TurnOn

nice casual game to play if you dont want something too challenging and just want to relax. I like the art style and the music is nice. My only real complaint about the game, even though its a pretty small one more of a pet peeve really. The world is rendered as a sidescroller where you move between the foreground and background to give you a sense of 3d depth. My only issue with that is your character does not change size to keep that illusion going, I.E. shrinking to portray moving further away or getting larger to move closer.

Need a breather on heavy, mind-pressuring games? This visually captivating, auditorily pleasing, side-scrolling platformer is what you're looking for!
Game Overview
TurnOn is a casual, side-scrolling platformer that conveys a story through stellar audio and visual presentation without the use of words. (Except for the guides and instructions, of course)
In this game, you control an alien that takes the form of an electric ball and lead it through its journey to restore the light in Electro City.
The gameplay is pretty simple and straightforward - you traverse through electric lines/wires and apparatuses which activates and/or repairs them through contact while collecting blue lightning symbols. Each of these actions will have an impact to the score you will get upon finishing the level. Still seeing people in need through the level? Search again for hidden paths that you might've missed.
Also, you will find adversaries that might stand either your way or the people living in the city, and some of them require different mechanics in order to be cleared. Though there isn't a game over that could force you to start over, there are still some cases that may halt your progress through the game.
Falling through the lines and touching the ground will result in you being sent back to your checkpoint, but everything that you have collected are still with you, every apparatus activated, and no damage taken. However, if you exhaust your life bars (represented by the green lightning symbols on the upper left part of the screen) you will restart the level from the start.
The Pros
Charming, Calming, and Hilarious Gameplay Experience - Summarizing the gameplay experience that I felt as I played through the game, it was very calming, charming, and fun experience that I would proudly say that I enjoyed it thoroughly. I mean, I never would've thought that I would see a character in a game crying over not having a cable signal. If that doesn't seem funny enough to you, then I guess you're Jaden.
Artistic Game Graphics - The game is very appealing through and through in each of every visual aspect it presents. The landscape and scenery fits the very theme it presents on every level, as well as the visual effects filled in it. The character models are clean and well-animated, along with the comic-strip cut-scenes. And most of all, the aesthetic lightning work in each and every level is impeccable.
Beautiful Game Soundtracks - Ranging from serene piano tracks to cheerful up-beat songs, this game has a lot to offer in the auditory department. And when I do say a lot, I really mean it. Each and every level has its own unique track and aside from the cut-scenes and the map soundtrack, almost nothing was ever re-used. Everything is quality-made and the proof of that are the hours I spent listening to the tracks while idling the game. If there is something that is missing, it is the availability of a soundtrack DLC for users to listen and enjoy.

The Cons
Irritating Sound Effects - Although the game has a pretty good array of soundtracks that is very pleasant to the ears, there are certain sound effects that will make you tone down the level due to discomfort, especially if you're new to the game. A good example of this is when you "respawn" to your checkpoint upon touching the ground. Fortunately, the game lets you adjust the volume of the sound effects. However, the downside is that you might not know other SFX that you're missing to hear.
Hard to Navigate - Just to be precise, I am pertaining to the game having no cut-scene skip and absence of the settings menu while you are on a level. Regarding the cut-scenes, you can actually speed them up by continuous left clicks or by spamming the ESC button, however, it still takes at least five (5) seconds in doing that before you proceed to the level. Having an option to skip them would be pretty handy for people uninterested or has already seen them several times. Same goes for the settings, which should be available while in-level instead going back to the main menu just to adjust the volume or video settings.
Minor Visual Bugs - During the course of my play through (which I could safely assume that I've reached at least one-thirds of the game), I have encountered two minor visual bugs, though take note that these bugs didn't have any impact on my play through. The first one I found was on the end part of the "School Routine" level which involves a speaker still being highlighted in blue even after activating it, and the second one is when you're going through the level selection and passing between the "Bulb Monument Street" and "Unusual Date" levels which shows an empty flat terrain.
Both of these bugs are recorded on my screenshots page here: (Screenshots)

The Verdict
Truthfully, there isn't much of a discussion to this considering that I can't find anything that big of negative aspect could persuade you into NOT buying it (unless you're not into casual gaming). And if you are a fan of this kind of game, I'm pretty sure you will love it.
If you like to see more recommended games that is worth the value you are paying, please visit my other reviews, or follow our curator group at Good Games Giveaways & Reviews.

