HOOK

Swing. Let go. Don't land on the spikes.

HOOK is a small, fast pixel platformer about a grappling hook and very little patience for standing still. You run, jump, hook onto rings mid-air, swing, and let go at the right moment to fling yourself across gaps. Keep your speed up and it starts to feel less like platforming and more like flying.

I made this because I wanted a platformer where the movement itself is the fun part. Most of the time went into tweaking how the swing and the launch feel, and I think it shows.

Three ways to play

• Adventure – 4 handmade levels. Get to the flag. Try to beat your best time.
• Lava Tower – the lava rises and doesn't stop. Climb as high as you can.
• Endless – the world keeps generating as you run, and a wall of darkness keeps chasing you. You get three hearts. Good luck.

As you go, the world changes: meadow, swamp, desert, glacier, a burning inferno, and a purple galaxy. Each one has its own look, hazards and background, and the lights in the sky pulse to the music.

Other stuff

• 15 weapons, from a slingshot to a boomerang, a frog that bounces off the floor, and a black hole
• 15 costumes (the wizard is my favorite)
• 14 trails, including a very necessary rainbow one
• Coins to spend on all of the above
• A little bubble at the bottom of the screen that shows what you're about to land on. Trust the bubble.

Controls

A / D

Run

Space

Jump (on the ground), hook (in the air, hold it)

W / S

Shorten / lengthen the rope

Shift or Right Click

Zip hook (pulls you straight to a ring)

Left Click

Shoot

R

Restart

Esc

Pause

Gamepad works too.

This is my first game, so if something feels off or you find a bug, leave a comment. I read all of them.