Bontago

Now, this was interesting.

When I scroll through the DigiPen game library and I see a game that proudly wears the title "IGF Game" or "IGF Finalist," I feel a bit conflicted.  Part of me is happy that I'm about to play a game with ostensibly more time and manpower behind it than the rest, but another part of me silently weeps because these games tend to be the most massive, which is not optimal for a reviewer in my position.

While it took me over an hour to be able to get the info I needed from Bontago, the game itself is very simple.  The objective is to stack blocks until your shadow reaches a goal marker, all the while racing against your opponent(s).

The game was pretty tricky to learn at first, but that's only because I left my mouse somewhere and had to use the good ol' trackpad for this game.  See, mousewheel up and mousewheel down are two of the most integral parts of this game, as they dictate the height from which you drop a block.  Even a small difference in height could mean the difference between neatly placing your block where you want it or having the block soar off into the distance, destroying your carefully arranged towers in its path of havoc.  Since I was using the trackpad, I had to switch the controls so that page up and page down controlled the height, which worked well enough for me to be able to play the game.

While the meat of this game is simple, the bells and whistles are what makes it a truly massive game.  There are certain "gifts" that you have a chance of getting instead of a block.  I put quotes around "gift" because usually dropping them just destroys your progress in variously frustrating ways.  Of course, you have to drop them in order to progress, making the powerups add a whole other layer of depth to the game.  See, building upwards is by far the quickest way to expand your shadow of influence, but an earthquake gift will swiftly decimate a long tower, whereas the blocks that are closer to the ground will remain unscathed.  All these factors have to be taken into account in a short time, as there is a timer that automatically drops the block you're holding if you hold on to it for too long.

I get the feeling this game would be really fun to play with friends.  It's one of those games where you spend almost as much time setting it up as you do playing it, invoking the same kind of friendly discourse as do the item or stage screens in a game like Super Smash Bros (I know I mention that game a lot, but shut up. It's one of my favorites).

In addition, there's sandbox mode, a block-stacking creative experience that almost rivals Minecraft (except not at all).  Usually though, when I play this mode I end up just randomly spawning blocks everywhere until the map resembles a carefully designed Lego city after a toddler's wreaked his vengeance upon it for an hour.

All in all, I recommend Bontago.  It just might be the game that inspires me to figure out how to host a multiplayer match for these games.  Until then, though, it's a fun experience that tests your mind and reflexes. It definitely gets my seal of approval.

Links
Blocks everywhere: https://www.digipen.edu/?id=1170&proj=535