Upcoming Flash Metroidvania ‘SPARK’ Looks Charming

Brevity is something that is being increasingly explored by indies.

Brevity is something that is being increasingly explored by indies. Games like Thirty Flights of Loving have proven that ‘short’ needn’t be a dirty word, and that a brief experience can still have a lasting impact. In the same vein, SPARK looks set to deliver a short and sweet experience, and one which the developers say is designed to be played in one sitting.

SPARK is the first game from London duo Odd Sock Games, and is slated for a free-to-play release via browser in March. The game has a familiarly colourful and retro graphical style and stars a cutesy robot, but there are seemingly darker undertones at play. SPARK takes place in a threatening and mysterious place known as ‘The Sight’, which our robotic hero visits in search of an item to save his dying friend. From the ‘metroidvania’ label, it’s safe to assume that The Sight will have plenty of nooks and crannies to explore.

I feel that the brief nature of SPARK makes it a perfect fit for in-browser play, and if Odd Sock Games can weave a ripping adventure in the space of a lunch-hour I’ll be more than satisfied. While some may find this off-putting, I welcome bite-sized games with open arms. As a busy gamer with an ever-growing backlog, less demanding titles are very appealing to me.  What do you think about short games? Do you appreciate them, like me, or do you prefer games to be a more traditional length? Let us know in our forums! I started a thread on the topic here.

Odd Sock Games is a collaboration between Jonny Wick and Gary Goard , friends since childhood who grew up gaming together. It’s nice to see the transition from gaming buddies to development collaborators, and it sounds like these guys have a great working relationship. You can follow Jonny on Twitter @spookyview, Gary is @theroguebotand Odd Sock Games is @oddsockgames. While waiting for the game’s release, why not listen to the official SPARK soundtrack on Jonny’s Bandcamp page here? It’s short and sweet, just like the game itself.