A blog about casual gaming

29
One button Bob

One button Bob

You don't need fancy controllers or joysticks to have fun with games, as One Button Bob - a game that requires just one button - amply proves.

Bookmark and Share
Published by Tasha on 25th February 2010

One could be forgiven for thinking that a game needing just one button to play would be so limited as to be boring. Not so, if One Button Bob - an inventive new platform-style game that can be played for free in your browser - is anything to go by. While some games (Street Fighter, for example) force players to learn complicated combinations of button presses, the developers of One Button Bob have distilled the game play into the press of a single button (the left button of your mouse).

Rare is it to find a game that is so simple to control. And even more rare is it for such a game to offer such a wealth of game play as One Button Bob. The secret to the game's success is that what happens when you press the button changes depending on which level you are on. Sometimes pressing the button will cause Bob - the game's Indiana Jones-style protaganist - to jump. Other times it will make Bob fire his weapon. And other times still, you have to repeatedly click the button to fly or run fast. A press of the button may also cause Bob to climb ladders or stop on the spot to avoid falling objects.

Our intrepid adventurer, Bob, is on a mission to find some treasure. But between him and the sparkling hoard are numerous obstacles: vicious spiders, falling stalactites, blood-sucking bats, pools of red-hot lava... By timing your button clicks perfectly, you help Bob navigate these obstacles and progress to the next level. Each level offers a different style of puzzle, making for varied and challenging game play. Every time you complete a level, you are desperate to find out what power the button click will give Bob on the next level.

The game's creator, Tom Vencel of NinjaDoodle, has designed One Button Bob to be a homage to the eight-bit creations of gaming folklore. The game features a faux Commodore 64 loading screen, and pixel graphics that hark back to the days of Spectrum-Commadore rivalry.

But the graphics are in no way crude. Bob is perfectly rendered and the backgrounds, despite their low resolution look, are atmospheric and pretty.

But the main attraction are the puzzles themself - they start off easy but as you progress get steadily harder and more inventive. If you are a fan of old-style platformer puzzle games, then One Button Bob should not be missed. You can play the game here.

Fans of platform games like One Button Bob might also be interested in Casual Girl Gamer's list of The Top 25 Online Platform Games.


Bookmark and Share

Add comment

Submit

Follow us

  • Twitter

    Be the first to hear about new posts by following us at @casualgirlgamer

  • Facebook

    Alternatively, you might want to become a fan of our facebook page, which you can find here.

  • RSS

    Subscribe to Casual Girl Gamer’s RSS feed here

  • Email

    Enter your email address below and we’ll keep you posted when we have new articles.

    Go

Game reviews

  • Lume

    State of Play's new puzzle adventure title Lume might be made out of cardboard cutouts but it is in no way a one-dimensional game.

    Read more
  • The Tiny Bang Story

    Beautiful hand-drawn graphics, nicely balanced and creative puzzles and a great sound track, The Tiny Bang Story delivers on all fronts.

    Read more
  • Castaway 2

    Robinson Crusoe had it lucky. He was only stranded on a desert island once. Things are not so easy for the hero of RPG adventure game series Castaway.

    Read more
  • ClubWorld

    If the idea of running your own nightclub gets you excited, then Tapulous's latest iOS game might have you dancing around with joy.

    Read more
  • Insectonator

    If the only good bug is a dead one, then you will be doing one helluva lot of good work in this cheery insect massacring game.

    Read more
> More game reviews

Popular articles

  • Top ten hardest games

    So you fancy yourself as a bit of a mean gamer. You always opt for the hardest settings when playing games. Well, we have a challenge for you - ten of the most difficult online games we could find.

    Read more
  • New Game Round-up

    Yet another crop of great new games, including a sequel to one of 2009's best point-and-click games, an underwater game based loosely on Herman Melville's legendary novel Moby Dick and an unusual game that aims to unleash your poetic potential.

    Read more
  • Ten Chain Reaction Games

    We have collected together the best free online chain reaction games we could find for your playing pleasure.

    Read more
  • Top Ten Platform Adventure Games

    Turn off the TV, put down your book, stop whatever you are doing, and come play the ten best platform adventure games we could find on the web.

    Read more
  • Top 25 Browser Platformers

    The platform game genre is undergoing a major revival and nowhere is this more evident than in your browser. Platform gaming ecstasy awaits you.

    Read more
> More popular articles

Developer spotlights

  • Jake Elliott

    You won't find any resource-management or mindless slash and dash games in Jake Elliott's portfolio. What you will find are thought-provoking games that encourage you to ponder on the human experience.

    Read more
  • Con Artist Games

    Chris Condon of Con Artist Games has a reputation for developing some of the most polished games on the web. Casual Girl Gamer speaks to him about his gaming philosophy.

    Read more
  • Gregory Weir

    By combining great story-telling with imaginative game worlds, Gregory Weir has created some of the most thought-provoking games on the internet.

    Read more
  • John Cooney

    Armor Games' head of game development John Cooney - or jmtb02, as he is better known - is one of the most prolific and imaginative game developers around.

    Read more
  • Evan Miller

    In ImmorTall, indie developer Evan Miller created one of the most emotionally moving games to grace the internet. We speak to him about his gaming philosophy and plans for the future.

    Read more
  • Mateusz Skutnik

    Mateusz Skutnik is a rarity: a gifted artist who is also a skilled coder. He is responsible for some of the most beautiful casual games on the web.

    Read more
> More spotlights