biped

The keys to enjoying this unusual little puzzle game are to play with a good friend and try not grow frustrated too quickly. Biped has a charming vibe, with colorful landscapes and playful robot characters who look like they could be friends with Pixar's WALL-E. The awkward but adorable way in which they move -- one bendy leg at a time -- is delightful and disarming. You'll be rooting for them from the word go. And the puzzles encountered are imaginative and surprisingly challenging. Players have to make their robots walk in lockstep, transfer objects between each other, and interact with various platforms, switches, and buttons in just the right way and at the right time. It's a relatively simple concept that's been worked into something clever, satisfying, and polished.

The greatest obstacle for most players will simply be mastering movement. Working out how to move your robot's legs individually is at first novel and entertaining, but once the puzzles start coming -- and punishing you for your mistakes -- it can grow a bit frustrating, especially if the two people playing are of different experience and skill levels. It's not until movement becomes second nature for both players that the frustration subsides and the fun resumes. A wise strategy might be for the two partners to both work through the single player mode first, which will give them a chance to hone their skills and better prepare them for the challenges of co-op mode. Biped occupies a pretty distinct niche, but puzzle-loving gamers who like the idea of movement-focused conundrums that require two minds thinking as one ought to find plenty to like.