Areas
Areas has 72 levels, all designed around one simple goal: shrink away the circles that slowly fill up the screen before they suffocate your tiny ship. In that regard, it's hardly more complex than Asteroids. But don't let the simplicity fool you. Areas is a smart, surprising little game.
Buttons are overrated. It's the design philosophy behind Areas' control scheme, which employs nothing but mouse movements. To move, pull the aiming cursor away from your ship. If you want to shoot (and you'll need to do a lot of shooting), draw the cursor in close, and your ship will begin firing as it decelerates. Clicking will get you nowhere, even in the game's menus. It's a little odd at first, but it'll grow on you.
With its basic black-and white color scheme and simple line art, Areas seems a little dull at first. Stick with it. Several levels in, destroyed circles start dropping a series of very cool power-ups. They show up as mysterious circular symbols, and it often takes some experimentation to figure out what they do, and how you'll need to use them to succeed.
Areas' only sound is an eerie, looping soundtrack. It's wonderfully evocative, but if it starts to get tiresome (or you need to play quietly), just hover your aiming cursor over your ship. After a couple of seconds, a pause screen will appear, complete with volume controls.
Thanks to LobsterMobster for suggesting Areas. If you'd like to suggest a game for Act Casual, send a link and description to contact@gamerswithjobs.com
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I dig Kongregate, but I don't dig their annoying chat window. If anyone can find Areas somewhere a little less obnoxious, let me know.
XboxLive: Fly GWJ | PSN: The _Fly | Blog: Lowspec | Twitter
Sounds very obtuse.
*Legion* wrote:
It's not. But you don't have to take my word for it.
XboxLive: Fly GWJ | PSN: The _Fly | Blog: Lowspec | Twitter
I'll just sit here and wait patiently for everyone to fawn over how cool this game is, and how awesome I am for suggesting it.
NOTE: This is not a doodle bug.
BF2142 Stats
It is cool! Great find!
dhelor wrote:
I tried this game over the weekend, I have to say it's quite a freaky experience with the music and all. The game is actually fun once you get the hang of it.
What I love about the game interfase is completely sui generis. There score is in the middle of the screen, the controls are movement based, the mouse buttons don't register anything at all!!!
I've played it in Kograte, and as you say, the chat is pretty annoying (does anyone get the feeling that there's not really anyone chatting, and that it's just a script that pretends to be users chatting? it just feels fake and robotic...), but the entire site is pretty good.
Giving Cosole Gaming an excessive amount of consideration since 1978.
Steam: http://steamcommunity.com/id/Hobbes2099
"Hubris, thy name is Graduate" -- Mine. That's right, I didn't steal from .Alex "Spaz" Martinez .
I know a couple people on Kongregate so I assure you, they're really people. Just... most of them are idiots.
NOTE: This is not a doodle bug.
BF2142 Stats
I love it!
Strange... now I hate it.
Fedaykin98 wrote:
Lost it at LVL 10. The damn weapon upgrades disappear!
XBL / Art / Blog / Buy me!
Level 10 was tough, but well worth the effort.
I used the shotgun to blow up one, ran into the upgrade and started blasting till I got a few more grouped up kinda close and rushed those, a four way deathray shotgun blast is a sight to behold, as are the sweet sweet points:
"Also, I have four legs and am covered in wool. Baa!" *Legion* reveals his inner furry.
Can't get past blasted Level 24.
Arrgh.
"I have not supped of Buffy, nor have I supped in any wise during the absence of Firefly. When Firefly returns again in glory, then shall I sup at the table of Whedon." - Fedaykin98
I'm up around 40 so far. Most of the levels that are a nightmare at first aren't so bad once you rethink your strategies. They just require a new approach. And a little luck.
XboxLive: Fly GWJ | PSN: The _Fly | Blog: Lowspec | Twitter
Yeah I'm at 50 now, and stuck again.
I'll squeak by here one of these tries.
"I have not supped of Buffy, nor have I supped in any wise during the absence of Firefly. When Firefly returns again in glory, then shall I sup at the table of Whedon." - Fedaykin98
At the risk of being an internet douche, here is a link where you can access the game without any ads or chat windows:
Link
If you feel like supporting the site that it's hosted at, go here instead and enjoy the NSFW ads:
Mmmmmm, NSFW ads
EDIT: I highly suggesting saving the .swf directly to your hard drive and opening a new browser window to run the game from there. This should save you from the heartache of accidentally hitting the Back button and wiping out your progress.
In Ultima Online I used to poison hams and leave them on the ground in cities for people to pick up and eat. I can't believe how many people thought street ham was a good thing to eat. -Elliottx
This music is incredibly inspiring.
Blessed be the Lord my strength, which teacheth my mouse hand to war, and my eyes to find my enemy before they grow too large.
O my God, I trust in thee: let me not be ashamed, let not the great white bubbles triumph over me.
My goodness, and my fortress; my high tower, and my shotgun blasting GDI cannon; my shield, and he in whom I trust; who subdueth the bubble under me.
Be not that far from me, for trouble is near; haste Thee to fill the pie graph inside me so that I may live to fight in the next level.
In Ultima Online I used to poison hams and leave them on the ground in cities for people to pick up and eat. I can't believe how many people thought street ham was a good thing to eat. -Elliottx
It's about time. My hand hurts and I wish there was a save feature
dhelor wrote:
It saves after every level. There is an option when you start the game to continue.
It's the icon (after hitting the play button) that looks like a floppy disk.
I finally quit at level 56 last night. I'm going to get to 74 tonight if it kills me!
"I have not supped of Buffy, nor have I supped in any wise during the absence of Firefly. When Firefly returns again in glory, then shall I sup at the table of Whedon." - Fedaykin98
I've beaten it! It's been about 5 hours since I've started, totaling two nights of play. There are 74 levels.
This game is great. I think it deserves a place on the essential games list. I'm surprised that there aren't more comments about it yet.
In terms of pure innovation, this is the Portal of Flash games. On some levels, the hard ones, I was the rebel on the run, furiously hanging on for dear life, hoping to beat the odds and get a good weapon. On other levels, I was the f*cking Emperor of the Universe; nothing could stop me. I was surrounded by mind boggling amounts of ordnance and my only concern was finding rogue bubbles to hunt down and grind to dogsh*t beneath the heel of my iron boot.
The game has everything in it, but half the fun is discovering each weapon for yourself and figuring out what they do, hence the spoiler tags:
The ending was a disappointment, though the effort and sheer joy of getting there was ultimately a far greater reward in itself. Just be warned!
In Ultima Online I used to poison hams and leave them on the ground in cities for people to pick up and eat. I can't believe how many people thought street ham was a good thing to eat. -Elliottx
Yoyoson, that was awesome.
XboxLive: Fly GWJ | PSN: The _Fly | Blog: Lowspec | Twitter
Lobster, I bow to thee. Fly, you were wise to let this one on the front page. This game is pure, unadulterated, mind-boggling fun. And sometimes terror. Choke, choke, khhhh...
>_<
Interface? Out of this world. Soundtrack? Beyond cool. Gameplay? Crack.
People who make things like this should be millionaires.
People who find things like this should get butt pats.
Panem et circenses
"You really need to smoke a tree first to appreciate that one." - Sanjuro
In Ultima Online I used to poison hams and leave them on the ground in cities for people to pick up and eat. I can't believe how many people thought street ham was a good thing to eat. -Elliottx