There is much chest-thumping to be found when it comes to difficult video games, be it from people enjoying them or from developers themselves. With that in mind, it is easy to understand why one might grow suspicious upon hearing that an indie developer has staked claim to making the single most difficult indie platformer that has ever been made. This is where Tydecon Games have jumped into the fray with their brand new release: 999
As its name might suggest to an apt reader, 999 is a game all about the nines. It features 999 stars to collect spread across 999 levels which you'll have 999 livest to burn through. Additionally, there are 9 game modes to fiddle with, so it is a tad strange to hear that there aren't in fact, 9, 99, or 999 achievements for players to unlock. Instead, there's 125 of those.
Players' objective is to fling their avatar from start to exit through increasingly difficult levels that will push their platforming skills to the very limit. Mechanically, 999 is deceptively simple, and can be played simply be flicking the mouse pointer from one end to the other, and can be described as 'easy to learn, difficult to master'. Said difficulty is supposed to peak with 999's final level, which developers say is the most challenging platformer stage that players will ever get to play.
The game is optimised for streaming from the get-go, with a modified UI made specifically for live streaming. This will surely make for fun times for the viewers, and perhaps slightly less so for the streamers themselves as they cringe in pain at 999's supposedly legendary difficulty.
999's neon-infused visual style seems to be the right combo of simple and interesting to keep things fresh, what with its wildly-varying colours and level styles, but alongside this trick, developers note that there's a number of mechanical surprises waiting for players until the very end.
As if we needed anything else to keep us on our toes.
If you're interested in 999, the game is now available via Steam for €7.99.
