10 Most Bizarre Video Game Mechanics (That Actually Worked)

5. Attack Of The Clones - The Swapper

The clones in The Swapper are actually not attacking, ever, they’re just solving puzzles and potentially representing the loss of humanity through body swapping but I didn’t want to pass up on the title.

The Swapper is a fantastic puzzle-platformer made by Facepalm Games in 2013. You find yourself within an excavation site on an alien planet embodying a person in a suit, though not for long. This is because you find a device that allows you to spawn clones of yourself and jump into those clones in order to solve puzzles that will enable you to move forward. Once spawned, all clones move in unison and each puzzle space will require you to master the unique elements of the environment, timing, and placement in order to pass through.

In what is a bizarre yet effective and ultimately creepy turn, the body you begin the room in isn’t necessarily the one you’ll leave in.

The mechanical and narrative implications of this are fascinating and more than a little sinister. The story runs away with the idea, especially when puzzles down the line can only be completed by sacrificing certain clones who will crumple into a heap if dropped from a height.

Very weird mechanic, mildly disturbing story, totally cool game.