Indie Showcase #1 – The Impossible Game

Indie Showcase is an attempt to bring some of the best, yet often forgotten indie titles to the foreground and reminisce over yesteryear’s offerings from the indie scene. They may not have made their developers a lot of money, they may not even be widely known, but one thing is for sure, they deserve their spot in the limelight as much as any AAA title does.

This week the spotlight shines on The Impossible Game. A small title from an equally small team of developers known collectively as FlukeDuke. Released in 2011, The Impossible Game quickly became a hot topic among the gaming community for its minimalistic approach to graphics and its highly addictive gameplay. Due to its steep learning curve, excruciatingly hard levels and lack of any checkpoints, The Impossible Game became known as one of the most frustrating games ever made. Yet for some reason even on your 119th attempt, you just can’t bring yourself to quit.

The concept is simple. You’re a square. Your only input is a single button which will make the square jump. The square travels along a set path and it’s up to you to avoid the constant stream of obstacles that stand in your way. As a platformer, the game is exactly what a player wants. No distractions, no fuss, no complicated mechanics or gameplay. It’s just you, a single button, clearly visible obstacles to avoid and a thumping music track which keeps it all in sync.

One of the reasons why it’s so addictive and hard to put down is the lack of a game over screen. If you die (you will die), you are instantly sent back to the beginning and the game starts straight away without any pause. You instinctively jump over the first obstacle and before you know it you’re trying to beat your record all over again. Giving the player no time to pause and quit is a genius technique to keep them playing. What starts out as a quick game soon becomes a marathon as you inch ever closer to that finish line. The name of the game is a big indication to how hard it is. It may not be impossible, but at times it feels awfully close. Thankfully, the game is a little lenient in that you can turn on practice mode at any time. This lets you place flags as you travel the course which acts as a checkpoint. Allowing you to continue from the flag once you die. Beating the levels in this manor will unlock the next level but it kind of feels like cheating. Even the song changes while in practice mode which highlights the fact that you’re not playing it ‘properly’.

The music is another reason to keep playing. While all the tracks are by unknown musicians (Kid2Will?) they are still very good and unlocking the next song becomes a personal goal. Especially when you’ve been listening to the same track over and over again for so long.

For just a couple bucks you will definitely get your money’s worth. It may only have five unique levels, but expect to be playing each level for a long long time. I’ve had the game installed on my PS3 for the past couple years. Jumping in for a ‘quick’ game every now and then. As of writing, I have only unlocked the second level. I did that by beating the first in practice mode. Unsatisfied, I will be going back and beating level one legit.

If you’ve never experienced The Impossible Game, do yourself a favour and pick it up asap. It’s available on all platforms including the PS Vita. There’s even a demo available so you can try before you buy. You may thank me for the suggestion, or you may hate me for causing rage inducing attacks and nightmares. Either way, at least you will have experienced this little gem of a game.