''Bzzzt'' is a

platform game A platformer (also called a platform game, and sometimes a jump 'n' run game) is a subgenre of action game in which the core objective is to move the player character between points in an environment. Platform games are characterized by levels wi ...

developed by Karel Matějka (KO.DLL) and published in 2023 for

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Linux Linux ( ) is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an kernel (operating system), operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991, by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically package manager, pac ...

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, and

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. The player controls a small robot in a futuristic environment, mimicking 8-bit

arcade video game An arcade video game is an arcade game that takes player input from its controls, processes it through electrical or computerized components, and displays output to an electronic monitor or similar display. All arcade video games are coin-oper ...

Plot

The game is set in the year 4096. Scientists Emma and Robert dedicated their lives to working on new technologies and the result is

artificial intelligence Artificial intelligence (AI) is the capability of computer, computational systems to perform tasks typically associated with human intelligence, such as learning, reasoning, problem-solving, perception, and decision-making. It is a field of re ...

ZX8000. All that remains is to transfer consciousness into the body of a small robot and test all its functions and abilities. Although the original idea of the scientists was good, not everything goes according to plan in the creation of a toaster-sized robot. Testing is interrupted by the villain Badbert. ZX8000 has a difficult task ahead - it must save the scientists and the whole world.

Gameplay

The game can be played in three different levels of difficulty. The easiest difficulty gives the player three lives per level, crazy difficulty gives player only seven lives for the entire game. There is also normal difficulty. Players can compare their results in global rankings or beat time records for individual levels. Another challenge in the game is collecting points - screws and completing each level with the full number. With the increasing number of abilities, the robot becomes more and more agile. It can gradually chain double jumps and overcome increasingly difficult obstacles and traps. Completing all 52 levels takes an average of 2.5 - 3.5 hours and is suitable for beginners due to the different difficulties. It is available in nine languages, including Czech. The robot is controlled in a side-view perspective on either a

gamepad A gamepad is a type of video game controller held in two hands, where the fingers (especially thumbs) are used to provide input. They are typically the main input device for video game consoles. Features Some common additions to the standar ...

or keyboard. For the ability to transfer energy, the robot becomes a spark of ones and zeros that flies, using the arrows on the keyboard is impractical, due to sensitive controls. A gamepad is recommended.

Development

This action retro jumper was created in the workshop of developer Karel Matějka, under the name Ko.dll. He also created the pixel art graphic processing, for which he has been known for a long time. The music was also provided by Martin Linda in collaboration with Matějka. To create the soundtrack, Linda used the Rytmik program that he developed himself. The game was published by CINEMAX s.r.o. and released on 13 November 2023. The static pixel art background features 1.25 million hand-drawn pixels that took 4 years to create.

Reception

The game has received generally positive reviews holding 91% on

Metacritic Metacritic is an American website that aggregates reviews of films, television shows, music albums, video games, and formerly books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created ...

indicating "Universal Acclaim."

Accolades

*1st in INDIE OF THE YEAR on IndianTV - Community Vote *6th place on

IndieDB Mod DB is a website that focuses on general video game modding. It was founded in 2002 by Scott "INtense!" Reismanis. As of September 2015, the Mod DB site has received over 604 million views, has more than 12,500 modifications registered, and ...

's INDIE OF THE YEAR 2023 - Player Vote *Best Design GDS 2022 *Indie Community Vote GDS 2022 *

Czech Game of the Year Awards Czech Game of the Year Awards () are annual awards that recognize accomplishments in video game development in the Czech Republic. The awards began as part of Gameday Festival in 2010, but became independent from the festival in 2017. In 2010– ...

: Audiovisual Execution of 2023

References

{{reflist

External links

Official website
2023 video games Cinemax (video game developer) games Platformers Single-player video games Video games about robots Video games developed in the Czech Republic Video games set in the future Windows games