- Developer: Draw Me A Pixel
- Publisher: Draw Me A Pixel
- Release Date: 14/4/21
- Price: $12.99 / £11.69
- Review copy provided by Draw Me A Pixel
Introducing: There Is No Game: Wrong Dimension Review
Underdog stories are great folks, and this game is certainly the story of an unlikely success. See, back in 2016 the folks over at Draw Me A Pixel saw that the fun flash game they had made was pretty popular so they decided to get a Kickstarter going to see if they could make this little game into a bigger game! So off they went to see if their fans could make a dream a reality by asking them for the modest sum of €32,000 to complete the development for this wonderful project. Well, turns out that they were only able to raise €3,317 (just over 10%) of that goal, and with Kickstarter’s rules being all-or-nothing the team had to start from the bottom and see if it was worth the stress and effort. Many years later, the fruits of their labor of love have been released to the general public for a modest price!
So, after all that hubbub, why would I play a game where there is, in fact, no game. I mean, There has to be something here, so let’s jump into this little indie gem from the cool folks over at Draw Me A Pixel.
Hello, User
The entire premise of this game/non-game is that you, the player, are known simply as “The User”. You boot up this game only to be greeted with a voice telling you that there is nothing here for you to play. The game, or should I say the voice of the game constantly tries everything in their power to stop you from beginning whatever game they are a part of. For instance, “Game” (as he calls himself later) will block your access to buttons by locking them behind doors. safes, or other obstacles. However, after a good spent constantly frustrating Game’s efforts to stop you from playing the game that may or may not exist, things start to unravel as a sinister glitch begins to wreak havoc on not only this game, but others that it can find. From here, you team up with the unwilling Game as you both seek to hunt down and defeat the Glitch who seeks to destroy everything it finds.
The entire experience is treated like a point and click adventure, which really fits the idea that the developers were going for. Honestly, it’s some of the most fun I’ve had in the genre since Sam & Max Remastered, and the game (not the character) has a lot of fun with the concepts each new chapter includes. The gimmicks included are anywhere from making fun of Free-To-Play games or even the old PC adventure games of old. This game about games is fun for a lot of different reasons.
What Are You Doing To My Graphics, User??
So, the art style of There Is No Game is perfectly tuned to the experience you are getting with the gameplay. With the exception of a single segment, the games are presented in a pixelated style, but each chapter changes that style enough to make each area feel distinct and fun. There is a noticeable amount of love and care put into each new area and this really helps to keep the game fresh, so look forward to that as you play. The real gold, however, lies in how this game sounds.
As I said before, as you play the game, Game will comment about how he hates you for breaking other people’s games and messing with the continuity of the respective game universes you enter. See, for Game, it’s not about how you solve the problems, it’s watching his whole reality be destroyed in front of his eyes. Hearing Game freak out when you not only wreck the perfectly good video game in front of you, but then wreck that thing you broke EVEN MORE to make a tool that helps you move farther in the game is a memory I will hold dear for a long time. The audio is wonderful and fun and certainly keeps me going for more.
Oh No! A Glitch! Quick, After It User!
Nah, I’m just kidding you. There aren’t any glitches in There Is No Game. At least not that I came across. My favorite thing about this game is that while this game is meant as a PC title, it also supports touch controls, which is a GODSEND for some of the more finely tuned or faster moments. The regular controller setup works pretty well too, as touch controls don’t really work when the game is docked, but I would recommend that you head over to the options and speed up the sensitivity on those, as they go pretty slow on the default settings. There’s just enough to customize to keep things nice for any person playing, so that’s nice. Otherwise, this game is put together pretty well. I mean, the glitch that is SUPPOSED to be in the game works perfectly.
I Am Telling You, THERE IS NO GAME!!
There Is No Game: Wrong Dimension is a blast for a pretty small price tag. The game is a labor of love that deserves to have tons of people to play it and love it for what it is. I recommend this for anybody looking for a fun game with decent puzzles and hilarious dialogue. Seriously, this is a fun game. A little on the short side, but considering the team and the story behind it, I’m pretty happy with it. Give it a go,. If you love messing with the fourth wall, this is the game for you.
PROS
- Fabulous writing and acting
- Clever puzzles that make you smile
- Excellent payoff at the end
CONS
- Not great on replay value (unless showing off to others)
- Some puzzles are a bit frustrating (but the hints are helpful)
- Ends too soon.
