We’re lucky here at 4mations. We sit in large, comfortably upholstered chairs, receiving offerings from the internets - animated films, yes, comedy gems, sometimes, but also offers of credit, diplomas, and piles of medication that would make the NHS blush.
I’m particularly suspicious when reviewing non-film submissions, so when “Icycle” landed in our submissions pile, I hovered dangerously over the delete button.
I’m glad I didn’t. Because how else would I have played a naked middle aged business man riding through an ice age, collecting bubbles on a BMX? (Take that, keyword spammers).
I could tell you many things about this game. How every part of it is lovingly crafted, the backgrounds elegantly simple and stylishly textured, the animation full of life and humour. How the sound design, by Stilton Studios and Studio 42, is chillingly atmospheric and effective. Or how Reece Millidge of ‘Damp Gnat‘, the talented animator and compositor behind the game, taught himself Flash and spent 4 months over a period of 4 years making Icycle, in between full time gigs at Nexus Productions, making sure the unfunded production would allow him to develop his own illustration and art direction skills.
I could tell you all this, and make us all marvel at Reece’s commendable dedication and remarkable talent, but I’d have to get out of this plush chair and stop playing this blasted, fun, addictive game. So go and play it, will you? Because I have bubbles to collect work to do.
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