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[Sadly, this review was corrupted... -And it still is, for it tainted by Nadir's wretchedness! Uhh, I mean enjoy. - Kracken]
December, understandably, is a notoriously slow month for games, while our protagonists molest their turkeys and put little flashing lights into trees to frighten animals and small children. As well as craNKGod's Little Square Thingies, the selected GOTM, honourable mentions should go out to Wayward for Apud Le Medius Res, both a community game and a tribute to a friend of his, and Parallel by Boonob and MadTom, which was released in November but got nudged to be elligible for GOTM nomination in December- a novel idea in which the two authors alternate making boards for the game in a random plot fashion with no continuity, but which still came together in a big ball of love juice.
But I digress from the main feature of this sordid piece of writing! Now, I know the more cynical among you will correlate the release of Little Square Thingies, the creation of Z2 and the fact that craNKGod has had a major part to play in its creation. That, of course, is crap. FRANKLY CRANK WOULDNT HAVE GOT GOTM IF WE HADNT HAD SUCH A POOR MONTH FOR GAMES =(((( (yes, I am kidding.). The basic premise of LST is that of a puzzle game; sure, there's a plot involving you being in another dimension where you're a demi-god guiding the titular square thingies onto cyan tiles, which is superfluous but does actually add to the experience and gives the game a little purpose (TO BASH CRANKGOD'S SKULL UNTIL HE BLEEDS) which it would otherwise be lacking. Different squares move in different ways; as well as normal squares that move when you tell them to, other types of square rudely move once every two steps, or move in the opposite direction that you tell them to, or even (and at this I AM INDIGNANT) in the direction an arrow states! It is in this world of barbarous non-conformist square that you must cause the DEVOURING OF CYAN TILES FOR THE GOOD OF THE UNIVERSE without having your squares shot, trapped or burnt by lava!
Although the graphics of this game are mostly ZZTAE random blending, that is not the point of the exercise. craNK has obviously sat down for a fair few hours and plotted out some of these puzzles. Also good is the old (but mostly unused in ZZT games) non-linear method the game is set out in; although one must only play seven levels to complete the game, the set is such that at the end of every level you are given a choice as to which level to go to next. This ensures a copious volume of the ethereal quantity known to the proletariat as "replay value" and is something we all must aspire to in our lives! ALSO SATIATING WAS BEATING THE PISS OUT OF TSENG AND CRANK
For some reason, I really liked the "perfect circle" animation at the end, but this is but personal opinion! Nonetheless, it's CLEAVER
So download this game, it shall enrich your life.