TurnOn lights up the platforming action with a delightfully fun mixture of puzzles & side-scrolling gameplay. Taking visual maze-work to a new level, Brainy Studio has created a unique platforming action comic book that will keep you entertained as you struggle to solve these perplexing levels.
A high sense of player agency is accomplished through this game, in the way that the gamer is able to see solutions having an effect on the world created in the comic book narrative. Each problem solved gives a sense of satisfaction that translates into the visual story you are playing out.
Comic Book Narrative:
The graphics are incredibly well done, in a heavy battle for supremacy with the audio soundtrack. You begin each level with a set of comic strips that basically gives you an indication of what you are expected to ‘fix’ in that level. So, the game is heavy on story while using no language. I know, right. I wouldn’t have thought it could be done. But, there it is. This story is not dropped at any point, but plays out very dramatically in the conclusion.
The art is old-school Americana, with poignant scenes described by level titles like, Beware of Dog, School Routine, Unusual Date, Mad Tram, The Smell of Trouble, Mass Rally, and Pursuit in the Sky. The helicopter battle level & the chopper high-wire level were two of my favorites. But, the Ferris Wheel was definitely spectacular as well. The level early on with the Drones was definitely a difficult level… probably the most difficult, since I was unsure of the requirements at first. So, the level difficulty doesn’t really increase or decrease, since each level is built on a different and unique concept. This provides a lot of variety, as well as visual appeal.
The art is, as I mentioned, a comic book style, but the level maps are built in a medium that looks like modeling clay, and is very pleasing to the eye. Lots of primary colors are used throughout, so the overall effect is definitely enjoyable and artistic. It makes it difficult to believe so much can be accomplished with a four man team. This high level art translates into some very nice profile backgrounds if you collect the cards.
Audio, Audio, Audio!
With a wide variety of music from old ragtime syncopated rhythms, to peaceful piano melodies; TurnOn is ear-candy. The only thing missing is some serious dlc for the soundtrack. I know I enjoy listening to game soundtracks, like some of the really great ones from Paradox games, while I’m doing other things. If TurnOn gets a soundtrack, I will definitely be adding that to my playlist on my Smartphone.
The game fx is creative & diverse. The voice sounds of the npc’s can be annoying with repetition. But, I enjoyed the sound effects that came with the actions, as most of them were audible cues to success.
I received a copy of the game free for review purposes, but that in no way affects my review since I only play games I would enjoy. I do think it would be worth the price, even if you don’t catch it on sale since the hours in-game are definitely worth the price. And, I will gladly buy any dlc that is later offered.
Gameplay
TurnOn is one of those games that forces you out of the box of language by using just picture cue cards and visual, color, & light cues to guide you through the levels. Even when speech is used with the npc’s, it’s just mumble-jumble, intended only to convey the urgency of a cry for help from people who are suffering some mishap because the power is out. That does serve to direct you, since the levels are not laid out linearly. The gameplay itself is linear, as you must complete one level to proceed to the next. But, within a level, the end action may be anywhere. Also, many actions don’t open up until you’ve performed other actions. So, you will find yourself zipping back & forth, & around & about a level to complete all the tasks.
The game can be broken into halves at about the point of the Ferris Wheel. In the 1st half, you are still learning new ‘tricks’ to battle your way through the game. But, in the 2nd half you find the intensity picks up into some really awesome speed platforming. In the very beginning levels I missed some things, simply because I didn’t understand the visual cue system. So, I’d say this is not a game you will only play through once.
A number of the achievies are miss-able. I earned 80% on my first play-through, (which took me 12 hours) & will definitely be replaying some levels to find the others. Part of the reason for this is the fact that parts of each level are hidden, & activating the end-level action is not always obvious until you’ve done it. Then, you missed some things. Of course, you can choose to replay the level immediately if you want, but I think most of us want to get to the end first, regardless of what we missed.
What I originally perceived as bugs turned out to be mistaken assumptions in the scoring system. Without saying more to prevent spoiling it for you, it’s definitely a unique system that encourages trial & error, as well as total mastery. The map is divided into areas, with levels within each area. It looks like there are 28 levels in all. Each area has about 3 levels that are the norm puzzle-type levels where you explore & trigger generators, looking for the end action. Then, each area ends with a high-wire speed level, where you basically play in side-scroller fashion by jumping across gaps in the power lines, trying to stay on the wires until you reach the end.
You are scored in each level at the end by how many lamps light up on the scoreboard. There is no indication of what scores are needed to get ‘3 lamps.’ This needs to be added, along with level numbers on each scoreboard for those like me who want to look back at screenshots & compare results.
UPDATE: Actually, I realized after posting my review that you can see you many points are needed to score 3 lamps by looking at your achievements page. You can see, for example, that you have achievied 134 of 136 on a specific level, meaning you were short by 2. So, basically, the requirements vary by level.
Controller or Keyboard?
The controls are simple WASD & usually only 2 keys at a time are used. I preferred using the keyboard controls for accuracy & versatility for most puzzle levels. However, I found that using my Steam controller on the high-wire levels provided more speed. So, it looks like the type of game that if you really get into it like I did, then you will find yourself swapping back & forth on the controls.
The game is similar to Tales from Space: Mutant Blobs Attack. If you enjoyed that, where you don’t see the whole level at once, but search high & low for bonus items, then this game is for you. However, TurnOn is not as difficult, & much more engaging to me, probably because of the art style & music, as well as the simpler gameplay.
Pro’s:
* Unique levels designed & crafted individually
* Variety in game play
* Awesome music for each level!
* Eye-pleasing art with an engaging story
Cons:
* No indication of how many points needed to score three lamps in a level
* Individuality of levels tends to leave difficulty a bit unbalanced from start to finish
You are sure to love the music & art in this entertaining extravaganza of creativity. I highly recommend TurnOn for hours of platforming puzzle fun for everyone!

