Teatime Game
Release type: Freeware
Release date: July 19, 2014
Levels: 1
Author: James Hofmann
Website: Glorious Trainwrecks
Related games: PersiaTron, Terror Tower, Blipp in: Power Panic!
Teatime Game is one of four games designed for a game jam held by the Glorious Trainwrecks community, in celebration of Andy Stone's release of Game-Maker's source code. All four games were assembled over a short span on the evening of July 19th, 2014, while the authors chatted and exchanged design tips over IRC.
Hoffman, a former Game-Maker user, went for a simple yet effective design; collect the circles to unlock the triangles and exit the level. Complicating the design is that the player is afforded only three keys: ones to move forward and back, and a single, rather wonky, forward jump. Furthermore, many of the circles are in positions only attainable through either blind falls or blind leaps.
That's not to suggest that the game is unfair or carelessly designed. Actually, the placement tends to feel deliberate. Given the lack of overt threats and the looping terrain, Teatime Game becomes (true to its name) a relaxing exercise in memorization and reflexes.
The game's aesthetics further its tone, lending it an expressive sketchy quality. The visuals are all original; though the character has just one frame of animation, the backgrounds use an unusual and strictly limited palette to depict a slightly off-kilter landscape. The character glows cyan in contrast with jittery platforms and an undulating backdrop. The game's objects sit askew, rather than straight up and down. Even the music, of uncertain origin, trips through an ambivalent, distracted repose.
As with all the most haunting 8-bit games, Teatime Game projects a sense of space between the pixels; an unknown reality screened out of our perception, where secrets might well be waiting to be found.
As it happens, they aren't to be. Just grab a few circles, unlock a few triangles, and keep pecking at it until you're done. No stress; no pressure. Have a biscuit and explore for a few minutes. It's all cool.
Contents
Story
N/A
Instructions
On numerical keypad:
- 4, 6: Move left, right
- 9: Leap to the right
Credits
Background
can you find your way out of the dangerous red caverns with your rightward jumping ability
Controls:
- Numpad 4, 6, 9
To run:
- Open in DosBOX and with the cycle rate at 16000.
- Run TEA.EXE
- Select "Simulate" when Game-Maker prompts for video configuration.
Availability
Produced for and available from Jeremy Penner's "tribute to postcardware" community, Glorious Trainwrecks.
Archive History
Produced on July 19, 2014 for Glorious Trainwrecks' Game-Maker Source Release Jam, in celebration of Andy Stone's July 11, 2014 release of the Game-Maker source code.
The game was entered into the archive upon completion.
Links
- Game-Maker Source Release Jam / KotM #85 (Glorious Trainwrecks)
Downloads
- Teatime Game (77.8 KB)
- Game map (26.8 kB)
