Nindie Preview: Flat Heroes

I know this is just meant to be a preview but the Early Access version of the game I’ve already played on PC is enough to make me say it here: This is absolutely a game people should be paying attention to. As a single-player reaction/puzzler it is devious and brilliant, as an exhilarating exercise in testing your ability to use a tight moveset to survive it is inspired, and with a group of friends there is a great mix of both simplicity and nuance driving fast-paced multiplayer fun. Screen shots and even video can’t quite do justice to the experience I’ve had checking the game out, but I fear because of its minimalist appearance people will mistakenly pass it by.

4-Player Chaotic Action in Versus Mode

Flat Heroes is precisely what I am looking for in an indie title, and that so often is missing in mainstream offerings: the purity of a great idea impeccably executed. What looks to have begun as an exercise in working control mechanics to an extremely satisfying level of quality has been turned into a gauntlet of maddening challenges.

While the campaign starts out feeling more like a simple-ish puzzle game you’ll quickly begin to see signs of what’s to come. It very effectively begins to nudge you towards learning the control mechanics like double-jumping and sticking to walls, as well as the various enemies you’ll need to contend with. With each level new combinations of enemies and level designs will push you to further refine your skills and then each world culminates in a boss fight to test what you’ve learned. Perhaps it is the years of playing too many games with underwhelming boss battles talking but every boss battle is a challenge and several of them are downright brutal to take out.

Boss Fights (That Are Actually Hard)!!!

As the game, at this point, is still not finished there may be additional additions and/or changes made but I’m very eager to see how the game ends up, it is already a very compelling and challenging package!