Review Date: February 4, 2010
Developer: Ragtime Games
Price: Free (Publisher's Site)
Platform: Flash
Genre: Platformer/Puzzle
Score: 4/5
The true test of a great puzzle game is whether or not it stays with you, even when you're not playing it. When you start seeing Tetris blocks while at work or Bejeweled jewels when you should be studying, you know a game is good. And in that regard, Continuity is a success. It may be short, but this student-developed game is one of the most inventive and addictive puzzlers in recent memory.
Keeping It Simple
The goal is simple: there's a key and a door, and you have to figure out how to get the key to the door to finish the level. But the twist is that you don't only have control over the diminutive main character, you can also control the environment itself. Each level consists of a series of cards, each of which shows a small section of the level. You can zoom in to whichever card your character is on to move him around and zoom out to view all the cards and shuffle them around. Doing this allows you to create new routes as you line up the cards. For earlier stages the answers are usually pretty simple, but as the game moves on and the difficulty ramps up, you'll be left scratching your head at some of the bewildering puzzles.
And this continues across the game's 32 different levels. The difficulty curve is gradual, and each of the stages feels unique. The game even throws in multiple keys into later levels adding an extra devious layer of challenge.
Looks Can Be Deceiving
Continuity sports a visual style that is very reminiscent of another free puzzle game, N. The backgrounds are simple and monochromatic, with the only color being the red keys and doors. The character you play as also looks fairly simplistic, but animates incredibly smoothly. But despite the simplicity of the visuals, they aren't bland or boring and suit the game incredibly well. Same goes for the upbeat soundtrack. Though you'll hear the same two songs over and over, somehow, they don't get repetitive or annoying.
This could be due to the length of the game, though. As great as Continuity is, because there are only 32 levels, it doesn't quite have the lasting appeal of other puzzle games. And since each of the levels has a specific answer, there's little incentive to replay through them.
The Bottom Line
But this is a minor quibble, especially considering the fact that Continuity was created by a team of just four students. While it lasts, Continuity is one of the most inventive and addicting puzzle games you'll play and is a danger to productivity everywhere.