[dropcap size=small]W[/dropcap]interflame: The Other Side is a 2D adventure puzzle game being developed by Artoncode. I managed to have some time to sit down and play their demo that they have for download on their Kickstarter page.  In Winterflame you play as Lev, a human incapable of using magic and thus an outcast that lives in the society of the Frameless, who are both responsible for the city’s destruction as well as saving him in the aftermath. Raised by a family of Frameless, Lev becomes friends with the family’s daughter, Raina. Their friendship becomes deep, until eventually she vanishes. Lev can’t stand by and let this happen. Can Lev get through this adventure and ultimately get Raina back? It’s up to you!

The download throws you straight into a puzzle with your character, Lev and his rifle that ignites objects on fire.  Despite not having any hints given to me by the game and no tutorials, I managed to pass the first obstacle with relative ease. As the Winterflame demo progressed, so did the difficulty naturally. I couldn’t help but to want to interact more with the objects however, I’d find myself standing next to a box and not able to push or pull it, which made me feel limited. Also, while I really do admire the strange and foreign designs this game presents, without any hints it can be difficult to know what will happen until you shoot an object. You have no idea if it’ll mess your plans up or help you out. Either way, the demo at least spawns very close the last puzzle you were working on, so even when you mess up, it’s not enough to completely frustrate you.

Perhaps the coolest feature that I’m excited for is the strange gauntlet that the main character, Lev wields. This gauntlet has a variety of features, such as the “Z-Root,” which will allow Lev to grapple to higher areas as well as pull large objects (which solves my box problem I had in the game!)

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The “Flemo,” which fires fiery hot bullets that incinerate and melt objects they touch, (this one is used in the demo.) There is another variant of the gauntlet called, “The Air Hole” that can be used to suck up objects not weighted to the ground and last but not least, the “Bobble,” which creates a protective bubble that can be used to move you from place to place.

Lev’s journey is played out in five dramatic sections, each within a different area. The world of Winterflame is one of magic and wonder, where the land bends to the will of everyone except for you. Frameless, unlike humans, are naturally connected to this world’s land. Its mana courses through them, giving them the ability to harness magical powers.

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Aside from my minor complaints, I had fun playing the Winterflame demo. Although it’s short, which is expected from a game still in development, fans of the adventure puzzle genre will be very pleased with Winterflame: The Other Side.

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About the Author

Vincent Baker

Vincent was raised on Final Fantasy, Pokémon and Magic: The Gathering. His dad believed that this would instill and improve his creativity, writing and problem solving skills and he was correct. Since then, Vincent has been involved in the gaming community by hosting games at conventions, giving entrepreneurial speeches at schools and designing his own games. His first being Otherworlds, a tabletop rpg looking to be crowdfunded in the next few months on Kickstarter. You can follow Vincent @thevindicated if you’re into games, which I assume you are since you’re reading this.

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