Chasing shadows in Toby: The Secret Mine

With the holidays out of the way and E3 still ways off we move into what I lovingly refer to as "indie season."  That time of the year where very few big name publisher or studio games come out and indie and small studio games get the chance to shine.  Once again Headup Games has provided me with this weeks game.  This time one solely created by a single man, Lukáš Navrátil.  The game is Toby: The Secret Mine.  Let's take a closer look at it.

"It matters not how fast light may travel, darkness shall always be there awaiting its arrival.” ― Mark W. Boyer

Toby: The Secret Mine is another in what I’m going to call a “dark platformer” game style.  Lukáš admits he was inspired by Limbo and Badlands when making the game.  You can’t shy away from the fact that it is.  But the dark shadow silhouetted look is one of the main highlights of Toby: The Secret Cave.  The story is very minimal so graphics and gameplay are left to do the legwork of really bringing this game along.

On his website Lukáš describes the graphics as “various beautifully handcrafted environments and great visual effects” and I will agree.  He has put a lot of love into creating an interesting visual treat of contrast.  The lovely almost hand drawn look of the backgrounds with the shadow filled silhouette of the foreground is striking.

"'Darkness' is a subjective word; it depends what your viewpoint is and how you live life." - Taylor Momsen

At the start of Toby: The Secret Mine you are dropped in without any instructions or tutorials.  You learn as you go that you have three basic controls:  left/right movement, a jump button, and an action button.  The action button is used to activate switches and grab boxes.

The shadows are used to great effect in the gameplay.  Let me first make something very clear.  You will die in this game, a lot.  The main menu even has a "death meter" to show how many times you have died.  It's not that Toby: The Secret Mine is a hard game, it is learning what is hiding in the shadows and where.  There is a lot of trial and error here: Where the monsters are, where movable boxes are hidden and levers to operate machinery, how the traps are sprung, and when to dodge, jump, and weave your way around.  Thankfully well-placed checkpoints ease the pain.

Your goal is to rescue the kidnapped residents of your village.  Some are in plain sight and some are hidden in the shadows.  This plays out over 21 levels.  A short game, but perfectionists and speed runners will find a lot of replay value in trying to run through without dying or getting through as fast as possible, respectively.

Overall

At first, I wasn't sure if I would like Toby:  The Secret Mine.  I have played quite a few side-scrolling games in the last couple of months and was getting a little burned out.  In Toby: The Secret Mine, even though you are thrown in without any instructions, you always felt like you were accomplishing something.  Learn the controls, check. Learn where a box is, check.  Learn the pattern of how the “stabby snakes” burst out of the ground, check.

I enjoyed Toby: The Secret Mine.  It kept a certain level of challenge throughout, with the only drawback being a real lack of story.  I give Toby: The Secret Mine a 4 out of 5.

For more information see Lukáš Navrátil's website.