Mask Quest

I bought this game to support increpare, feeling that Stephen's Sausage Roll is still worth way more than I paid for it.
This wound up being a fun platformer! The breathing mechanic was really natural for me, so it didn't feel as split-brained as I was expecting. But then again, I still wear a mask on the daily, so I'm really aware of my breathing in normal life. Because the game's breathing didn't get in the way, it kind of played like a normal platformer with some interesting mechanics. It took about 2.4 hours to beat, although I think just the last handful of levels took about 45 minutes on their own, way harder than the rest of the game.
I think most people will probably struggle with it more than I did. I'd like to see a Let's Play!
Edit: OK, NG+ is awesome.

Requiring the player to manually breathe is simultaneously hilarious and nightmarish. I'm a big fan of increpare's puzzle games and of his open-source game engine Puzzlescript, which has been an extraordinary gift to the community. His ingenuity and wit are fully evident throughout this playful, maddening game. I was continually nodding my head in recognition at one clever design choice after another. The short levels frequently require some planning and can be quite difficult to execute, but the problems are fun to solve--the realization at what a level was asking me to do often made me laugh. Mask Quest is also thematically delightful: take a deep breath before using a cop's riot shield as a trampoline to propel you through a cloud of tear gas. This is a very different game from his thinky output, though I think that's evident from the trailer. I found the mechanical demands pleasingly stressful, and in short sessions engaging and fun. Recommended

When you peel back the layers of silly pixel art and coom jokes, when you wipe away the clown makeup, hidden beneath that facade is a Sistine Chapel of game design. The premise is simple: what if a game where you have to manually breathe?
At first you're adjusting to the rhythm of remembering to hit the breathe button. But as you progress through the levels more mechanics are introduced including the dangers of water, hyperventilation, the use of breath as wind force, polluted air, etc. These elements are slowly woven into the experience which becomes more interesting and complex. Meanwhile an overarching political narrative is explored, which cleverly relates to air and breathing while also presenting some social commentary.
The game has a high level of polish and you can tell that all the details were carefully considered. It's a rare example of masterful game design: a simple and unique concept fully fleshed out and explored without any unnecessary filler. The difficulty is nicely balanced with some satisfyingly brutal final levels that test your mastery of the mechanics. The experience feels entirely original, and that makes this game a rare treasure.

Undef's and Increpare's "Mask Quest" is a great platformer game with a very defined vision. While its presentation seems crude at first, with its cheeky toilet humour and frustrating multi-tasking hardcore platforming, you quickly realise every little aspect of the game has been carefully chosen and placed. The game is HARD, but also always fair, in a Celeste-like rinse-and-repeat masochistic approach to clearing screens. The sequence of levels feels tight, offering you breather puzzly "idea" screens after particularly difficult platforming levels, and the other way around, always keeping it varied.

It's hard to not compare "Mask Quest" with Increpare's Sausages game, even if they are of completely different genres. Both push player's patience with unintuitive keyboard controls, which suddenly blossoms into a deep, flowy understanding of the movement mechanics; and they both hide a wealth of interesting gameplay decisions behind a tongue-in-cheek theme.

This is also sort-of true for both Undef's and Increpare's latest commercial products (before "Mask Quest"), "Quadrant" and "Hypnocult", which are both trippy rhythm games with a defined feel. It's no surprise their joint project works so well.

It's like I Wanna Be the Guy, but doable in a few hours. Very precise puzzle platforming. Also has translations into Latin and some conlangs - very cool!

really addicting rage platformer with an interesting gimmick that permeates the design of everything u interact with.. also the dev got back to me in <2 hours when an unrelated bluescreen deleted my progress,, they just sent me a new save file on the exact level i was on

A great, immersive game that made the days fly by, even though it is unexpectedly hard. The gameplay reminded me of the old handheld gaming days, yet it felt like nothing I had played before. If you love a good challenge and the gripping anticipation of what comes next, this game is for you!
P.S. It is also well-suited for the Steam Deck. :)