Imagine turning something so simple, so obscure and unassuming into a core gameplay element. What would you pick? A banana? A fridge magnet? One slightly worn-in boot? Well, TRI has done just this with, yup you guessed it, triangles. Portraying itself as a puzzle game, TRI will have you navigate a series of levels using the power of everyone’s favourite three-pointed shape to overcome a variety of well designed obstacles.
Triangles also make good bridges
TRI is currently in development by Rat King Entertainment, a small indie team of three (That’s two developers and one musician). Originally, the concept behind TRI was submitted as a Ludum Dare entry, but the idea has since taken on a life of its own to become a fully developed game.
In TRI, the player must learn to create triangles, varying in angle and size, to scale vertical obstacles and access seemingly impossible areas. The triangle mechanic is operated by anchoring each of the three points onto a solid structure, and when all three are in place a solid yellow beam will project onto the dimensions of the shape, creating your own platform to jump on. The creation mechanic seems simple enough for anyone to get to grips with, yet there’s enough freedom here to allow for a bit of creative thought when you’re presented with an obstacle.
Cel-shading is the best kind of shading
The game is cast in the first person perspective, giving you the best possible view of your surroundings. As visuals go, this is one of the more unique and over-exaggerated worlds that I’ve come across in the indie game scene to date, with vibrant tones of orange and red painted against the towering structures found in each level. The cel-shaded aesthetic compliments the game’s East Asian themes, giving the world a somewhat mysterious aura that makes you want to explore.
TRI is currently available on the official site and Desura, with a demo available for you to try out. The game currently has 12 of the planned 16 levels released, and it is still considered to be in an alpha state. TRI is also looking for Greenlight approval, so if you want to see this pointed painterly platforming puzzler on Steam, you may want to lend them your vote.
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