Barrel (AppID: 4038100)

Don't control the barrel, become one with it.

( But do control that thingy it's rolling on. That's, like, the whole thing )

Barrel is a simple game that's hard to master. Maneuver upward through ever more varied and challenging obstacles. Enjoy the whimsical, if unsettling, scenery of a subterranean fantasy world.

GAMEPLAY

• Players "control" the barrel indirectly by moving each end of the bar it rolls upon

  • IE those two dwarven maniacs. They never get tired of climbing. Absolute units.

• Best played with a gamepad, but keyboard works just fine

• There is a single, continuous course with multiple environments and new mechanics introduced along the way

• Checkpoints can be lost

  • Players have a limited number of attempts (IE "lives") to get to the next checkpoint

  • Players revert to the previous checkpoint if all attempts are failed.

SETTING

Note: Barrel focuses on gameplay first and does not have an overt narrative, but there is some environmental storytelling.

• The Barrel Games are a seasonal event and tradition for this isolated, deepest-dwelling community of dwarves. 

• This is essentially a telling of one of their dwarven folktales, in which two climbers of legend journey up through the strange, unruly, subterranean world.

FAQ

Q: The climbers' feet... it's like they're stepping up a ladder but it's a chain?

A: They pinch the chain with their toes.