Ellipsis

Ellipsis is one of those indie games that demonstrates how much can be accomplished with a focused idea and a strong sense of style. Developed and published by Salmi Games, the title takes an unconventional approach to arcade design by stripping away combat almost entirely and replacing it with a constant emphasis on movement, timing, and survival. At first glance, its minimalist visuals and simple controls may suggest a casual experience, but beneath that clean exterior lies a surprisingly demanding and rewarding game that steadily challenges players to think differently about the genre. The game's central premise revolves around guiding a small entity through dangerous environments filled with hostile obstacles and unpredictable hazards. Instead of eliminating enemies, players are tasked with avoiding them while navigating increasingly intricate levels. This "avoid 'em up" concept gives Ellipsis a unique identity, transforming every stage into a puzzle of positioning and reflexes. The absence of text throughout the experience is another notable design decision. Everything is communicated visually, from mechanics to progression, allowing players to immerse themselves without inte…

Oh hey did I never rate this? . . . whoops! Anyway, Ellipsis was my favorite game at PAX East 2017, and for whatever reason I was randomly thinking about it again today. I really enjoyed the classic, tightly controlling mouse-avoider gameplay, the intuitive level-editor, and the neon retro arcade aesthetic. I wish it would have found a wider audience, this one is an instant classic and deserved more attention than it got!

Visually, this game reminds me a lot of geometry wars, if instead of wave fighting you had pacifist puzzles. Good zone out game!

(game complete at 4.5 hours of gameplay upon review, part of my review all my games effort) (short version) Absolutely 100% yes I would recommend this game. There are a few (maybe 10) very frustrating levels that I didn't get 4+ stars on and made me want to rage quit. However I did complete every level. Very fun reflex puzzle game and for $5 is a must have. (Long version) Very fun reflex puzzle game that had me enjoying it (mostly) from start to finish. The visual effects are amazing for this game and the sound effects are enjoyable. I especially love how the developers (i hate this phrase) "baby stepped" the player though each start of a new level the difficulty ramps up but it's not impossible. The good: Very enjoyable, levels are short (150 levels total or so) and can last anywhere between 10 seconds to 5 or so minutes (the few that are very tough like 10 of them). This game is under priced at $5. The bad: Around the end levels there were about 2/3 levels where my mouse was not functioning correctly. I don't know what happened with that, but once I switched to a controller for that level it was sorted. Specifically the level with all the turrets firing the explosive …

10 / 10, underated gem!

Beat the game and can say this, it's a game of measured frustration but quite beatable if you just stay relatively calm and focused on the task. Level design was neat in that each world introduces the different components incrementally and then ramps up the complexity as you go on. Some levels are ones of slow study and observation, others just need you to GO GO GO, so a nice variety that way. Also LOVE the idea of being able to make your own levels or download other people's creations to challenge yourself even further. The amount I played reflects me messing with it some time ago and the rest is just me doing a play thru of it from start to finish in about 2 hrs and 30+ minutes; though, keep in mind I didn't complete EVERY level at 4 stars (that's a fully completed level). Totally worth checking out, especially at the current price point, if you have the patience for the challenge!