TurnOn
...is a puzzle platformer. As a little alien who crash-lands on Earth causing a blackout, you must run on the power lines to restore electricity to Electro City, helping people along the way.
⚙ Game Description & Mechanics ⚙
You go from one neighborhood to another, travelling on electrical wires and other conductive surfaces, and jumping from one to the other. You supply power to lights, generators and other electrical equipment by touching them. As you seek them out throughout each level, you also collect sparks of lightning bolts along the way.
There are also musical segments, where you travel on high-tension wires at high speed, jumping from one wire to another to avoid obstacles and pits, using the music and following its beat to time your jumps and drops.
Falling off wires will throw you back to your last save points to continue where you left off, while red sparks will kill you after a few hits. In some levels, red sparks corrupted some objects that will chase you around.
☺ What I enjoyed ☺
While the platforming is simple enough, and patience will be all you need to find every spark and secret passages before moving to the following levels, the musical segments are much harder, at least if you care about getting a 3-lamp score at each level.
A game probably built with a younger audience in mind, it is very colorful, almost whimsical, it's unlikely that you'll mind the low resolutions and very simple animations. Each level has a basic but implied story, from lighting the path home of a little girl, you helping to lovers meet halfway, or assisting the cops calm down a riot. The gorgeous sundown and charming music will appease to many.
☹ What bothered me ☹
Gameplay is tied, no matter how zoomed in or out the camera is. This means that jumping about an inch high "on screen" sometimes results in multiple yards leaps to a line in the foreground or background because the current camera angle shows it an inch away. This is a very unreliable, very inconsistent mechanic for a sidescrolling platformer.
The game is definitely way too easy at times, allowing unlimited retries. It's pretty easy to find all hidden sparks, so you probably won't be replaying it again to get a better score. But then come the music segments with a huge difficulty spike to the 3-lamp score, which means you might be playing over and over the same level until you get frustrated, or memorize the entire level.
My Verdict: ★★★☆☆ - "It's up to you."
This game has its charm, done by a tiny development team. While I wouldn't recommend it to hardcore gamers, TurnOn is a nice little game for children or casual gamers, the only audience I will actually suggest this to.
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This was just my opinion.
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TurnOn is a side-scrolling platformer game where you get a chance take control of one alien, who is a little electric ball.
The story is simple, the town fall to the dark, nowhere is an electric, your goal goes to the town and back a light back! The whole story telling completed without any words, just with visual effects, is unusual but looks good.
The game levels contain two type of games, one is a “runner”, where a little creature moving alone, your goal don’t fall down and collect a little electric. Second game type is a “platformer”, there your main goal is moving at lines and bring an electric in all thing what need it. At some places game need some thinking from you, but mostly here need only your skills. If you fall down, you will start a current level from last checkpoint, but all what you collected till this time stay at you. Also at some levels you will find something like “boss” fights.
The game graphic world completed nice, every is well animated, colorful.
The game soundtracks is beautiful and relaxing.

So my verdict

+nice graphic
+challenging
+nice story telling
+great music
+steam achievements and trading cards
+many supported languages

-the “runner” levels sometimes a bit frustrating

If you like this kind of games or screech something relaxing, this game is for you. This game have a great music, nice graphics and storytelling. This game is for all ages but a child’s especially should like it.

