With a killer soundtrack and new take on interstellar travel, 6180 the moon offers an engaging platforming experience which also finds itself devoid of the normal headaches and frustrations that accompany many entries in the puzzle and platforming genres.
My first exposure to 6180 the moon came earlier this month, when I found discussing the game's creation with 16-year-old Jongmin Jerome Baek -- youngest of the two-man team responsible for most of 6180 the moon's development -- at the IndieCade booth during the 2013 Electronic Entertainment Expo. As it turns out, the initial concept for 6180 the moon was created during a semi-private game jam with employees of South Korean game developers Flaskon Inc, though Baek and partner Sun Park were at a major disadvantage when they entered the competition( which they won).
For those who don't know, game jams are increasingly popular gatherings (occasionally competitive in nature) that see teams of developers come together to create proof-of-concept demos and/or small games in a given period of time. Many game jams will offer participants 48-72 hours of dev time, and some will see devs all building games that revolve around a central theme(s).
According to Baek, the vast majority of the time afforded to competitors during the Flaskon Inc. game jam had already expired when the two joined the competition, with just one hour and 43 minutes (6180 seconds) remaining on the clock. That didn't stop the pair from accepting the challenge though, and two young developers soon found themselves sitting on an early build of the game that eventually became 6180 the moon. After roughly nine months of sporadic (at best) work on 6180 the moon, with post-jam development frequently held up by the massive time difference between the U.S. and South Korea, Baek and Park's creation was ready for a public release.
As you might expect (given the name of the game), 6180 the moon sees players take control of Earth's largest orbiting mass as it takes part in a hunt for the Sun that spans more than a third of our solar system. You'll also see interactions between the Moon and other planets during your journey, and encounter a variety of platform-based puzzles along the way.
Many players will undoubtedly be drawn to the simple art style and color scheme found in 6180 the moon, and the game's simple black-and-white stylings combine with an excellent soundtrack -- created by Seongyi Yi and Chaeeun Kim -- to deliver an engaging yet surprisingly relaxing game play experience.
In fact, unlike many of the platformers I've played over the years, 6180 the moon doesn't seem hell-bent on frustrating players or creating any real desire to rage-quit after a handful of attempts at a particular puzzle or level. There's no health bar in 6180 the moon, no lives to keep track of, and a minimalist interface that allows players to focus on the game in front of them rather than HUD elements.
My only complaint about 6180 the moon would be that the game was far shorter than I would have liked, though it's hard to be upset over getting 3-4 hours of game play from a game that only cost four dollars at launch. Still, I reached back out to Baek after finishing the game to inquire about the possibility of a sequel, but learned that the team behind 6180 the moon is currently focused on porting the game over to new platforms for the time being.
Final Verdict
I absolutely recommend a purchase of 6180 the moon. At roughly half the cost of a movie ticket -- $4 for the game on its own or $6 for a game/soundtrack combo -- 6180 the moon offers both a refreshingly fun and wallet-friendly way to kill a couple of hours on your next day off.
Score: 4/5
6180 the moon is currently available for purchase via Desura and the official Turtle Cream blog (both of which offer the game DRM-free) and could soon be available via Steam if the Greenlight campaign being run by Turtle Cream and PokPoong Games finds support from the community.
Have you had a chance to play 6180 the moon? Been stuck on a particular level from the game longer than you'd care to admit? Love the 6180 the moon soundtrack as much as we did?
Let us know in the comments section!
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