How do you make a platform game without jumping? That’s the question legendary indie game developer Terry Cavanagh asks in VVVVVV, the iconic gravity-flipping platformer. Boasting a very deserved, ‘overwhelmingly positive’ 96% Steam rating, this classic retro-styled adventure just got its first update in two years with the launch of VVVVVV version 2.4, which brings the game to Steam Deck verified status along with localization upgrades and a wealth of other tweaks.
VVVVVV (that’s six Vs) comes from developer Terry Cavanagh, best known most recently for the excellent Dicey Dungeons, although anyone who hasn’t played his nightmarish arcade survival game Super Hexagon before owes it to themself to do so. While he’s developed many great indie games over the years, VVVVVV is probably one of Cavanagh’s finest works, a masterclass in simple but elegant design as you explore a world with no restrictions other than your ability to overcome its platforming challenges.
Rather than loading up with complex mechanics, VVVVVV is a one-button platformer that closely resembles a Metroidvania in structure, although there are no locked doors or other blocks placed on your progress, save for your own ability to navigate the map. You do so by reversing gravity by pressing V (or the space bar, or whatever key you personally prefer), and all the challenges placed in your way adopt this one system in different ways.
“Wait, a new VVVVVV update? It’s true,” Cavanagh writes on the game’s Steam page. VVVVVV update 2.4 officially brings Steam Deck verified status to the game, instantly making it a worthwhile candidate for the best Steam Deck games. It also includes “a host of bug fixes and performance improvements,” and importantly also includes professional translation into 21 new languages, bringing the game to a wider audience than ever before.
The full patch notes are absolutely huge. While there’s no new official levels being added to the game, additional tools have been introduced to the game’s level editor, with several new options included that should make building and sharing custom levels easier. If you’ve never played VVVVVV before, now’s a great excuse to do so – especially with how well-suited it is for Steam Deck. Just be warned: it has an immensely compelling ‘one more go’ vibe that will likely keep you hooked far longer than you were intending.
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