While passively examining the “impossible” illustrations of M. C. Escher is already unsettling, The Bridge forces you to reconcile with these environments in order to traverse them. If you’re an Amazon Prime member, you owe it to yourself to pick this game up.
Navigation
The character you play as in The Bridge, who might be a version of Escher himself, is very limited in his actual movement. He can walk left or right very slowly, and can’t walk up more than slight inclines. Instead, you’ll focus more on shifting the perspectives of these 2D puzzle boxes, which affects the direction of gravity.
You’re able to see most levels within the screen, with the goal always being a door somewhere within the level. There are often keys to collect first in order to unlock the door, and giant grinning orbs known as “the menace” that will kill you if you come into contact with them. There are also buttons that can affect any number of features in any given level.
Each set of levels introduces a new mechanic, such as voids that keep you or other objects trapped inside, places where your character stays still but you can shift the movement of other objects, or the ability to turn from grey to white. That last ability affects your relation to gravity with other objects, and is by far one of the most mind-bending.
We’ll Cross That Bridge When We Come to It
It’s often hard to tell exactly how one method will work out, which encourages experimentation over going in with a specific plan. This is facilitated by the ability to turn back time any number of seconds at any point, which is very helpful if you die, get stuck, or just want to try something else.
Sometimes, however, The Bridge can mess with your mind too much. There were instances when the “impossible” environments were so confusing to look at that it was hard to think straight. There were even a few times when I ran into the solution without fully understanding how I got to it.
Still, The Bridge is a charming collection of brain-teasers which would be well worth your money, but for Amazon Prime members, the low, low price of free makes picking this game up a no-brainer.
So How Do I Claim This Game?
In order to claim The Bridge, you must be subscribed to Amazon Prime, although you can also sign up for the 30-day free trial and still keep the game, even if your subscription expires. Once you’ve subscribed, link your account to Twitch Prime at twitch.tv for no additional cost. On Twitch, there should now be a crown in the top-right corner. Click it, scroll down until you find The Bridge, and voila! You have a free game!
The Bridge is but one of 21 free games Twitch Prime is giving away this month, with Brütal Legend, Broken Age, and Serial Cleaner also being available for free at the time of writing. You can only claim the game up until July 26th, so pick it up soon!
