Introduction

There Is No Game: Wrong Dimension is a puzzle adventure video game that references other games like The Legend of Zelda and The Secret of Monkey Island. It was released for Windows and macOS on August 6, 2020, Android and iOS on December 17, 2020, and Nintendo Switch on April 14, 2021. This game is a sequel to another 2015 game jam-winning entry There Is No Game, developed by the same creator Pascal Cammisotto. 

Official Website: https://drawmeapixel.com/ 

Mechanics

The point-and-click gameplay aims to break the fourth wall in an innovative way while creating a light-hearted experience. Each chapter in this game is a parody of different existing game genres, and the game mechanics thus varies chapter to chapter. The player plays as The User in the game, which is essentially themselves, and is not able to control the characters in each chapter directly. Bugs are hated by players but in this game, it is used to provide the player with obstacles and complications. The player will have to find a way to fix them while trying to explore the game world.

Different items collected in the game are not stored neatly in an inventory tab, but rather just dumped at the bottom of the screen. They can be collected in the strangest ways like knocking down words from the title screen. The player is also not just limited to using items but also icons like pause and menu. 

The puzzles are designed for players to think outside of the box, yet a hint system is provided by the developers “because you can’t think outside of the box”

Story

There Is No Game: Wrong Dimension(not-a-game) starts with a classic title page with options for The User to choose from, and soon a narrator, which represents The Game itself, starts talking and destroying the game experience by telling The User that “there is no game” and continues to try and stop The User from playing. After finding the narrator’s hidden files, a software anomaly, Mr. Glitch, then appears to explain his “evil plans” to The User, but always fails to do so due to random events. The narrator and The User will find themselves trapped in different games and they have to find a way to escape, which then officially starts the not-a-game. 

Aesthetics

The visual art in this not-a-game adopts a pixel-art style. In each chapter, instead of focusing primarily on background music, the not-a-game chooses to prioritize the conversation between The User and the narrator, which gives the player a feeling of companionship with an invisible friend. The usage of specific color palettes and UI design allows the player to experience different moods. As the game progresses, the conversation with the narrator becomes more significant and therefore the great voice acting exponentially adds to the experience.

Technology

The not-a-game is developed on Unity, which allowed the developers to make it cross-platform easily. The not-a-game chose to adopt highly customizable rendering technology to create detailed and high-quality visual effects. 

Lens of Essential Experience

The narrator was the heart of the not-a-game. The User accompanies the narrator through different games to hunt down Mr.Glitch, and The User slowly learns more about the narrator and the intentions behind his actions (like stopping every player from playing). The not-a-game’s exceptional writing contributed significantly to the player’s experience. From the conversations between The User and the narrator to the interactions between different characters, it made the not-a-game immersive for the player to have their own impression and understanding of the not-a-game and its plot.

Lens of Surprise

The gameplay was a standard point-and-click game, but the unexpected plot twists and innovative interactions with the items gave the player plenty of surprises, which motivates him or her to continue with the not-a-game to know what would happen next and what are some other unique but interesting ways to use a certain item.

Lens of The Puzzle

As a puzzle-solving not-a-game, it has successfully utilized most, if not all of the 10 Puzzle Principals. The puzzle-solving started off fairly easy to understand and solve, and the difficulty gradually increased. When the player is about to give up in frustration, a hint system is available to renew hope and arouse curiosity again. If the player is truly stuck and has no idea how to progress, the not-a-game also provides the solution directly.

Lens of Freedom

The only downside of this not-a-game is the lack of freedom. Unlike some other story-based games where every choice leads you to a different ending, the not-a-game has only one storyline and it is impossible to progress without following a linear path. Which can be frustrating for players that want to see a variety of different endings. The sometimes lengthy and unskippable cutscenes can slow the pace of the game down.