AD2 Roanoke

There’s an old adage that says “A good director/coach/designer works with what he’s given”. So, what if that’s self imposed palette limitations in a low resolution environment? Today, take some time to be inspired by a few games that come out of the neo-8-bit movement.

Canabalt

Play online | Put it on your iPhone for $3

Canabalt really just needs to be experienced, but I’ll try and describe it anyway. Your city is being decimated, and you have to escape. See how far you can get as you bound your way to freedom in the parkour platformer. For a game that takes only one finger to play, I almost hate to admit how much time I’ve spent jumping from rooftop to rooftop, crashing through plate glass and scrambling to avoid the falling engines. Play this one with speakers up or headphones on.

Play more games by Adam Saltsman

More games after the jump.
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Yes, this is a screenshot of the game I propose you take your lunch break playing, and yes I realize its a cartoon gentleman in the nude on a bicycle, just hang in there with me.

Icycle, from game designer Damp Gnat, puts you in the world of the last successful human to be cryogenically frozen before the world became flash frozen in quiet desolation. Or is he?

I realize this is the second post to feature a game and a game that features a lonely protagonist in a world at a stand still, but it’s mostly a coincidence, if you conciser I work out of my home. But the visuals are lovely and it a great bit of storytelling in this vectorized treat. A nice use of textures, visual cues and sound gags to ensure the game never gets dull, even after you die for the 70th time. Perfect for a little lunch time inspiration.

Play Icycle here, or view a trailer after the jump.
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It’s true. Nothing like some point-and-click action to make me loose an entire afternoon of work. I thought I’d share this one I’ve seen in the last couple days around the blogosphere (and I promise that’ll be the last time I use the term ‘blogosphere’).

It’s called Little Wheel from Slavic game designer OneClickDog. The premise is simple. You’re a robot, the last of your kind on a lonely planet and it’s your job to restore the power to get the planet moving again after 10,000 years of hibernation. Think Wall-E with less space travel and more Victorian tones.

It’s a pretty little game. Perfect duration for a lunch break. It’s stemming the tide until I can get my hands on the new Monkey Island episodes/Special Edition.

Play it at Fast Games or watch a walkthrough video after the jump.

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