''Within a Deep Forest'' is a

platformer 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 and published by

Nifflas Nicklas Nygren (born 6 January 1983), better known as Nifflas, is an independent Swedish video game developer. He is known for his freeware '' Knytt'' game series along with another freeware game, '' Within a Deep Forest''. He has lived in Umeå, ...

. It was released as

freeware Freeware is software, often proprietary, that is distributed at no monetary cost to the end user. There is no agreed-upon set of rights, license, or EULA that defines ''freeware'' unambiguously; every publisher defines its own rules for the free ...

in 2006 for

Windows Windows is a Product lining, product line of Proprietary software, proprietary graphical user interface, graphical operating systems developed and marketed by Microsoft. It is grouped into families and subfamilies that cater to particular sec ...

, and is a

spiritual sequel A spiritual successor (sometimes called a spiritual sequel) is a product or fictional work that is similar to, or directly inspired by, another previous product or work, but (unlike a traditional prequel or sequel) does not explicitly continue th ...

to his previous games, ''#Modarchive Story'' and ''#Modarchive Story 2.'' The main character is an intelligent

ball A ball is a round object (usually spherical, but sometimes ovoid) with several uses. It is used in ball games, where the play of the game follows the state of the ball as it is hit, kicked or thrown by players. Balls can also be used for s ...

that is trying to stop the

mad scientist The mad scientist (also mad doctor or mad professor) is a stock character of a scientist who is perceived as "mad, bad and dangerous to know" or "insanity, insane" owing to a combination of unusual or unsettling personality traits and the unabas ...

Dr. Cliché from destroying the world. The game was praised by critics for its gameplay, as well as its minimalist graphics and sound.

Gameplay

The player takes control of a bouncing ball known as the "Blue Ball" that can transform into various different ball types, which are obtained throughout the game. This includes the Glass Ball, which is immune to lasers but can break if impacting a surface too quickly, and the Pathetic Ball, which has diminished abilities.

Plot

The evil Dr. Cliché created two bombs in order to permanently freeze the world, though the first failed and created a ball-like being, that endeavors to stop the second from being detonated.

Reception

Retro Gamer ''Retro Gamer'' is a British magazine, published worldwide, covering Retrogaming, retro video games. It was the first commercial magazine to be devoted entirely to the subject. Launched in January 2004 as a quarterly publication, ''Retro Gamer'' ...

'' criticized the game's story as "schlock", but described its gameplay as "fun", calling the game in general "atmospheric, eerie, and sometimes very challenging". The publication noted the high amount of effort put into the game, comparing it to retro games such as '' Cauldron II'' (1986). ''Retro Maniac'' called the game one of Nifflas' best works, praising the game's controls. James Murff of ''Big Download'' called it a rare

art game An art game (or arthouse game) is a work of Interactive art, interactive new media art, new media digital art, digital software art as well as a member of the "art game" subgenre of the serious game, serious video game. The term "art game" was ...

that also contained engaging gameplay, and a "classic that manages to be both incredibly hard and very affecting at the same time". Commenting on the game's high difficulty, he noted that the game was proof that "you don't need to mangle games to create art: great, emotion-invoking games were there all along". Jan Tomášik of '' IDNES.cz'' rated the game highly, describing the difficulty as challenging but perfectly balanced. He also noted that the game had "great" graphics and music that established an "indescribable" atmosphere.

References

{{Nifflas 2006 video games Windows-only freeware games Indie games Platformers Single-player video games Video games designed by Nifflas Video games set in forests Windows games