PCOverview
Pixel: ru² (are you squared) is a puzzle-platformer-shooter that involves gravity manipulation and color theory mechanics. The objective of the game is simply to reach the goal, but getting there will test a player's mental skills as much as their physical skills.
Gameplay
Color Theory
Color theory plays a big part in Pixel: ru². Barriers that require the player to be a certain color will block their path. In order for the player to change their color, they must find triggers that either add or remove one of the three primary color channels (red, green, blue). For example, if the barrier is yellow and the player is red, they must add green in order to pass through the barrier.
Color theory is also important with the combat. To hurt a pixel the player must shoot it with the opposite color to turn it white (because a white pixel is a dead pixel). This means if an enemy is green, the player need to shoot it with magenta (or red and blue) in order to destroy it.
There are only a total of 8 colors in the game keeping it simple enough for anyone to quickly learn. There is also a color wheel in the corner of the screen at all times to assist the players as well as a colorblind mode for anyone that need it.
Platforming
Unlike most platformers, Pixel: ru² allows the player to not only jump, but also flip. Situations where the player must jump, flip, then jump while upside-down are not uncommon. The player does not have the ability to flip while jumping. The choice between jumping and flipping is sometimes very important. The player is able to go outside of the level resulting in a flip sending them falling up to their death.
Gravity Manipulation
Every entity in Pixel: ru² has its own gravity. This means that a player can be on the wall while an enemy is on the ceiling. There are also situations where the player may need to push a box that is on a wall while they are on the floor. Entities (including the player) are able to change their gravity orientation by touching gravity triggers scattered throughout the levels. This can result in the player having to go through the same levels again, but sideways this time.
Combat
As stated above, combat in Pixel: ru² revolve around shooting an enemy with their opposite color. There is a variety of weapons to choose from, everything from a long range sniper weapon to a rocket launcher that allows the player to rocket jump. Some other notable weapons are the flame thrower that will set enemies on fire and the Pong Gun that shoots a bouncing projectile that will become more dangerous with each bounce.
Score
In the upper-right of the screen is the player's resource score. It's calculated based on how efficiently they get through the level. Each cycle of the game reduces the score by 1 point, so the player is already in the negatives as soon as the level starts. To get a positive score a player needs to defeat enemies and collect bonus points. Depending on how much time the tasks may take it could also result in an even worse score. Score doesn't effect the game in any way. If the player receives the worst score possible on a level they can still continue to the next level. Score is just there to allow players to complete with each other to see who can speedrun through a level the best.
Story
Pixel: ru² takes place in the distant future where artificial intelligence is so common that even a single pixel in an image file may be controlled by one. In a last ditch effort to save a system, the operating system decided to use one of these sentient pixels to help stop an unknown virus from destroying everything. The pixel must travel through image files while it rids the system of the infection and works towards restoring data.
Features
- A color blind mode.
- Color based combat with a variety of weapons.
- Gravity based platforming.
- Puzzles that involve both mixing colors and manipulating gravity.
- Educational imagery taken from important moments of art and science.
- A level editor.
Fun Facts
The Giant Bomb forum was one of the first places that Pixel: ru² was announced.
Jeff Gerstmann bringing colorblind awareness to the game industry was one of the reasons the team worked hard on adding a colorblind made to Pixel: ru².
Even though Pixel: ru² is a 2D game, it has a stereoscopic 3D mode for devices like the Oculus Rift.
The team reversed engineered the drivers for a RGB mechanical keyboard so that Pixel: ru² could change the colors of the LED's based on the color of the player.
