple control system, but it's challenging as the puzzles get more and more difficult as the game continues. The developer made this as an experiment in gameplay, and in homage to his childhood favourites. It is surprisingly challenging, absorbing and expansive for a game with very simple visual forms.

Our examiner, Andrea Walney, first checked VVVVVV 2 years ago. It was re-examined by Jo Robertson and updated 6 months ago.