Friday Flash

Got the Fridays? Here's a collection of three web-based games that'll help liven up your afternoon.

Maverick Bird by Terry Cavanagh

This take on Flappy Bird by Terry Cavanagh — of Super Hexagon and VVVVV fame — highlights something really interesting. All Cavanagh has really done is re-skin the game with a Super Hexagone-like 8-bit look and a trippy trance track by Kozilek. And added a button to dive — but even so, what it highlights is that Flappy Bird was actually a clever bit of programming indeed — more clever than most gave it credit for: just difficult enough so that players realised that they could do it, but difficult enough to be a serious challenge.

We'll second Cavanagh's note on his blog: "Thanks for the inspiration, Dong. Looking forward to your next game when things settle down!"

The World's Hardest Game 3 by Steve Critoph

We don't know if developer Steve Critoph's description of his game as the "world's hardest" is 100 per cent accurate... but it honestly can't be far off. It sounds simple — navigate a red block through a geometric space — but the number of obstacles that will trip you up along the way is all the more frustrating for knowing that there is in fact a solution.

You can play The World's Hardest Game here and The World's Hardest Game 2 here. Just, you know, if you actually do manage to finish any of them.

Nothing to Hide by Nicky Case

This is just a demo, but it's a pretty clever one. It's sort of a reverse stealth game. You're Poppy, running away from home — but you live in a totalitarian society where, the authorities say, the only people who avoid surveillance are those with something to hide. As such, Poppy has to not hide from the surveillance cameras, but stay constantly within sight of them. You can pick up the cameras and move them, but the instant you move out of sight, you get tranquillised and have to start over from the last checkpoint.

It's currently seeking funding to expand into a full game. If you like, you can fund it here.