Hamstory

I really like the platform placement, it is so smart. It feels like the game can tell the difference between a ‘smart’ mistake and a reckless one. When I fell and thought, “Nooo, I calculated that so well,” I usually landed somewhere not too far below. But when I fell and immediately went, “I knew it! I rushed that,” that’s when I plummeted straight down.

Hamstory is an incredibly charming and highly polished offering within the rage climber subgenre of 2D platformers, inviting you into a vibrant world of adorably ambitious animals and beautiful shifting nature environments. Like many other indie platformers of the 2020s so far, the gameplay of this one follows the formula of Jump King, arming the player character with a charged jump ability that increases in height & distance depending on how long the button is held. The twist here is that you are provided with a UI bar to show the relative level of your planned jump, from tiers 1 to 5. In practice, this removes the need for muscle memory, making every routed leap extremely consistent and many new obstacles easy to approach. The difficulty doesn't take a back seat though, as clever obstacle layouts still encourage experimentation, and the second half of the game demands quick reactions to avoid certain hazards. The other innovation is the inclusion of a horizontal dash ability, which enables further level design diversity and gives the player the means to devise creative shortcuts and mitigate failed landings. All in all, this game is more pleasant and welcoming than Jump King (and…

Started playing because Hamcho is so freaking cute, and suddenly 3 hours just vanished. Time literally melts away with this game... Grabbed it during the launch sale, and honestly, it’s already paid for itself. Absolute steal.

good.