The landscape of independent puzzle platformers is enriched with MainFrames, a title that blends ingenuity, aesthetics, and a brilliant level design, thanks to the work of the French team Assoupi. Founded in 2020, the small studio has created a playful experience distinguished by originality, challenging the traditional perception of game space and its mechanics. With pixel art evoking the frenetic energy of Super Meat Boy and the sweetness of Kirby, the title sits within the mechanics of a computer, transforming system windows into a true obstacle course for the protagonist, Floppy.
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Brilliant concept, ruthless level design
Assuming the role of a friendly anthropomorphic floppy disk named Floppy, you embark on a journey through multiple “biomes” of increasing complexity, navigating PC windows to reach the goal. What makes MainFrames truly unique is its masterful exploration of window and icon manipulation mechanics, which turn every level into a fresh and stimulating challenge.
The eight game levels don’t just amount to simple stages to overcome, but are genuine demonstrations of intelligent game design: in one level, windows stretch in response to the player’s movement; in another, jumping alters their shape. This constant reinvention of gameplay mechanics forces a careful analysis of the environment before acting, creating a gameplay that blends ingenuity and dexterity with extraordinary effectiveness. Fortunately, there’s a great variety and puzzles are rarely repeated: there’s always a new, bizarre obstacle to overcome to proceed.
The level design presents itself as a constant dual reading: the apparent difficulty of certain sections always hides a surprisingly simple solution, rewarding those who adopt a less immediate and more creative approach. A perfect example is represented by a frantic, obstacle-filled race that, if tackled head-on, can become extremely complex, but can be avoided simply by waiting for the right moment to jump over the screen’s boundaries. This game design philosophy provides complex tools to solve problems that, often, already have a simple solution visible to the player. The most immediate choice is not always the best. Each level also hides secrets and collectibles, pushing players to carefully examine the elements present on screen.
This approach makes MainFrames a deeply rewarding experience, capable of stimulating the player’s curiosity and rewarding their initiative. It’s not just a platformer that demands skill and reflexes, but also a title that encourages lateral thinking and creativity when tackling challenges.
Computer nostalgia
From an artistic standpoint, Assoupi masterfully exploits the retro aesthetic inspired by Windows 3.1, with graphical elements paying homage to the 1990s computer design. Overlapping system windows become obstacles, scripts like Bump.sh take on the function of suspended springs, and in the background, clear references to the legendary wallpaper of Windows XP.
The use of colours and animations makes the experience vibrant and engaging, while the audio department, with an intense and perfectly integrated soundtrack, adds another layer of immersion. Every in-game screen presents itself as a small digital painting, rich in detail that reinforces the title’s personality. All of this is rendered masterfully even on the small screen of our Switch OLED, on which the test was conducted. The title, moreover, is very well suited to portable gaming, given its short duration (just over 3 hours) and its compartmentalised nature in “scenes” to be solved.
In conclusion
MainFrames represents a brilliant addition to the puzzle platformer genre, offering a perfect blend of challenge, aesthetics, and originality. Its intelligent game design, combined with a nostalgic and captivating artistic vision, makes it an indispensable experience for fans of the genre. The 12,99€ required on the Nintendo eShop absolutely warrants the ticket price for a short, genuine, but damnably entertaining and stimulating show.
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