This is not meant to be taken as an insult, but SKEASY could be a good game for winding down before bed.
As with many titles from RCMADIAX, the design of SKEASY is very simple: guide your little skiing icon left and right down a never-ending slope, avoiding trees to last as long and attain as high a score as possible. There are no tricks to pull or inevitable yeti to be consumed by. The entirety of the game is keeping your little triangle from a full stop against a tree trunk.
While it's all quite basic and minimalistic, there can be something almost serene about the overall experience. The field of pure white scrolls by with randomly placed trees, a semi-transparent, almost easy-to-miss snow effect gently falling over it all. The skiing icon continuously veers in whichever direction you last pressed, encouraging one to pick up little rhythms of left, right, left, right… (you can also veer off one side of the screen and appear on the other, if you want). It's a design where less can actually feel pretty good in an aesthetic way.
The music sets a nice, moderate pace but is also a relatively short loop. It can get tiring after a while and it'd be nice to have an option to turn it off; especially if it brings out the pleasant swoosh of snow that can be heard beneath it.
A lack of a pause button is a little disappointing, and the game will start you right back going again after bailing without a "press button to start" prompt or anything. The text "Share on Miiverse" also appears beneath the high score on the upper right corner of the screen. It doesn't take up much real estate, but it's just… there. It's not even a button; it's just a reminder that many players won't need.
Conclusion
SKEASY is not going to keep many players' attentions for extended play periods at a time - its gameplay is as simple as simple gets. Some who are looking for an uncomplicated few-minute filler or a way to just chill a bit, however, might find the powder to their liking.
Comments 21
It looks like it has less features and visual design than a Windows game released 25 years ago.
@RupeeClock
I was thinking on a similar lines of "If I ski for a while will a yeti come out and eat me?"
lol at the dev being happy with a 5. High standards there.
I bet if he made games back in the 60s when Atari was out the games would make him more popular as a programmer. As it stands in 2016 the games he makes should just be given away.
He still hasn't added the levels he promised to that first game where you poke the blocks with your stylus.
You must be joking? Sorry RCmadiax, you know I support all of your games and actually like nearly all of them. Most 6's or higher, but this one, even for a high score game is lacking a lot! Despite the good price In was still a little disappointed, I still will support you, but just wanted my two cents.
I like the idea of this being a before bed game, except staring at a white screen before bed is a nono; the blue light in the white can be detrimental to sleep. It'd be cool if there was an optional (or time triggered) palette swap to make it a warmer "sunset" and remove the blues from the screen.
By the looks it reminds me of early games on VIC 20 / C 64.
The way video gaming began...
"This is not meant to be taken as an insult,"
I love that beginning. Guess these games need that disclaimer for the amount of derision they get.
The font for those numbers even looks like it belongs to an Atari 2600 game. I will keep playing Race the Sun, though. Arcade and minimalistic but way more polished.
I feel that this is the kind of game best deserved for the 3DS. Using a console like the Wii U just to play such a time killer is just too unforgiving.
I'll download it to my 3DS in a heartbeat, even with a 1.49 price tag.
@RCMADIAX
I think this brings up mine (and many others) main criticism of your games: there's too many of them
Instead of releasing a small mini game each month, why not focus your time and resources to release one bigger, more fulfilling one that you can give ample time to even after it's out
Horace Goes Skiing. Remember that, kids?
After playing the mobile Skeasy from Sorrow Productions I felt like I wanted control other than touch. I found myself sliding to left and re-entering blindly. Hope this one improved on that.
Skeezy?
Does look like quick fun, been awaiting SRM, the 7 minute preview was good, hope end of level gets punched up a bit.
@Moon That made me laugh so much
This is the sort of game better suited to being a mobile phone app.
@drewodrew ha I remember that! Cheers for making me smile ☺
I feel like these sub-$5 games should be reviewed on a binary scale... worth it/not worth it.
Maybe three options... definitely try/worth a shot/don't bother
@RCMADIAX I feel like a lot of your games (this one included, and AVOIDER for example) are really good starts but they are just a little bit unfinished. Like they are 80% there and fully functional but with a little more polish and effort you would be seeing scores of 8/10 instead. Because you have good ideas, you just don't spend enough time on them to fully flesh them out. Have you considered ever going back to some of these games and developing them further? Or is that just not possible once it's released? Perhaps when the NX comes you can take some of these games, add some suggested features, and release them as a collection (or two) or something on that eShop right off! I'd totally buy that.
@RCMADIAX Cool! Looking forward to it!
The core game is there, working and being fun. So why are there no different stages, modes, obstacles, collectibles, backgrounds... basically bonus things a programmer could add in a few hours. I don't buy home console games that have zero content. And why always these horrible short music loops?! Can't you put in a 2-5 minute track at leas for those 2-5 minute sessions these games are going to last? These 20 second loops are annoying and I see why reviews of RC's games always mention a mute button.
reminds me too much of a Windows 95 game i used to have.
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