I truly think that all independent game designers are secretly sadists. It seems as though for every novel idea they come up with there is a certain amount of pain that must accompany said concepts. My poor thumbs are worn down to the bone from hours of Super Meat Boy and now I fear a similar horrific fate from eye strain.
Curse you, Tealy & Orangey. Curse you in the best way possible.
As cute as its name may sound, Tealy & Orangey is by no means a kind game. Created by FreakyZoid, this interesting little indie title has a simple concept with a rather vicious execution. In each of the game’s levels, the player must navigate a teal ball and an orange ball to the goal area. Each level in the game is also split into an accompanying teal area and an orange area. Once the teal ball gets to its assigned goal and the orange ball to its goal, the level ends and it’s on to the next level.
If only if it were that easy. At all times both balls are controlled simultaneously. Moving left into the goal area for the orange ball could very well cause the teal ball to fall into a spike pit and restart the level. Some levels in Tealy & Orangey are split in half with unique obstacles in each area while others allow orange and teal balls to cross paths. In these areas, a teal ball isn’t affected by orange-colored spikes and vice versa. The hardest levels require you to watch both balls at once to skillfully avoid spike pits and flying bullets. It’s a tough game with a gentle learning curve and a nasty difficulty spike.
If you are a fan of games like Super Meat Boy and N+, you owe it to yourself to at least give Tealy & Orangey a glance. It’s a slower-paced affair than its peers in the indie arena, but certainly as enjoyable.
Gamers who want to strain their eyes in frustration and mutter silent curses can play Tealy & Orangey here.
