Video game players have been jumping over pits and collecting keys in platformers for a long time. Mobius twists the usual perspective to add fresh challenge and mind-teasing trickery.
Mobius is a riff on classic platformers that’s currently available for the PC. You control an adorable little dude with overalls who needs to collect coins and keys. The hitch is that everything takes place on a Mobius strip. These twisted cylinders double back over themselves in strange ways. In Mobius, a quick mouse click can expand or squash the strip, creating alternate pathways and new perspectives. The result is a mixture of platforming and puzzling. It’s a mini-crash course in how small tweaks to a game’s visuals can alter how we play.
I’ve featured a similar game in the past, Triforce, which took The Legend of Zelda and placed the action on spinning donuts and other shapes. That game recontextualized a familiar game world into an altered experience that was both mind-blowing and nostalgic. Mobius operates on a similar level, but with mechanics. I’ve jumped over plenty of pits, but the slightest camera tilt in Mobius makes what would usually be a simple leap much more difficult.
The end result is silly fun, but it’s also a chance to think about video game standards and what it means to break from the mold. Mobius is a short burst of cheeky puzzling that’s worth checking out. There’s both a full game and an in-browser demo for anyone eager to get a little twisted.