ScubaBear

Underwater ursine

Winner of the ‘Beneath The Surface’ themed Ludum Dare 29, this is a game about exploration, treasure hunting and being a scuba-diving bear. It’s a compact ‘Metroidvania’—a game about finding collectibles to unlock powers that help you to progress further across its map.

The treasures you’ll find are many, the powers you unlock varied. Less than halfway through my list of required items, I could hold my breath longer, strike enemy crabs harder, and double-jump to clear formerly impassable gaps. For every new ability, new routes open up, which in turn leads to more abilities.

There’s so much to collect, I wasn’t entirely sure what all of it did. Some items are obvious, but others—like the pokeball—remained a mystery throughout. Confusion aside, ScubaBear remains a clever, pareddown interpretation of its genre. The sprawling map ensures there’s always something new to uncover. PS

www.bit.ly/ScubaBear