Have you ever wished you could interact with a cartoonishly charming world with all the elasticity of Mario’s face from the Super Mario 64 start screen? Then Draw Me A Pixel is where your hands need to reach. Their next game, Crushed In Time, stretches the boundaries of what an adventure game can achieve, all while using a striking, expressive visual style that’s sure to wow the artistically inclined among us.
Crushed In Time is a meta story that brings back Draw Me A Pixel’s rendition of silly sleuths Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson from their previous game, There Is No Game: Wrong Dimension, which I’ve been assured is, in fact, not a game. Together — with your help, of course — they set out to solve a mystery that transcends time, space, and the pliability of matter itself.
Whoever built Sherlock’s home, are you okay? You need a ruler, my guy?
No controller needed, just a mouse, a knack for finding clues and interactables, and an appreciation for banter. You’ll pull, spin, flip, sling, and slam objects around in this vibrant world to solve puzzles from the seemingly mundane (wake Sherlock up from a slumber) to the absurd (retrieve a gravity-disobeying letter from the ceiling using honey and a dumb waiter, though not necessarily in that order). And that’s just the first few minutes of the game! I found it simple yet inventive; the very low barrier of entry should prove enticing for those looking for a brain-tickling good time and those who want to get their younger family in on the fun.
With Steam Next Fest bringing the heat in this chilly February, you too can try out the Crushed In Time demo. It’s quick, but there’s a lot to love in its short time, namely the stately performances of both Holmes and Watson (who is a short king in this game!), the deformed and almost abstract scale and size of everyday things that the art direction affords it, and intrigue as to where the story goes. The teaser trailer, which also serves as the demo’s introduction, had me asking enough questions to become invested. Why? How? When?!
My guess is there’s at least 12 interactables in this screen alone
Crushed In Time is due out sometime this year, and needs to be sitting pretty on the wishlists of those who favor fun (and funny) adventure games. I think you’ll agree it’s got that classic LucasArts type of allure. What’s more is that the dev is upfront with their use of dialogue performed and recorded by real people, eschewing the tendency recent devs have for experimenting with AI and other dubious means. Draw Me A Pixel deserves love and support for keeping the charm and humanity in the medium of games.
Have you ever wished you could interact with a cartoonishly charming world with all the elasticity of Mario’s face from the Super Mario 64 start screen? Draw Me A Pixel is where your hands need to reach for then.
Have you ever wished you could interact with a cartoonishly charming world with all the elasticity of Mario’s face from the Super Mario 64 start screen? Then Draw Me A Pixel is where your hands need to reach. Their next game, Crushed In Time, stretches the boundaries of what an adventure game can achieve, all while using a striking, expressive visual style that’s sure to wow the artistically inclined among us.
Crushed In Time is a meta story that brings back Draw Me A Pixel’s rendition of silly sleuths Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson from their previous game, There Is No Game: Wrong Dimension, which I’ve been assured is, in fact, not a game. Together — with your help, of course — they set out to solve a mystery that transcends time, space, and the pliability of matter itself.
Whoever built Sherlock’s home, are you okay? You need a ruler, my guy?
No controller needed, just a mouse, a knack for finding clues and interactables, and an appreciation for banter. You’ll pull, spin, flip, sling, and slam objects around in this vibrant world to solve puzzles from the seemingly mundane (wake Sherlock up from a slumber) to the absurd (retrieve a gravity-disobeying letter from the ceiling using honey and a dumb waiter, though not necessarily in that order). And that’s just the first few minutes of the game! I found it simple yet inventive; the very low barrier of entry should prove enticing for those looking for a brain-tickling good time and those who want to get their younger family in on the fun.
With Steam Next Fest bringing the heat in this chilly February, you too can try out the Crushed In Time demo. It’s quick, but there’s a lot to love in its short time, namely the stately performances of both Holmes and Watson (who is a short king in this game!), the deformed and almost abstract scale and size of everyday things that the art direction affords it, and intrigue as to where the story goes. The teaser trailer, which also serves as the demo’s introduction, had me asking enough questions to become invested. Why? How? When?!
My guess is there’s at least 12 interactables in this screen alone
Crushed In Time is due out sometime this year, and needs to be sitting pretty on the wishlists of those who favor fun (and funny) adventure games. I think you’ll agree it’s got that classic LucasArts type of allure. What’s more is that the dev is upfront with their use of dialogue performed and recorded by real people, eschewing the tendency recent devs have for experimenting with AI and other dubious means. Draw Me A Pixel deserves love and support for keeping the charm and humanity in the medium of games.
by David Rodriguez
