Size Does Matter
A block-resizing rhythm game with EDM levels.
Size Does Matter is a 2014 indie rhythm game developed by DOS Studios and published by Channel 4 Television for iOS and Android. Players move and resize blocks to fit through obstacles, earning points. It won the Channel 4 Award at Dare to Be Digital 2013 and the BAFTA Ones to Watch Award 2014.
Quick Facts
- Developer
- DOS Studios
- Publisher
- Channel 4 Television
- Platforms
- iOS, Android
- Released
- iOS
- August 13, 2014
- Android
- August 21, 2014
- Engine
- Unity
- Genre
- Rhythm
- Artist
- Mattis Delerud
- Designer
- Silje Merethe Dahl, Lars Øvre Andersen
Facts from the source article.
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Temperance | Chipzel | 1:13 |
| 2 | Fanservice | Eirik Suhrke | 1:26 |
| 3 | Zombie Pace | Rymdreglage | 3:20 |
| 4 | Infinite Cobra | Eirik Suhrke | 1:16 |
| 5 | Phantasm Cats | Eirik Suhrke | 1:22 |
| 6 | Blue Haze | Cristian Voicu | 1:14 |
| 7 | Blam | Jonas Eide | 1:11 |
| 8 | Full Metal | Jonas Eide | 1:03 |
| Total length | 12:07 | ||
Track listing from the source article.
Gameplay
The player controls a set of blocks that can be moved and resized by swiping up or down on the left and right sides of the touch screen. Points are earned by perfectly fitting through gaps between obstacles; consecutive successes build a combo and increase points per gap. Hitting an obstacle gives a strike and ends the combo. Power-ups include Slow-Mo, which slows time, and Body Double, which adds another column of blocks for double points. Each level is based on a segment of an EDM song. Bonus sequences, based on the same song but more difficult, are reached if fewer than three strikes are made. The score from each part of the level is combined for the final score.
Development
A student team of five from the Norwegian School of Information Technology built this game in nine weeks for the 2013 Dare to Be Digital competition, hosted by Abertay University. Originally titled Size DOS Matter, the group included team leader and artist Mattis Delerud, game designers Silje Dahl and Lars Øvre Andersen, and programmers Nick La Rooy and Trond Fasteraune. Footage from development shows the project was made with the Unity engine. The team created an internal level editor, tested several control schemes, and shaped the visuals to match the song beats. A tutorial level called Super Easy was added to teach the basics. The prototype debuted at the Dare ProtoPlay festival in Dundee’s Caird Hall from August 8 to 11. There it won the Channel 4 Award, which came with £25,000 for further work and mentoring. The following year, the game launched on the Apple App Store, Google Play Store, and Amazon Appstore.
Reception
Size Does Matter landed a Metacritic score of 77, earning mostly positive reviews. TouchArcade found the three-strike system overly punishing but called the game a solid arcade survival title with frantic, fun gameplay. Pocket Gamer described it as elegant and challenging, praising its bright neon visuals and comparing it to Super Hexagon, which shares composer Chipzel. They also disliked the three-strike system but appreciated the potential for mastery and the satisfying payoff of clearing levels. The game won the Channel 4 Award at Dare to Be Digital 2013 and the BAFTA Ones to Watch award in 2014.
More in Rhythm Games of the 2010s
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