Nico Saves The State

Got this because I really liked the devs’ previous game, Jack ’n’ Hat, and this one’s main mechanic seemed interesting. The devs took the idea of saving states from emulators and made it into the game’s gimmick. Each stage finds a fresh way to make that trick feel clever, so you get a steady stream of “I’m a genius” moments when a solution finally clicks. 2.5D environments with pixel art sprites pop with bright colours, and Saturday-morning-style cut-scenes add extra personality to simple, but likeable characters. Jack ‘n’ Hat had a great chiptune soundtrack and this one doesn’t disappoint. Instead of chiptune it leans into late-1990s PlayStation vibes, something I really appreciated as a 90s kid. Controls are pleasantly tight, so the character goes exactly where you intend without odd acceleration curves or slippery landings, making the tougher platforming sections feel fair. The one real drawback is the strict one-hit-and-you’re-out rule. I get why the developers chose it (multiple hit points would undercut the save-state gimmick), but there were a few frustrating cases where I figured out the puzzles only to die just before finishing the level and had to do it all again. Even so, at this wallet-friendly price the package more than justifies itself. If you like compact puzzle platformers that keep teaching you new tricks, this is definitely worth a playthrough.