Free Game Friday: They Need To Be Fed

I was just sitting down to write about this week’s Free Game when Overlord Ror brought Jesse Venbrux’s new game, They Need To Be Fed, to my attention. Needless to say, I changed my Free Game for the week.

If you followed Game a Day shortly before we started up 2G1G, you may recall coverage of a sleek little puzzle platformer by Venbrux called Maru.  They Need To Be Fed is exceedingly similar, even down to the same graphical style, and features “a perfection of [Venbrux's] 360 degree gravity engine and gameplay”.

Both of us adored Maru, and They Need To Be Fed does not disappoint. The goal of each level is to reach the strange creature (which presumably needs to be fed) so as to become his meal. Along the way, you’ll be collecting diamonds which unlock later worlds, all the while avoiding increasingly tricky obstacles. As early as World 3, things start to become rather hairy, but checkpoints are abundant, particularly in the more difficult levels, so frustration and do-overs shouldn’t be too much of an issue.

Each time you die, your death count displays, and if Maru is any indication, you should expect this to become relevant as you near the game’s end. The music is as high quality as we’ve come to expect from Jesse Venbrux’s games, and it’s worth playing for that alone.

They Need To Be Fed won first prize ($1000) in YoYo Games’ “design a handheld game” competition. All games entered are up for consideration as future titles on the PlayStation Network, so keep your eyes peeled!