Rooftop Cop

There is no reason to play any of the vignettes past the first few minutes of each, unless you've fallen in love with the systems for their own sake. To me, this is a game design dream come true. Everything is laid bare, and in a few cases I can feel the game outright mocking the idea that you might want to 'complete' a vignette or be rewarded for doing so. Not recommended if you're looking for a nice fun videogame experience, but I truly love Rooftop Cop and recommend it with my entire heart if you're interested in... well, whatever the hell it is. It speaks to me about the nature of videogames, so it's not "for people who don't like videogames." Maybe it's for people who are acutely aware that they like videogames TOO much.

The arstyle is unique, there is a kernel of a couple of good ideas and I enjoy the artsy soundtrack that is a little similar to Simon Fisher Turner's work for Derek Jarman movies. Other than that, this is an art project, not a game. And a pretentious art project at that that says absolutely nothing worth saying. What's worse is that there is potential and talent here, just wasted. If you're gonna get it, get it for the soundtrack.

Many will come into this looking for clear answers and goals. Most negative reviews will claim this to be "pretentious", "not a game", "boring". If something isn't easily understood or goes against an established view of what an interactive project can be, it seems to ignite a strong defensive anger. I've always loved the concept of extremely short form games. Experimentation and explorations not confined to rigid rules of game design. Rooftop Cop has you exploring 5 endless vignette games that are abstract and rich in atmosphere. I'd describe the art style as "glitch-grime", a wasteland of pixels in an oppressive world. This is a slow experience where themes of corruption, exploitation, and power sink in gradually through the repetitive nature of the medium, and where patience unravels contemplation about its overarching message.

Neat vignettes hinting to a broader story and world. I liked it.

Rooftop Cop is a collection of 5 minimalist retro pixel minigames with some wrapping around them to make it look like an art installation. The minigames here are very low quality, badly polished, and are completely pointless. They have nothing to do with each other, either. The game lacks control customisation and graphics options, so you must accept whatever the developer says. It seems like the developer tried to make 5 separate games, had no idea what he was doing so slapped them all together to try sell it as "art". There's a $3 price tag which is just inexcusable, there are far better games available completely free. How could anyone recommend this?

Weird and abstract, more art piece than game. If the idea of something confusing and less than 20 minutes long appeals to you (as it does to me) then give it a shot