One Hand Clapping by Bad Dream Games
“One Hand Clapping” is a vocal 2D platformer which I’ve discovered in the Games Con Indie Booth online in 2020. I immediately put it on my wishlist and bought it just as fast as it was published this year and did not regret this reaction.
It is an original but also effective game in which you have to sing or hum your way through a fascinating variety of puzzles. You do not need a terrific singing voice; you just have to hit some notes now and then and get some rhythm patterns.
Warning – it can get a bit annoying for the people around you… However, using my voice in this unusual way had a nicely stimulating effect on my mood. If you do not feel too self-conscious about the sounds coming out your mouth, it can really feel liberating. But I have to admit it was sometimes exhausting for me to continuously make sounds like that.
The puzzle solving happens quite intuitively in the beginning, but it gets more challenging as the game proceeds. The basic controls also have a smooth feel to them. The vector-graphics are simple but beautifully made with fresh color palettes and lovely shapes.
All in all, a rare example of a game that succeeds in combining innovation, emotional experience and excellent game development.
Here are some related links:
The publishers page https://handy-games.com/en/games/one-hand-clapping/
The dev log of its creators Bad Dream Games https://www.baddreamgames.com/devlog
And of course, its Steam page https://store.steampowered.com/app/893720/One_Hand_Clapping/