Casual, puzzle-light, exploratory kind of a platformer interspersed with runner-like levels.
Original in its premise and take on established genres with its heart in the right place, which makes it such a positive experience.

TurnOn: A Charmingly Electric Journey
TurnOn is a charming platformer/runner where you play an alien ball of electricity who has crash landed in a city causing a blackout, and must then restore both the power and help the citizens out in the process. This was a mostly enjoyable experience that took me 4.8 hours to complete. There were a few parts of the game where I got stuck for a little while, which extended my time a bit. A player with solid platformer and runner skills could probably play through this in about 3 hours if they wanted.
Story
The story in TurnOn is presented without any captions or voice work. It is a strictly visual experience from this standpoint. That said, it does in fact carry itself reasonably well in the story department. Basically, this is the tale of an alien who crash lands in a city (and fortunately in a scientists laboratory) causing a city wide blackout. The alien, who is represented as a ball of electricity, and who can only travel via electrical currents (such as power lines and such), and the scientist together attempt to restore power to the city before the people in the city destroy it via looting and other crime, accidents, and what have you. You, the alien, will also try to help people along the way, from helping out a couple on a romantic date to making it possible for a kid to finish his round of mini golf (and other stuff as well). Certainly the story in TurnOn is no magnum opus, but it serves well within the context of this platformer.
I give the story a 7 out of 10
Gameplay
The gameplay in both a platformer and a runner is of paramount importance. Brainy Studios did a very nice job of creating a seamless experience in this regard. The controls in TurnOn were tight using a gamepad (I didnt try keyboard and mouse, so I have no opinion ion that manner of play for this game). I experienced zero crashes or stuttering. There is one amusing bug that will show up however. You can sometimes end up travelling along invisible power lines. This happened probably 8-10 times in my playthrough. Each time, this bug worked to my advantage as it made jumps between power lines a bit easier.
So, the actual gameplay itself:
The platforming was fairly basic overall. As mentioned before, in TurnOn, you travel via power lines and electrical currents. These are presented in a number of ways, from straight lines to mazing paths, with shifts in elevation, and moving platforms (such as window washing lifts, the scientists vehicle, forklifts, etc…). There will also be bridges that you need to power up to unlock, doorways that need to be unlocked, street lights that need to be turned on, and so on. Along the way, you collect currents of electricity (which basically take the place of the more familiar coins in platformers) which impact your ranking on each level and are attached to certain achievements. There are also red charges of electricity which damage you and green charges which heal that damage and basically give you up to 3 health points. If you run out of green energy, you will have to completely restart the level you are on.
The running sections I personally found to be a bit frustrating. Not because they werent done well. They were. I simply am not so good at that style of gameplay. However, despite my deficiency in this regard, I was still able to complete each level with some trial and error. You are still traveling across electrical lines, and so the presentation for the runner levels is basically like sheet music, with a few different levels and breaks on various ones causing you to have to stay on top of your game and change lines frequently. The pacing is tied to the music in the game, so the faster the tempo, the faster you are running.
You will also encounter enemies on a few levels in TurnOn, which are variations on red energy. They are fairly easy to avoid overall, but you will still die plenty of times on a few of those levels. There is also what is essentially a timed level towards the end. This was the level I had the most problems with overall. Again, it was done well, but I still died a lot trying to figure out and remember the patterns as I ascended a building trying to stay ahead of a line of red energy that inexorably advanced upon my little electrical alien.
The gameplay in TurnOn deserves an 8 out of 10.

Graphics
The graphics in TurnOn were are presented in comic book fashion. The intros for each section are actual comic book frames which let you know what challenges you will face in the level to a certain extent and what your overall goals are. The actual game graphics are an extension of this comic book approach. They were especially well done in my opinion and the highlight of TurnOn for me. This was simply put a beautiful and lovingly crafted game from a graphics standpoint.
I think this game deserves a 9 out of 10 for this category. The graphics in TurnOn were almost done to perfection
Sound
I have mixed feelings towards the audio in TurnOn. The music was the sort of stuff you would expect to hear in inspirational videos and commercials. Sort of uplifting, but also a bit sterile. The rest of the audio was simply sounds of electrical discharge, muttering speech done intentionally to further the voiceless story telling, and other ambient noises appropriate to the various backdrops. This was the low point of the game from my perspective
6 out of 10
Verdict
Taken as a whole, TurnOn was a pleasant gaming experience. The setting and main character were charming. I was also impressed by the fact that this game was crafted by a four person team.
7.5 aliens traversing the electrical wire ways of our neon world charming the socks off of those they encounter within. Out of 10.
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