Now You're Thinking in Scale - Preview
by Karl Koebke , posted on 11 June 2012 / 2,985 Views
I'm convinced that the key to a truly brilliant and memorable puzzle game is to think up one key mechanic and then just go crazy thinking of the possibilities. Scale is the perfect example of this concept. Games like this are why I always make sure to visit the Indiecade at every E3.
The gameplay mechanic behind Scale is pretty much in the title: you can change the scale of any object in the level. This isn't limitless, though, as matter has to be conserved, so there's a “scale juice” indicator in the corner that you can fill by shrinking things with the right mouse button and use up to make things larger with the left mouse button. Each puzzle is a level in which the goal is simply to make it to the door out. The graphics have that Minecraft-like simple yet functional aesthetic that works so well for these more experimental gametypes.
Scale eases you into this concept at first: 'make this mushroom grow to use it as an elevator', 'shrink this block down so it can fit through a hole and push a switch'. One simple but cute example involved expanding a doll house to a size where you could walk through it and jump out the second story window to a cliff above. Later levels involve exacting or inventive use of the mechanic.
An orange is set precariously over a hill. Make it grow a bit and it'll start rolling towards a switch, but now you have some obstacles to deal with. Two sticks across a gap act as a makeshift bridge but you have to make sure that the orange is large enough that it won't fall through. After that you have smaller and smaller sized arches to get under so you have to shrink the orange quickly. One criticism is that the scaling seems too sensitive at times and it's difficult to get things to a specific size accurately in a short time.
One later level I was shown that had a more mind bending puzzle involved a giant trek across a desert and a “grand canyon”-type geological obstacle you have to get past somehow. Obviously there's no way to jump across such a massive gap, but what if it weren't so massive? This particular level allows you to scale up or down the entire world. This turns a massive hour-long trek into a quick hop and a step before you're at the goal.
Scale is looking like one of those unique puzzle games that will break your brain and give hours of fun just by allowing you to play around with its core mechanic and seeing what you can do. There's no set release date as of yet, since this is a side project for the developer right now. Regardless, make sure to keep an eye out for new developments on this very interesting title.
