Move or Die

Move or Die is an arcade game focused on local competition. It is the first project of the independent studio Those Awesome Guys. Ironically, despite the name, the team began its existence was a one-man company founded by the Romanian artist Nicolae Berbecy. The title is proudly described as "a combination of all party games in one package" and "a four-player game that will ruin your friendship".

Mechanics

The gameplay employs the basic principles of 2D platform games. Four characters usually move on one static board, which occupies the entire screen. Before starting the game, participants choose one of the many characters that are unlocked along with their progress and achievements in the game. However, they are only a cosmetic addition and do not have any special skills.

Once the match has started, users are placed on the arena with one task - to win as many rounds as possible to take first place on the podium. In order to meet this requirement, it is necessary to adapt to the changing rules and conditions of victory. Every 20 seconds we are buried in short suggestions on what to do. For example, we start from painting tiles on the board with our own color. The one who paints the most wins. But a moment later we are handing over a ticking bomb, race along winding paths to the targets placed in the location, try to keep a crown on our head for as long as possible or avoid the rain of deadly squares falling from the sky. As the title suggests, Move or Die's basic method of surviving is constant movement. Every moment of stillness causes our character to lose health, and a longer standstill ends with a spectacular explosion.

Game modes

The title is based on multiplayer challenges. The player may decide to practice a few rounds with the bots, but sooner or later it is better to find human opponents. The game strongly suggests that the best way to have fun is to compete locally on one machine, but it also makes it possible to find opponents via the Internet. Many elements of the game can be adjusted to the preferences of the participants and there is no problem with removing a disliked mini-game, adding a task created by the modder or increasing the number of winning points to an absurd level.

Technical aspects

Move or Die features a two-dimensional visuals in all colors of the rainbow. The music accompanying subsequent rounds is full of electronic sounds from synthesizers and a juicy beat, emphasizing the speed and hectic atmosphere of the tasks. As part of a special program, the project is being expanded with new DLCs, which, as the developer promises, are to remain free forever. The game is also not burdened with any DRM system and is adapted to extremely simple modding and independent map creation.

Four players can use one keyboard to control the characters, but the configurations for controlling characters can consist of two keyboards, a keyboard, and a gamepad, four controllers, or any other combination of the above.

Last updated on February 13, 2020