Taken for a Quickie | Binaries

---

We’ve taken the controller-smashingly good puzzler Binaries for a quickie, and in spite of being a demandingly huge challenge, we couldn’t help but crave repeat business.

---

by Rob
​Holt

---

@acousticmagic

---

Developer: Ant 
Workshop
Publisher: Ground
Shatter
Platforms: Xbox One,
​PS4, PC
Players: 1

Haven’t we seen this one on PTC before?

Well done keen eyed observer; we road-tested the game back at EGX Rezzed in April, and we loved it. Our first foray into the warmly coloured world of Binaries familiarised us with the one-stick-for-two-characters (an orange ball and a blue ball) control method that forms the basis of the game. If you flick the stick left, both balls move left, if you press jump, both balls jump, if you… you get the picture. Binaries tasks you with safely guiding the spherical chums around 100 treacherous levels at the mercy of this caveat, each one increasingly sadistic.

​How does it play?

Like a puzzle fan’s dream. The single stick control and one button jumping work perfectly with the contained, cavernous levels that the game throws at you. Levels are split into blue and orange segments, in which you’ll need to keep each ball away from spikes and projectiles of the same colour, as coming into contact with them means instant death. You’ll start with simple courses that begin to build on this, before quickly transitioning into heinous, pit of death, spikes on the ceiling, shuriken-spitting skull levels that test your brain power, your will, and the durability of your controller (not to mention your surroundings).

What about the presentation?

The game boasts a sumptuous, simplistic art style that focuses on the binary nature of our orange and blue heroes (?). It’s not a retro aesthetic throwback like VVV or Super Meat Boy - the deep saturation of the colours really made our TV purr! The electronic music fits the bill too, while humourous one-liners that pop-up as you die (again) are very much welcome.

Will I get my money’s worth?

Currently the game is retailing between £7.99 (Xbox One) & £8.99 (PS4). Just beating all 100 levels will take most people somewhere around the 8-10 hours mark, skill dependent of course. It could easily take you longer than that though, due to the game’s brutal difficulty in places. The added bonus of having letter rankings to aim for also really adds to the replayability, making it a bargain purchase in our eyes.

Do we have any concerns? Would we recommend it?

We thoroughly enjoyed our first five hours with the game, and can’t wait to jump back in, so it’s a yes from us. Those of you who are weak-willed beware, mind, for Binaries is harder than peanut brittle, and just as dangerous!

---

---

Interested in knowing more about Binaries straight from its developer, Ant Workshop? Then check out our interview with Tony Gowland.