A Walk in the Dark

A Walk in the Dark is a fast-paced platformer inspired by the gameplay of Super Meat Boy and VVVVVV. The game offers 100 levels, unlocked gradually, where the player either controls the girl Arielle or her cat Bast. The game starts in a dark forest where the two are playing when Arielle is suddenly whisked away by a dark spirit. Bast stays behind, alone, and the player need to guide it to bring the two back together. Bast is not the only playable character, certain levels shift to the strange world where Arielle has been taken.

The different levels are quite short and most of them can be completed in less than a single minute. They are however filled with challenges and obstacles and thus require a lot of trial-and-error. Completing them opens up new levels on a map. Not every single level needs to be completed, difficult ones can be skipped but a certain number needs to be completed to progress. Next to merely completing the levels, an extra challenge is introduced through glowing orbs that need to be collected from hard to reach areas. The game also stores the time and compares it against the par time set by the developers.

Bast can run around, jump and cling to walls (including wall jumping) similar to Super Meat Boy. It needs to dodge spikes, moving gears, and enemies as they cannot be taken out. Certain walls move or crumble under its feet. The end of the level is always marked by a glowing area. A single hit is fatal and then the entire level needs to be replayed. When playing as Arielle, there are no SMB-mechanics. Instead the gameplay of VVVVVV is used to quickly switch between floor and ceiling including air control to move around between the two states. Playing as Bast these are also present but in addition it has Auto-run-like levels where the player can only switch between the two states while the screen moves forwards at a fixed speed, mixed with jumping and crouching. Quick reflexes are required to complete those. After a set of levels new locations are introduced and additional challenges such as glowing parts that automatically trigger reversed gravity or more difficult obstacles such as moving blades and swinging spiders.