Friday, November 26, 2010

Awesome Webgame: GunBlood

I've played a lot of web-based flash games, but yesterday I stumbled upon one which is both simple in concept, but still incredibly compelling.

The game is called GunBlood, and it simulates in a slightly cartoonish fashion the gun duels of the Old West.

You begin by selecting your character. I haven't found any profound differences in how they behave, so it is more about finding one whose look you like the best.


You then face your first opponent. You play by rolling over the chamber of your gun at the bottom of the screen, wait for the countdown to finish before aiming at your opponent with your gun. If you are quick and accurate, your opponent will be killed before they even get a shot off, but if you aren't, well, things can get dicey. Depending on where you and your opponent get hit, either or both of you can end up on one knee or on your back and stomach, but if you still have ammo and some life left, you can continue the fight.


What I found especially thrilling was the fact that even the earliest opponents can beat you if you screw up, so each fight is tense in the best possible way. And since the gunfights generally last only a few seconds, you end up in some situations where you have to react very quickly if you want to survive.

For a game based on such a simple concept and execution, it works amazingly well.

5 comments:

Lee Sargent said...

It's a good lesson for game makers right now, with the iPad and other mobile platforms becoming so huge they shouldn't be ignoring what I call the Tetris market, incredibly simple concepts that are addictive and easy to play (hard to master).

Looks like s pot of fun :)

Lee Sargent said...

God, what's with that last sentence?!?

I'm sure I meant spot of fun but who knows with me!?!

MC said...

Yes, simplicity of concept is best for mobile gaming.

Chef Matt said...

that game is a ton of fun - I just need to attach a mouse to my laptop, as the track pad just doesn't get it done.

MC said...

Oh, it is indeed hard enough with a mouse... I would imagine it would be almost impossible to complete with just a pad.