This arena platformer is yet another examples of indie gaming's regeneration of couch multiplayer gaming. The objective of Towerfall is simpl; skewer your enemies with arrows before they skewer you. It's the little gameplay details that make Towerfall a far slicker and more devious game than its cutesy graphics would suggest. The wrap-around screen that lets you sneak arrows into your enemies' backs, the 'Dodge' move that lets you grab arrows fired at you then launch them back at your enemy, and the fact that arrows ever so slightly home in on their targets all contribute to an experience that rewards skill, but also creates hilarious emergent events. You might run out of arrows, for example, then jump through the bottom of the screen to enter an infinite loop of falling. You appear to be a sitting duck, so your quivered-up foe jumps into the infinite loop and fires a series of arrows at you. You jump out of the loop quickly, then watch in glee as your pursuer gets killed by his own arrow while attempting to escape the endless rain of arrows that he created. Clearly aware of how awesome these little moments are, developer Matt Thorson threw in Instant Replays at the end of each round that you can watch in slow-motion. It's this ability to create endless moments of chaotic joy, as well as rewarding shrewd, calculated skill, that make Towerfall a must-have for anyone looking for a great local multiplayer experience. The co-op campaign isn't half bad, either.
Gamer, Researcher of strange things.
I'm a writer-editor hybrid whose writings on video games, technology and movies can be found across the internet. I've even ventured into the realm of current affairs on occasion but, unable to face reality, have retreated into expatiating on things on screens instead.
