Flat Kingdom is a puzzle platform adventure by developers Fat Panda Games from Yucatán, Mexico. Set in a fantasy 2D kingdom, your objective is to rescue the princess and bring back one of the precious jewels that keep the effects of the third dimension at bay. The jewel has been stolen by the evil Hex.As a result, chaos has returned and the World is out of balance.
The game uses a pretty unique combat system in which you are playing a game of “Rock, Paper, Scissors” to kill your foes. The game’s hero, Flat, is a shapeshifting master and can shift between circle, square and triangle. Every enemy also has one of these shapes. So, a square beats triangle, triangle beats circle and circle beats square. Most of the enemies resemble their shape type, but you don’t have to figure out which because there are handy icons that pop up to let you know. Aside from the unique shape theme combat system, there isn’t much to killing general mobs. Just change the suitable shape and touch them. There isn’t much in the way of attacking them. Sure, some mobs take a combination of shapes to kill them, but you don’t attack them.
Each level is full of puzzles that you must solve using a combination of shapes and their different abilities. The puzzles aren’t a “walk in the park” and do require you to be pretty precise when it comes to the timing of jumps or to activate an ability. There are plenty of boss fights as well which could tax even the most seasoned platforming pro. You’ll come face to face with bosses such as carnivorous plants, giant spiders, and a terrifying Kraken as you try and find Hex to find the missing princess and jewel.
The graphics in Flat Kingdom are superb. It has all been done in a paper craft style and does add a 2D feel to the game. The background moves with the player adds depth to the game without compromising premise. Every so often, 3D events occur that provides another element of fun to the game’s appearance. It is very clear that a lot of effort and attention has gone into this seemingly “simple” looking game.
The game is currently available on Steam for $7.99 / £5.59 for PC and Mac. If you are a fan of platform games with a twist, I recommend that you get Flat Kingdom now. It is worth the money and promises to keep you hooked by introducing new puzzles in every level and lets you play with game mechanics that aren’t available anywhere else.
Check out the trailer below to see everything in action and let me know what you think.
(Game key was given independently for review purposes)
