Image Credit: Bethesda
Forgot password
Enter the email address you used when you joined and we'll send you instructions to reset your password.
If you used Apple or Google to create your account, this process will create a password for your existing account.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Reset password instructions sent. If you have an account with us, you will receive an email within a few minutes.
Something went wrong. Try again or contact support if the problem persists.

PAX East 2014: Press Play Announce Project Totem

Microsoft developer Press Play announces their upcoming game: Project Totem.
This article is over 10 years old and may contain outdated information

This weekend at PAX, Max Curse of Brotherhood creators Press Play announced a new Xbox One title. Currently known as Project Totem, it’s an innovative puzzle game featuring stacking, multi-colored totems.

Recommended Videos

Project Totem is still in Alpha, and the developers showed off two different game modes: single player and multiplayer co-op. While both modes involved totem stacking, they exercised the mechanic in two distinctive ways.

In single player, you control two different colored totems. A totem head can only move through a like colored space, and puzzles are formed through gravity and swapping the totems. In the PAX demo there was a specific scene where you had to quickly swap totems while falling through a maze of switching color. While the puzzles were challenging overall, the checkpoints were incredibly forgiving and quickly got you back into the game.

The cooperative multiplayer mode utilizes a different mechanic entirely. Each player controls two totem heads, and each player has their own distinctive color. To save on the confusion it would undoubtedly cause, there is no swapping. Instead, these puzzles require you to work together moving through a brightly colored landscape, avoiding falling into the wrong color and helping your partner move forward. While the co-op mode brought its own challenges, I found it easier overall. There were no speed puzzles, so it was all dependent on how well you worked with your partner.

Overall, the game had several interesting developments. Since it’s still in a relatively early stage of development, it will be interesting to see how play and a potential story evolves over time. The scheduled release for Project Totem is Fall of this year, on Xbox One and 360.


GameSkinny is supported by our audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn a small affiliate commission. Learn more about our Affiliate Policy
Author
Image of Amanda Wallace
Amanda Wallace
Former rugby player, social media person, and occasional writer.