Solve Puzzles with a Chill Pixel-Cat in 'Tangent'

A few years ago, you could bet on the following scenario: Go to a party with a few indie devs. Take a drink every time someone mentions that they're working on a colorful puzzle-platformer. Go home drunk.

I'm not dragging puzzle-platformers: They are among my favorite games! But the industry went through a heavy phase post-Braid. I like to think it's seeing a mini-renaissance now, but in the smaller realm: the purview of game jammers and tiny or one-person studios, plying their craft around unique mechanics.

Tangent is a perfect example of this: It's cute, it's snappy, and it's built around a cool room-switching mechanic. In it, you play as a really cute pixel-art kitty, and using a series of old-school CRT computers, you swap the room.

Sure, it starts nice and gently, teaching you how to mess with geography a bit to get around. But soon, you need to operate timed switches and plan your room-swapping accordingly. It feels like a proper maze, a series of puzzles that offer sweet, sweet satisfaction as you progress.

Made in 48 hours as part of a Ludem Dare jam, by creator rxi, Tangent is a worthy late-afternoon adventure.