Earlier in the year there was a Kickstarter for the much-loved Idle Thumbs podcast. One of the rewards for funding the project was Thirty Flights of Loving. The title was meant to be a follow-up to the indie darling and acclaimed Gravity Bone, which was developed by Blendo Games. Gravity Bone is a game in the Citizen Abel 'series', though Blendo games is most well known for indie titles like Flotilla and Atom Zombie Smasher.
But now the game has been unleashed onto the wild--or, well, Steam–for all of us to enjoy. 4.49 gives you access to a fast-paced tale of a heist schmed by a band of criminals–and just like Gravity Bone before it, things go terribly wrong. There's no saving the day here–and that's fine, heroics aren't the point. You're here for the atmosphere and quirky world.
Like The Walking Dead, there's no fluff or unnecesary segments to be found. This may explain why Brendon Cheung calls it a "first person short story." It's so tightly-packed that the entire game takes maybe 10 or 15 minutes–25 if you play Gravity Bone, which is bundled with it. That probably sounds ludicrous for the price–we are especially sensitive about pricing as gamers, given how high they are. Sometimes 60 dollar games will last only a few hours and we feel robbed.
I wouldn't blame anyone for being hesitant here, too–but after playing it, I think it's worth it. The pacing is glorious, and the game knows how to keep a player wanting more. I'd be more specific but…for a fifteen minute game, there's not too much to say that wouldn't be giving it away.
Check it out if you'd like to experience something new and fresh…and if you're not sure, at least pick up Gravity Bone. It's free and it can give you a vague idea of the type of game to expect in Thirty Flights.
