Terry’s Other Games collects several early, inspiring, and charming works from VVVVVV and Dicey Dungeon developer Terry Cavanagh.
The collection offers an array of different play experiences, from platforming to co-op puzzle-solving to crafty roguelike robberies, all of which were created by the developer over the years. Many of these games have become a bit difficult to find or play over the years, leaving important pieces of indie game history to be lost (or at least a huge pain to get to run on a modern machine). This collection does a great job of preserving these fantastic games, letting me go back on a trip into some of the experiences that first introduced me to indie games.
Don’t Look Back jumps to mind first and foremost (and I’m not the only one who didn’t realize Cavanagh made this title). It’s a platformer that takes you into the underworld to rescue your beloved, but the kicker is that you can’t look back once you’ve started escaping with her (it’s a take on the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice). The grim, but fiery color scheme give the journey this sense of doom throughout, and the simple challenge of not being able to turn around can cause some surprising difficulties as you explore the game. It’s one of the first indie games I ever played (that and Cave Story), and I’m beyond happy to be able to reliably play it again without scouring some strange old sites.
The other titles in Terry’s Other Games are, like much of Cavanagh’s work, sharp, well-designed, and a lot of fun. Tiny Heist is a wonderful experience in compact thieving (it just feels really good to help little fellas steal things and knock guards out), creating something that has a lot of depth but that you can just snap up and start playing instantly. Naya’s Quest really starts to mess with you as you press at its edges to see where you’re supposed to jump to next. Honestly, I love this collection as a historical piece for collecting some important works from a great developer, but I love it even more as just a pile of terrific games from over the years that I’m having a blast rediscovering.
Terry’s Other Games is available now on itch.io and Steam.
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