> ## Content Index
> Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.killscreen.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further.

# A new retro-style platformer lets other players control the monsters
- URL: https://www.killscreen.com/new-retro-style-platformer-lets-players-control-monsters/
- Published: 2016-09-13T15:00:04.000Z
- Updated: 2016-09-13T10:05:38.000Z
- Description: Game jams are filled with sleepless nights. Designers and artists gather for a short period of time, like a weekend, then work non-stop to create something playable in that limited time frame. A game jam is an intense and challenging way to create a game. And yet, it’s how many fantastic videogames
- Author: Zack Zweizen
- Tags: News, Don't Crawl, game jam, platformer, retro, Steam Early Access, #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2024-07-26 09:39

Game jams are filled with sleepless nights. Designers and artists gather for a short period of time, like a weekend, then work non-stop to create something playable in that limited time frame. A game jam is an intense and challenging way to create a game. And yet, it’s how many fantastic videogames are born, like *Surgeon Simulator* (2013), *SUPERHOT*, and *Nuclear Throne* (2015). One of the latest game jam ideas turned retail release is *Don’t Crawl*, from Nick Belorusov and Vadim Dyachenko

“Ideas that spring to mind at 4AM when waking up for a game jam, are rarely truly original,” Belorusov explained when I asked him where the idea for *Don’t Crawl* came from. He wanted to see how the multiplayer elements from [*Crawl* ](http://store.steampowered.com/app/293780/?ref=killscreen.com)would work in a 2D platformer. And when he pitched the idea to Dyachenko and asked for his help, Dyachenko agreed. It sounded like it could be a good idea for a game. “Seems like I wasn’t wrong!” Dyachenko said.

![Dont crawl gameplay gif](https://storage.ghost.io/c/25/84/2584b75d-4bd6-4cce-8259-f1d1c65abbb5/content/images/previously/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/dont-crawl-gameplay-2.gif)

*Dont’ Crawl* offers two ways to play. Like a traditional platformer, you can play as the main character—the one who runs and jumps through the level, avoiding any hazards in their way. But other players take on the role of the enemies and traps in the world. So, as one player tries to jump across a gap, others can try to stop them. That’s the basic idea behind *Don’t Crawl*: a group of players trying to stop one player who is attempting to reach the end of the level. Think *Super Mario World* (1990) but the Goombas are being controlled by other players over the internet.

As I spoke to Belorusov and Dyachenko it emerged that they both love *Spelunky* (2008). Belorusov is a big fan of the popular platformer and even though he is only 18-years-old he described a feeling of “nostalgia” for old-school platformers, like the *Megaman* series. Dyachenko is such a big fan of *Spelunky* he actually [created a mod](http://yal.cc/works/?ref=killscreen.com#spelunky-sd) for the original release of the game. This mod allowed two people to play cooperativley. As Dyachenko explained “*Spelunky* in general sets high standards for what a game of it’s kind can be, and very few games can stand \[in\] line with it.”

“THE SCALE OF THE GAME WE WANTED TO ACHIEVE MADE CREATING IT A NIGHTMARE”

Belorusov and Dyachenko’s love of *Spelunky* and retro platformers can easily be seen in *Don’t Crawl*. The game has a similar retro look and sound. That passion meant it was quite easy for them to pull off the aesthetic—it was the online multiplayer they struggled with, especially when trying to hack it together during the chaos of a game jam. “You don’t usually see online multiplayer games made for jams,” Dyachenko said. “Because doing online multiplayer is hard (even harder to do right).” Unsurprisingly, then, it was the online multiplayer that the pair worked on the most when making the bigger version of *Don’t Crawl.*

![Don't Crawl Gameplay gif 1](https://storage.ghost.io/c/25/84/2584b75d-4bd6-4cce-8259-f1d1c65abbb5/content/images/previously/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/dont-crawl-gameplay.gif)

The biggest issue with *Don’t Crawl*‘s online components that needed tackling was connectivity. “It is commonly said that you can’t make online multiplayer in a fast-paced game like this,” Dyachenko. His aim was to prove that statement false, ensuring that *Don’t Crawl*‘s online multiplayer wasn’t brought down by lag. And for those players who don’t want to play online, Belorusov and Dyachenko were quick to point out that *Don’t Crawl* also supports local play on a single PC.

*Don’t Crawl* has come a long way since being an idea born at four in the morning. The game now has a level editor and will support Steam Workshop. Belorusov and Dyachenko aren’t done working on it, either. *Don’t Crawl* is currently available in Steam Early Access and will continue to receive updates. They’re excited to bring *Don’t Crawl* to Mac and Linux in the future.

*Don’t Crawl is currently available on [Steam Early Access.](http://store.steampowered.com/app/466770?ref=killscreen.com) You can also follow [Nick ](https://twitter.com/ampersandbear?ref=killscreen.com)and [Vadim ](https://twitter.com/YellowAfterlife?ref=killscreen.com)on Twitter where they share info about Don’t Crawl and other games they are working on.*