I really like indie games. Not really playing through them, but moreso the concept of indies. I love seeing developers take weird and silly concepts that you wouldn't see in AAA games, and making them their own, with no restrictions other than their own skill. I think one of the studios that exemplifies this the best is Sokpop, so I like to check on them every once in a while.

Leap Year is a short 1-hour platformer that, while not directly developed by them, was commissioned and distributed by Sokpop (who's ever heard of a commissioned indie?). It's a really cute game about exploring a small world and finding all the secrets within, all while fighting against your own moveset. It's cute, short and simple, and I really liked it!

Leap Year describes itself as a "Clumsy Platformer" and I think it's the perfect way to represent it. Your goal is to find all 29 collectible February dates and fill out your calendar, with the main mechanic of the game being that falling from a height of 2 tiles will kill you. The catch? Your character will jump 3 tiles when you press the Jump button. It's an ingenious idea that turns the concept of a platformer entirely on its head, making the player fight against its own character rather than against the world, and completely transforming the game's genre. I love it.

The movement in this game is actually way deeper than it seems, but it's up to the player to uncover how to fully utilize these movement options. I don't think I've ever seen a game do this better than Leap Year, as it does an incredible job teaching the player all of these things without actually telling them anything. You never know when you're gonna learn a new mechanic, and every time it happens it catches you completely off-guard and it's so much fun. I'd love to tell you more about all the things this game does, however, it's best that you play this game blind.

I would also like to commend the map design for this game, as it's really, really smart and well thought out. While the game may look like a metroidvania on the surface, it's actually an incredibly linear game that basically holds your hand until the end. And yet, it never feels like you're being guided through the game. However, as you gather more dates and get closer to the end it does get a little confusing and annoying, but it's all worth it for that moment when you finally realize where the last date is.

As for the presentation? I thought it was alright. Visually, it tries to replicate Sokpop's usual aesthetics, but it was clearly made by someone unrelated to the studio, so it doesn't quite get there and ends up looking ugly under certain conditions. The music is really nice too, but some songs can get old pretty quickly. There's actually quite a bit of variety across the soundtrack, but all songs are area specific. So you better get used to the current song if you get stuck trying to solve one puzzle!

In conclusion: I really liked Leap Year. It takes a very dumb idea, dying from your own jump height, and successfully builds an entire game around it. It's fun, clever, surprising, and just the perfect length for a game like this. It does have its ups and downs, but it also perfectly encapsulates what I love about indies, and I absolutely loved playing through it. 8/10