Clustertruck
A first-person platformer about jumping across moving trucks.
Clustertruck is a platform game released in 2016, created by the Swedish developer Landfall and published by tinyBuild. The game has nine worlds where players must jump across moving trucks to reach a goal while avoiding the ground and various obstacles, ending with a boss fight. The idea came from Landfall’s founder, Wilhelm Nylund, who imagined himself hopping from truck to truck to get out of traffic.
The game launched for Linux, macOS, PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One on September 27, 2016, with a Nintendo Switch version arriving on March 15, 2018. Critics generally liked its gameplay, graphics, and original soundtrack, but the Switch port received criticism mainly for its controls.
**Gameplay**
Played from a first-person view, Clustertruck has nine worlds, each with ten levels. The player must reach a goal by leaping across trucks that move with real-time physics, causing them to collide, flip, and tip. Players can sprint or slow down time during a level. Touching the ground or any obstacle ends the run. Each world adds a new hazard: the third world introduces slippery ice, the fourth has lasers, and the sixth includes a boulder the player must flee from. The final world ends with a boss fight. Bonus points are earned by skipping trucks or staying airborne, and these can be spent on power-ups like grappling hooks, double jumps, speed boosts, air dashes, and a jet pack. A level editor lets players build and share custom levels.
Twitch integration allows developers and viewers to vote on gameplay changes, such as rickrolling, time manipulation, color shifts, on-screen messages, exploding trucks, earthquakes, laser trucks, high or low gravity, and inverted controls.
**Development and release**
Development started in 2015 and took about a year. While traveling home from Gamescom in 2015, Wilhelm Nylund, Landfall’s lead designer and CEO, imagined escaping traffic by jumping on trucks, which led to the prototype. The team playtested new features and discussed whether to include them. Built in Unity, Landfall added power-ups and obstacles that passed testing. An early alpha build was released after a few months. During alpha, playtesters found they could finish levels early by reaching the front of the truck line and messaged the developers on Discord to make the game more speedrun-friendly.
Quick Facts
- Developer
- Landfall
- Publisher
- tinyBuild
- Modes
- Single-player
- Genre
- Platform
- Platforms
- Linux, macOS, PlayStation 4, Windows, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
- Released
- Linux, Mac, PS4, Win, XONE · September 27, 2016 · Switch · March 15, 2018
- Programmer
- Petter Henriksson · Wilhelm Nylund · Philip Örum Westre
- Designer
- Wilhelm Nylund
- Composer
- Karl Flodin
- Engine
- Unity
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The development of Clustertruck began in 2015 and spanned one year. While traveling home from Gamescom in 2015, Wilhelm Nylund, the lead designer and CEO of Landfall, imagined himself escaping traffic by jumping on trucks to get home faster, inspiring him to develop the prototype. Building it in Unity, Landfall added power-ups and obstacles that passed playtesting. After a few months, an early alpha build was released; during this phase, playtesters discovered they could finish levels early by reaching the front of the truck line, and they messaged the developers on Discord to make Clustertruck more optimal for speedrunning.
Landfall planned to release Clustertruck by April 2016, but this was postponed as its early popularity led the team to extend development. At PAX South 2016, it was announced that Landfall had signed a publishing deal with tinyBuild. On September 27, 2016, Clustertruck released for Linux, macOS, PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One. In October 2016, it was updated with a Halloween-themed map. On March 15, 2018, it was released for the Nintendo Switch. For an April Fools' Day prank, Landfall created a parody of Superhot called Super Truck in 2016, with permission from the Superhot development team.
Reader's Guide
Clustertruck is a first-person platformer across nine worlds with ten levels each. The player navigates to a goal by jumping across moving trucks with real-time physics that collide, flip, and tip over. Touching the ground or any obstacle triggers a game over. Each world introduces a new obstacle, such as ice in the third world, lasers in the fourth, and a boulder in the sixth. The game culminates in a boss fight in the final world. Players can earn bonus points by skipping trucks or remaining airborne, which can be spent on power-ups like grappling hooks, double jumps, speed boosts, air dashes, and a jet pack. A level editor allows players to construct and share custom levels. Clustertruck features Twitch integration, enabling developers and Twitch users to modify gameplay via chat voting, with modifications including rickrolling, time manipulation, exploding trucks, and inverted controls.
Critics generally praised the gameplay, likening it to the children's game the floor is lava. The original soundtrack was praised, with some noting the catchy tunes fit the chaotic gameplay. The Nintendo Switch port faced criticism for its controls, particularly the sensitivity of the right Joy-Con's analog stick for camera movement. Some critics found it almost impossible to control the player's jump and rotate the camera simultaneously with the same controller. The game received scores of 76/100 on Metacritic for the PC version, 74/100 for the Nintendo Switch port, and 69/100 for the Xbox One edition.
Did You Know?
- Clustertruck was developed by the Swedish studio Landfall and published by tinyBuild.
- The concept originated from Landfall's founder Wilhelm Nylund imagining himself leaping across trucks to escape traffic.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Clustertruck?
Clustertruck is a first-person platformer in which players hop across moving trucks to reach a goal while staying off the ground and dodging obstacles. It was developed by the Swedish studio Landfall and published by tinyBuild, debuting in 2016.
Who came up with the idea for Clustertruck?
The core concept originated with Landfall's founder, Wilhelm Nylund, who pictured himself leaping from truck to truck to escape traffic. He turned that image into a full game at his studio, with tinyBuild handling publication.
What does a typical Clustertruck level look like?
Each of the nine worlds tasks players with jumping across moving trucks, avoiding the ground and various obstacles, and reaching a set goal. Every world wraps up with a boss fight as the final challenge.
What platforms can I play Clustertruck on?
The game launched on September 27, 2016 for Linux, macOS, PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One. A Nintendo Switch port followed on March 15, 2018.
How did Clustertruck perform commercially and critically?
The title sold an estimated 65,000 copies in its first month on the market. Critics broadly praised its tight, fast-paced platforming loop.
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