Ghost in the Machine
aboutGhost in the Machine is about the player’s escape from a run-down factory following a large explosion. In the dark factory there are many dangerous machines that must be minded in order to not be crushed or mechanically separated. Inspired by 1980s platformer-genre games, Ghost in the Machine features true low-res graphics and an original chiptune soundtrack. It is also difficult, yet rewarding.gameplayThe game is simple – you can walk left and right, and jump. Only one button! Avoid the traps, don’t get wrecked, get to the end. The challenging levels are filled with puzzles and tricky hazards. Each level also has a secret collectible item that will reveal a shred of information about how the player got stuck in the factory in the first place, as well as unlock a secret or two. A level editor is built in to the game so you can create levels to share with your friends.
The controls are tight, giving the player direct movement control at all times. Jumps are precise, important for situations where timing is essential. Both keyboard and USB game pads are supported, and the game only needs a single button. The game is easy to learn (even for a child), but challenging to master (even for an adult). Levels are played in a semi-linear fashion so players won’t get stuck on just one level that they haven’t figured out yet.graphics and SoundInspired by Game Boy and MSX games, the graphics are authentically restricted, using only four shades at a time. A circular mask is at the edge of the screen, restricting the player’s view to contribute to the dark atmosphere. The sound effects and music were all made with a Nintendo Famicom and Game Boy, so they are as real as it gets. The game engine was written from the ground up.
The development of this game was backed by a successful Kickstarter campaign, and we are excited to see it finally ready for release. Lots of time was spent tweaking and expanding the game to be sure we are releasing a high quality title that will provide plenty of play time. We look forward to further expansion of the game through new free level downloads.
Steam User 22
In a nutshell Ghost in the Machine is a fun and simple 8 bit platformer with great music.
The gameplay works as you would expect from an old school platformer and there isn't really anything else to say about that.
Levels themselves are quite short on the most part, but all most all of them have a little quirk to them, that you must figure out in order to get through them.
There are also secrets in the levels which are themselves tough to get at times.
The art style works well with the game's setting which is a abandoned factory that blew up. strange though how everything still works in the factory, but oh well.
The music also brings a lot of nostalgic feels from the times of the NES, SNES, Megadrive era of games.
There's also an level editor which I didn't really try, but if you like making custom levels then that's a nice bonus.
All and all a fun little game.
If you are interested in some gameplay then take a look at my video on it here:
Steam User 2
Made by fellow Tigers, man these cats know game design. Throwback to NES platformers, you can run and jump.
RUN AND JUMP!
To address the haters in this thread. Yea, the monochrome color scheme is 'iffy' and you might have problems if you are colorblind, but I did not feel like it detrated from the game. I thought the hitboxes were fine; reminiscent of playing Megaman and having to creep your toes over the ledge to the last pixel.
The game starts ez enough - and ramps up slowly, increasing the challenge as each level adds new puzzles and obstacles for you to overcome, constantly thinking and adapting as the levels advance. I'm about an hour in, and maybe completed half the levels, but I'm also very bad at these kinds of games. They are difficult, but not impossible - and that's something I really enjoy!
Steam User 10
This game is awesome. It's easy to pick up, and yet nearly impossible to master. The controls and mechanics are unforgiving, but as you overcome them, you feel like you can defeat anything. This is a game that doesn't baby you, or hold your hand. It challenges you to get better every step of the way. On top of that, the graphics and sound serve to create an experience that make it my favorite game.
Steam User 1
Ghost in the Machine is a minimalist precision platformer. Your enjoyment of it will entirely depend on how interested you are in its “quirks”—almost all the negative reviews seem to blast it for things that very well could be selling points (minimalist gameplay, minimalist presentation, hyperactive chiptunes). However, the biggest point of contention is that the game seems to actively work against you: the monochromatic visuals are busy and make it hard to tell what’s going on all the time (admittedly, I think they look amazing and find the challenge of them fun), and, perhaps most significantly, the character sprite does not represent its hitbox. This second part is very strange for a platformer. I would liken Ghost in the Machine to a “bullet-hell” SHUMP: a game where you “feel” your hitbox rather than see it in a sea of messy, stylish visuals. If you enjoy this or not is entirely personal preference, but it’s clearly intentional, not “laziness” as some other reviewers have said.
There are also some quality-of-life problems which keep me from enjoying the game too much. The lack of a restart button sucks in a game where you’ll want to retry as soon as you mess up something small. The jump often feels sluggish and sticky; I’m pretty sure inputs aren’t buffered at all, so you have to be totally on the group when you hit jump to jump again. The levels generally move smoothly if you do things correctly, but there’s lots of waiting around in some of them if you mess up at all, which can start to be very frustrating. Still, I love the visual design and overall groove of the game too much to let these get me down.
Td;dr If you’re looking for an imperfect but fun precision platformer, it’s worth checking out.
Steam User 7
Difficult but fun. Be prepared for old school frustration goodness.
Steam User 3
A very nice platformer with accurate controls, fine music and levels which are easy and levels which are hard. A neat level editor provides everything to build your own great creations which can be friendly or insanely difficult.
Steam User 0
This game is immensely challenging throughout, the music is great, and the graphic style is pretty cool. Each stage is comprised of timed doors/locks, bear traps, treadmills, spikes, pistons, jumps, and climable walls. The creators play with these primitives to make some unexpected challenges. Sometimes the doors run horizontally and must be walked on to near the end before the door opens again dropping you into deadly spikes. Sometimes you must jump from climable wall to climable wall to platform to piston in a seemingly unbeatable gauntlet of spikes and bear traps. Each stage presents a unique challenge, requiring you to grow in skill before ever overcoming it. I highly recommend giving this game a shot if you like unique and exciting challenges.