Are you in the generation of people who grew up with Sonic or Mario?  These games are platformers, aptly named for the platforms that you jump to and from.  Most of these games are characterized by a large volume of enemies you have to under or around or defeat.  The Knytt series is totally unlike this – in a great way!

The Knytt series focuses on exploration – instead of crevasses leading down to death, they lead down to underground passageways interconnecting in a maze.  The game is extremely environmental, and there are few things that will kill you short of water.  You’re encouraged to explore and take in all the strange and beautiful surroundings.

In the first game, Knytt, you are abducted by a little alien who them proceeds to crash on a nearby planet.  You are then tasked with disocering parts used to repair the alien’s spaceship, so you can return home.  There are virtually no enemies in this game (save a spider and a few jelly things), and the only things that kill you are some crystal formations and water.  There are no powerups – you merely wander the landscape, looking for ways into the clouds and deep into the underground.  The world around you is beautiful and strange – and many things frowned upon by Mario like jumping into holes are vital strategies.  You must jump, run and climb your way through this beautiful world!

Knytt stories is a slightly different experience – there are more enemies around, and more things that can be the death of you.  There are also now powerups, which grant you abilities like running, climbing, a higher jump, and a double jump.  There’s also an umbrella which slows your descent, keys which unlock doors, and an eye which shows invisible platforms.  The two most important however are the enemy detector (you glow in the presence of hostiles) and the hologram – it makes a decoy which draws enemy fire.  The greatest thing about this version however is the inclusion of a level editor – although it is really more of a world editor.  With time, patience, and some graphical skills you can create your own vibrant environment.  What’s more, there are thousands of other worlds easily downloaded and installed from the web.

So get out there and explore the world of Knytt!  You can get it at http://nifflas.ni2.se/ .  While you’re there, check out Within a Deep Forest – it’s the game that led to Knytt, and its ball-based physics lends itself to a very interesting game – more challenging than Knytt, but also very environmental.  I guarantee you’ll have a fun time!

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