Super Win the Game

Super Win the Game

Steam - World - Title card.

Developer Minor Key Games Publisher Minor Key Games Published 2014-10-01 Platforms Linux, Macintosh, Windows Genres Action-adventure, Metroidvania, Platformer Themes Adventure, Fantasy Series Win the Game Distribution Commercial

Super Win the Game is a Metroidvania video game developed and published by Minor Key Games on 2014-10-01 for Linux, Macintosh, and Windows. The game is the second title in the Win the Game series.

In the game, you play the "wayfarer," a boy with a green hat who explores a strange land while searching for gems, keys, and various power-ups in order to restore the heart of the land's king. The game is mostly jumping puzzles and exploration. Like the first title, a lot of work was put into giving the game the appearance of being played on an old CRT display.

Personal

Own?	Yes. On itch.io and Steam.
Won?	Yes. Windows port. 100% of them gems, 26/32 achievements.
Finished	2019-02-16.

I learned about this game shortly after beating You Have to Win the Game, but I didn't buy it and play it until it went on sale on Steam.

Review

7	8	6	6	7

Best Version: Windows

— This section contains spoilers! —

Good

• The game is very enjoyable. The game mechanics are fun, it's not too challenging or too easy, and the story is interesting.
• A lot of the negative things I had to say about the original game have been corrected in this release. There are more non-spike hazards to deal with, the NPCs make the map seem less desolate, the shortcuts help decrease backtracking, etc.
• I like the open world aspect where the majority of the game map is available to be explored right from the get-go. Ordinarily this would create a problem where you wouldn't know where to go next, but the game employs a fortune teller (like The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past) who gives you hints on how to progress.
• The game's music is pretty good and is reminiscent of 8-bit hardware. It's a bit repetitive at times, and not as great as some of the best games of the era it pays tribute to, but superior to most, and a huge step up from the mostly-silent first game.
• The CRT-emulation has been improved quite a bit from the first game, which is great for people who like that feel, however, it was still the first option I turned off.
• I like the homages to various 8-bit era games like StarTropics, Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, and Super Mario Bros. 2.
• The speed-run section was a nice addition for those gamers who like that sort of thing.
• The SNES-themed IndieBox release was a nice addition.

Bad

• There still isn't much variety in the game mechanics. Nearly everything in the game is a jumping puzzle or an exploration puzzle.
• While I appreciated the new power-up of being able to survive in water/lava, the rest of the power-ups were identical to the first game.
• At times I felt the game was just a bit too easy and would have liked more of a challenge or fewer bells. Too frequently I felt like I was going through the motions rather than being challenged. However, this is a difficult threshold to reach because, if it were too much harder, I would critique it for that reason, and I usually prefer games that are too easy rather than too hard.
• Although I like the music, I do find it to be a bit too repetitious and not complex enough.

Ugly

• Nothing.

Media

Box Art

• 

  Steam title card.

• 

  IndieBox release.

• 

  Hi-res cover art by Kale Menges. This is a fantastic montage of the various aspects of the game.

• 

  Hi-res logo, inspired by Nintendo Power.

Documentation

• 

  Map insert.

Maps

• steamcommunity.com/app/310700/discussions/0/613937943067218757

Videos

Trailer.

Speedrun.

Representation

Strong female character?	Fail	The game's women are unimportant NPCs.
Bechdel test?	Fail	Women never talk to each other.
Strong person of color character?	Fail	The people of color are unimportant NPCs.
Queer character?	Fail	There are no clear queer characters.

Credits

Role	Staff
Designer	J. Kyle Pittman
Programmer	J. Kyle Pittman
Graphics	J. Kyle Pittman
Music	J. Kyle Pittman
Cover Art	Kale Menges
Special Thanks	Stephanie Meyer

Links