PC Gamer - UK (2022-07)

I

n peculiar RTS Orbles, you’re

not trying to beat another

faction operating with the

same tools as you. No, your enemy

is a horde of giants, advancing upon

you from every direction. As the

giants constrict the map, they will

also demolish any of your

structures standing in their way.

Given the circumstances, you might

expect your citizens to display a bit of

haste, but they’re content to work

agonisingly slowly, ferrying food and

metal and fighting the giants with not

a care in the world. Still, it gives you

time to think about Orbles’ single,

extremely challenging scenario.

On a fixed map, you have to build

up your little town so that you have

enough workers to gather food and

metal, and warriors to thin the

encroaching hoard. All with the

ultimate goal of acquiring three shiny

Solar Orbs, which are spread out in a

triangular fashion around the map.

Unlike most RTS workers, the

humanoid orblings will only walk on

set paths. You need a path between

the farm and the hut, to turn food

into orblings, and paths between the

mine, town centre and fortress to

turn those orblings into warriors. To

win the scenario, you’ll need to be a

master of path-optimisation, getting

the orblings where they need to be in

as little time as possible, so that you

have enough warriors to make

meaningful dents in the horde.

It’s an extremely tough challenge,

given that you’re trying to learn how

to play the game at the same time. I

do like the ideas in evidence here, I

just wish there were some game

customisation options as

those ideas deserve room

to breathe outside this

inflexible scenario.

Y

ou name an animal, and
someone has turned them
into a platforming mascot,
usually with a catchphrase and a
pair of cartoony eyes. So I admire
the unassuming nature of the
protagonist in Pebble. You are
literally a pebble, with only a pair of
boots to add an element of
anthropomorphism.

Everything about Pebble is
minimalist, and that’s refreshing in a
genre stuffed with collectibles and
radical marsupials. Here’s a small,
sunny world for you to explore, while
enjoying a relaxing soundtrack.
Pebble does have one idea – any
more would be overkill. The little
pebble can acquire green gemstones,
attaching them to its body for later
use. You’ll come across inactive
platforms that will accept the
gemstones as currency, allowing you

to unfurl bridges or shift floating

platforms so you can use them.

The clever bit is that you will

often need to circle back to retrieve

the gemstones later on, recycling

them for use in subsequent puzzles.

The cosy exploration of the early

game transitions to precision, timed

platforming that feels inelegant by

association, thanks to a camera that

sometimes parks itself in unhelpful

places. An age-old problem for 3D

platformers, but still an annoying one.

I never got too annoyed though – I

never got too much of anything, as

this is a chill and competent

platformer, but one that never crosses

into ingenious or intolerable territory.

A bigger game with smarter

puzzles would be welcome, but then

there’s value in the little

things – like a tiny, humble

platformers you can finish

in one sitting.

FREE GAMES REVIEWS

EXPECT TO PAY
Free

DEVELOPER

bippinbits

LINK

bippinbits.itch.io/orbles

NEED TO KNOW

HORDE MODE

They might be giants in novel RTS ORBLES

BELOW: (^) The premise is reminiscent of Attack on Titan.
EXPECT TO PAY
Free
DEVELOPER
Wardius
LINK
wardius.itch.io/pebble
NEED TO KNOW
BELOW: (^) The challenge ramps up towards the end.
ROLLING STONE
3D platformer PEBBLE is as humble as its name suggests
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