Dungeons And Dreamscapes: Anodyne Demo

If the original Legend of Zelda had been an interesting legend about a man with a broom flitting between alternate realities - sometimes wholly fantastical, sometimes like our own world after some sort of unpleasant apocalypse scenario* - it might have looked a bit like Anodyne. Drawing influence from Yume Nikki's dreamscapes but with strongly Zeldalike single screen puzzles. The demo, which requires Adobe Air, shows some smart design and has a charming weirdness to it. Before entering the main dungeon, after having your weapon mockingly appraised, travel right and then down to meet an odd man and hear his tale of mirrors. It's suggestive of interesting and strange future-tales. Out soon.

Maybe it shouldn't be necessary to state, but the hit detection and feel of movement in the demo are spot on. It's cheering to find a game whose retro pants are as slick as the fashions that inspired them.

*Unpleasant Apocalypse Scenario is either a post-rock band or the next big FPS