IGM Forum Find: Noir Run – Forget Your Troubles, C’mon, Get Happy

Noir Run, by Kronnect Games, is a runner/platformer for iOS that explores depression and fear in a somewhat unique, though very simple, way. You play as a classic, bright yellow smiley in a world full of monochrome grays and blacks, and your task is to make it through without getting hurt by the myriad of obstacles along the way. Use your environment to jump, deflect objects, and dodge through each level to make it to the end of the day. Each day brings new dangers, and by conquering them, you’re one step closer to conquering the dark mood that seems to have overcome the main character.

Well, okay, he’s not always smiling…

In addition to simply getting through the day, every obstacle you conquer reveals a letter in a word. Each word, when revealed, goes to the right of the screen, where they begin to form a sentence. The sentence is an inspirational quote. At the end of each level (which occurs when you’ve completed the quote), a boss appears; you only have to evade the boss for 60 seconds, and you’ll have won. Instead of an HP bar, you have a morale measurement, which you must keep up. Noir Run seems to be a simplistic therapy-type game for people to help with anxiety, despite the end-level lesson of avoidance. With the mechanics requiring no more than a tap or slash motion (one to jump/move, the other to get rid of enemies), it certainly looks easy enough to play, though it might take a while to master.

Noir Run will be released for iOS products toward the end of August (no specific date given), and will be free to play.

For more information, follow Kronnect Games on Twitter, and be sure to check out the original forum post for updates, and to contact the dev directly.

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