Robbie Swifthand and the Orb of Mysteries

Did You Know?

• Robbie Swifthand is a self-involved common thief and burglar who awakens in an abandoned tomb.
• A benevolent spirit tells Robbie he must save mankind from an evil spirit, motivated only by treasure.
• The game was a runner-up for Greek Game of the Year in GameWorld.gr's 2018 awards.

Gameplay

Robbie Swifthand and the Orb of Mysteries offers three difficulty modes and over 90 levels. Players control the thief Robbie Swifthand, who must reach a colored portal at the end of each level by dropping a golden orb into it. The levels are short, with obvious goals, but require familiarity with hidden traps to complete quickly. Fatal obstacles include spikes, swinging axes, and falling objects, causing comedic yet gruesome deaths. Players have unlimited continues; upon death, blood remains on deadly surfaces and a blue spirit appears where Robbie's body lands, serving as a reminder. Standard platforming mechanics such as running, jumping, crouching, and flying are used. Players can move the screen to inspect levels and plan ahead. There are no enemies except for boss fights, each requiring a unique strategy. The game allows open-endedness and a degree of difficulty order, starting from a central hub that leads to four worlds, each with a world map of levels leading to a final boss.

Development

The original Robbie Swifthand was created solely by Nick Larin, co-founder of Pixel Reign, using GameMaker and released as freeware in 2008. Development on Robbie Swifthand and the Orb of Mysteries began in 2017 when Larin teamed with composer Vicky Fysika and level designer Angelos Gkamiliaris to form Pixel Reign. The game was made in a year and a half by this three-person team. A demo released on Game Jolt in July 2017 became the number one platformer for four consecutive months. The game entered Steam Early Access on December 5, 2017, featuring the first two worlds with 26 levels each. Full release was announced on September 21, 2018. Having switched to the Unity game engine, the game was selected as a showcase for Unity's 2D capabilities at Unite Berlin in 2018, leading to contact with investors and publishers. The PlayStation 4 port was published by East2west Games on July 23, 2019, and the Nintendo Switch port by Kiss Games on August 1, 2019.