When you're writing about a minimalist game, particularly when it's a puzzle game where half the fun of the game is discovering the rules yourself, it's really hard not to go overboard with nonsense in a review. You could turn the entire thing into a sonnet or some other metric form, or talk up the game in incredibly vague and flowery terms. Impasse by Wanderlands doesn't need that. It's a clever but tricky puzzler that speaks for itself, even if it lacks so much as a title screen.
Without spoiling too much of the actual gameplay, the goal is to navigate your circle (the plus) to the finish line (the check) in each level using the [arrow] keys. Along the way, you'll encounter different obstacles that create an impasse for you. These obstacles behave in different ways, so you've got to figure out what each one does and why. There are twenty-four levels to traverse with increasing difficulty. The shortest distance between two points certainly isn't a straight line here, as you'll end up making circles around yourself to find the correct path to the exit.
The simplistic presentation of a handful of circles and symbols with subtle sound effects works well for a puzzler of this sort, where concentration and calmness come in handy. On the other hand, the minimalistic approach does leave a few helpful items out, such as the ability to select puzzles. While you can skip an unlimited number of levels through the menu using the [Esc] key, you can't actually backtrack and play a previous level without resetting the entire game. Also, it feels as though too many puzzle elements were crammed into such a small package, as you're still being introduced to new circle types within the last few levels of the game.
That said, there's a tremendous amount of brainbusting to be found in such a tiny game. You only have thirty spots to move to, but you'll be trekking around the grid for a good long time. It'll be pretty hard to pass up this Impasse.
Thanks to Donut and Taylor for sending this one in!
Walkthrough Guide
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Impasse: The Lost Manual
The goal in each level is to navigate the + to the check mark using the arrow keys. You can move up, down, left, and right, and can wrap vertically around the level. Stepping on any other circle resets the level. All circles react to your movements at the same time that you make them, so if you move to a spot at the same time that a circle moves away from it, you'll be safe.
Dark gray circles are stationary and never do anything.
Purple or orange circles with up or down arrows shift once in the direction the arrows are pointing every time you move vertically. You can safely move through a single arrowed circle by getting right in front of it and moving towards it; it'll swap places with you and you'll be perfectly safe.
Yellow or blue circles with up or down arrows behave like their differently colored counterparts, only they react to horizontal movements instead of vertical ones. Think carefully before attempting to move past columns of them; the trick is to time it so the blank spot moves to your destination at the same time you do.
Cyan or magenta circles with - signs on them blink in or out of existence every time you move vertically. If it doesn't look like you can get past them, try wrapping vertically around the board and returning to where you were.
Green O circles are harmless. Red X circles behave like gray circles. However, whenever you step onto a green O, it vanishes and all the red X's disappear or reappear.
Posted by: SonicLover
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July 12, 2011 2:49 PM
Impasse Walkthrough
MOTION
RDRRRRRUURRRD
PATHWAY
RDRRURURRDDRRUR
WRAP
RDRRDRRRURRRU
SURPRISE
RDRRDDRRRUDUDRRR
GOING UP
DRRUURRUURRURRUUR
PHASE
UDRRURUDRUURDUDRRUURRD
WEAVE
UDRRDDRRDRUURRURR
LOCK
RUDRURDRUURRDRUDRUUR
BRIDGE
URDRUDRUURRRDRDUDRR
FLASH
RUUURRUURRUURRRUUR
DECEPTION
UUUUDRRUUUURRDDDDRURUDURRDDR
SIDESTEP
DUDUDRRUULUURRRUURUUDUDURUURRR
OFFBEAT
UUURRURURURURURRRU
HURDLE
UUUUDURRDDDRRUUDRRURURURU
BACKDOOR
UUUDRRDRRUDUDURURUDDRRDRD
AXIS
URRDRDULRRRRRURULURR
SWEEP
UUUUDUDRLRRURURURURUDUDURURR
GATE
UUUURLRLRRURRRLRLRDDDDRRURLLRURR
UNZIP
URLRRRRUURLRDDRRRRD
TWINS
DDDDDURLRLRRRRDDDRDLRLRUDUDRRRUUR
MACHINE
UURLUURRRRURLLDUDUDRRRDRDUDRLRRU
REDUCTION
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LURE
UUUUDUDURLRLRRRRRRDUDUDLLULRULLLLDDUDURLRLRRRRRRDRRR
FINAL DANCE
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Posted by: DAM
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July 13, 2011 2:56 AM