Now you're thinking with... shiftiness

February 2, 2008 1:28 PM

Shift, a flash game to take up 15 minutes of your Saturday. It's short, but interesting in the same slightly mind-bending way as Portal (and other recent flash games in the Blue). (Warning: I got dizzy)
posted by BlackLeotardFront (20 comments total)

That was fairly amusing. The shifting made the levels almost too easy.
posted by shakespeherian at 1:43 PM on February 2, 2008

Heh, I crashed it. Don't get stuck between a spike and the wall.
posted by backseatpilot at 2:09 PM on February 2, 2008

I liked the concept - good little waste of time!
posted by caution live frogs at 2:22 PM on February 2, 2008

I believe the concept behind this game was originated by Sean Howard. It was disappointing to see that they didn't give him any credit.
posted by reishus at 2:29 PM on February 2, 2008

Run! I liked it a bunch thanks for the post!
posted by HappyHippo at 3:02 PM on February 2, 2008

Is this hosted anywhere else? I can't manage to play it.

I'm looking forward to it, especially if it's inspired by one of the ideas from the 300 Gameplay Mechanics that I've been following since the beginning.
posted by flatluigi at 4:38 PM on February 2, 2008

Is there actually an alternate ending if you're canny enough on last level?
posted by nicolas léonard sadi carnot at 5:00 PM on February 2, 2008

Nice little waste of time. Not a bad game design for using 4 buttons. Thanks!
posted by mikeo2 at 5:02 PM on February 2, 2008

Good call, reishus... I don't know. Maybe it's just an emergent phenomenon.
posted by BlackLeotardFront at 5:24 PM on February 2, 2008

I liked the little story that went along with the action. That was fun.
posted by oddman at 5:42 PM on February 2, 2008

A similar game, Ying Yang.
posted by book at 5:47 PM on February 2, 2008 [1 favorite]

That was one of the funnest flash games I've ever played. Seriously.

P.S. RUN!
posted by Cyclopsis Raptor at 5:56 PM on February 2, 2008

This is definitely a clever game -- the commentary is amusing as well.
posted by spiderskull at 7:25 PM on February 2, 2008

if you've played portal you'll realize how derivative the game is in terms of commentary but also style. not to detract from it, of course. good game.
posted by Dillonlikescookies at 8:03 PM on February 2, 2008

I would say that this game owes more to something like Legacy of Kain, which used a physical world/inverse spirit world as a major game mechanic - most likely it owes the most to the first of those "gameplay mechanics" linked up there. Portal did something fresh (and most importantly it did it nearly perfectly), but the usage of a tool to twist the world around you to make the impossible happen is pretty old.
posted by BlackLeotardFront at 8:11 PM on February 2, 2008

It was disappointing to see that they didn't give him any credit.

Don't worry, he gives himself plenty.
posted by notmydesk at 11:39 PM on February 2, 2008

It crashed for me too. And I'm not starting over. Amusing though.
posted by Roger Dodger at 11:13 AM on February 3, 2008

Portal did something fresh

Not to spoil your fun but Prey did portals way before Portal (and Portal's predecessor, Navicular Drop)
posted by yifes at 8:23 PM on February 3, 2008

yifes: The team that developed Narbacular Drop joined Valve to develop Portal. From that perspective, you can say Prey plagiarised Narbacular Drop, and that Portal self-plagiarised Narbacular.

It's a very cute flash game though. It's quite interesting how 2d gaming is making a bit of a comeback, only in the context of things 3d games *can't* do; play on your whole perception of ambiguous graphics and game cues. The 'reality' of a 3d engine constrains you to real-world behaviour (portal guns, though sci-fi, still have to shoot on surfaces; how could Portal do something such as reverse solid/non-solid space?*)

(* okay, they kinda play with that conceit on Portal's last level)
posted by davemee at 5:04 AM on February 4, 2008

Very enjoyable. Thanks!
posted by slogger at 12:23 PM on February 4, 2008