The 3 most anticipated games: #2d

Mini Metro | Dinosaur Polo Club | steam | website

One of my most important design principles is elegance. And I cannot think about any other game which beautifully achieves it such as Mini Metro. Initially developed during Ludum Dare, the game has gone a long way. Yet, it has always remained faithful both to its mechanic and its style. Mini Metro really has, in a nutshell, everything a 2D game can ask for. Including one of the highest score on Steam and and audio experience designed by Disasterpeace. Now the real question: why didn’t I thought about something so simple and ingenious myself? :p

Mushroom 11 | Untame | steam | website

There are thousands of games which are basically better clones or Super Mario; yet, 2D can still surprise you.  Mushroom 11 is the perfect example of how deeply unexplored the genre is. The player takes control of a mouldy creature which can change shape to solve several different puzzles. The game has been one of my highlights from EGX London, especially since I had a lovely chat with Itay Keren and Julia Detar about its game mechanic. Itay has also give one of the most insightful talk at GDC San Francisco, which is an absolute must for all the people who are working on a 2D game.

Interloper | Monogon Games | steam | website

I do not deny that I got curious about this game as soon as I knew that it won the Student Showcase in the IGF Award. Interloper is a 2D game about strategy – and that’s not new – but unlikely any other game you may have played before, it adopts a very unique mechanic. I had the chance to beta test the game and yes, it is as addictive as it looks. One of its developers is Maxim Schoemaker, possibly best known for appearing in GDC’s most viral picture (bottom of the page).