At the moment pixelated faux-retro graphics are all the rage, partly because they’re trendy, partly because they don’t require lots of hardware resources to implement, and (let’s be honest) partly because they’re easier for developers to create than high-resolution 2D sprites. So occasionally it’s nice to see a game like In Between, which bucks the trend with both characters and backgrounds that are completely unique and drawn by hand. Check out the trailer below to see what I mean:
Though it uses platformer elements, In Between is a puzzle game at heart. You control a man who’s on a journey through his own fractured mind, where gravity is a lot more flexible than it is elsewhere. The narrative is delivered via voice-over in the style of many indie games. We’ve seen this gravity-reversing gameplay before, but it’s usually limited to the Y axis. In In Between the main character can walk or fall in all four directions, opening up some interesting possibilities in terms of obstacles and brain-teasers. The music and sound design is also worthy of attention.
In Between comes from Headup Games, developers of interesting Android titles like The Inner World and Shiny the Firefly. The game costs $2 with no ads or in-app purchases, which is more than reasonable. It’s available on Android 4.3 or higher, but unfortunately doesn’t work with Android TV devices.