Snake Pass
© 2017 Sumo Digital
This enemy-free, wiggly collect-a-thon encourages you to "Think Like A Snake!" as you help Noodle the Snake and his companion Doodle the Hummingbird to restore peace to Haven Tor, the mountainous region they call home. You use your serpent body to coil around the environment and slither through tunnels, underwater and around narrow cliff walls in search of treasures to complete each of the 15 levels. The challenges make you think differently about how to approach environmental challenges. Few games depict the natural movement and abilities of snakes, but Snake Pass makes an admirable effort. It's not perfect, Noodle's weight distribution will sometimes put you in situations you can't slither out of when hanging over open air, but it is an acquired feel and you do gradually get used to safely wrapping yourself round and round to make sure you have a grip on bamboo outcroppings. It is nice to see a video game snake depicted as jovial creature. As a coral snake himself, Noodle would in real life actually be venemous going by his stripes and the old rhyme, (red touch yellow, kill a fellow) so maybe appreciating them from a distance is safest in this instance. Nonetheless, Snake Pass is a fun exploration of a different type of animal acrobat.
$20, Windows, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Steam
Teaches: Puzzle-solving, motion physics, leverage, friction, locomotion, hand-eye coordination,
CTR Rating: 86%