Play as a pixel adventuring through image files in a digital world where physics aren't constant. Run, jump, flip upside down, and rotate your gravity. Use weapons to destroy other pixels before they destroy you. Collect bits of data from challenging locations to find out why your world must survive at all costs.
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6 user reviews - Need more user reviews to generate a score
Release Date:
Mar 6, 2015
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Early Access Game

Get instant access and start playing; get involved with this game as it develops.

Note: This Early Access game is not complete and may or may not change further. If you are not excited to play this game in its current state, then you should wait to see if the game progresses further in development. Learn more

What the developers have to say:

Why Early Access?

“Pixel: ru² is focused on being a highly competitive game that revolves around user created content and leaderboard. It's very difficult to make sure everything is balanced and there are no ways for people to cheat with only a handful of players. Being on Early Access will provide us with a large player base that will allow us to work out issues before the game is released.”

Approximately how long will this game be in Early Access?

“Tweaking mechanics takes time and we really don't know how long it will take to make Pixel: ru² perfect.”

How is the full version planned to differ from the Early Access version?

“The full version is going to have a lot more content as well as story elements. We are intentionally leaving the story out of Early Access builds so we can have players test levels throughout Pixel: ru² without jumping around in the story.”

What is the current state of the Early Access version?

“The gameplay and mechanics of Pixel: ru² are finished and mainly just need tweaking. Most of what is lacking is content. There is only a handful of levels finished right now, but we do include a level editor to allow players to also create their own content.”

Will the game be priced differently during and after Early Access?

“The price of Pixel: ru² will be discounted during Early Access and will slowly increase as we are further along in development. We hope that in return for this discounted price, players will inform us of issues as well as features they would like to have included in future builds.”

How are you planning on involving the Community in your development process?

“We'd love to know what the community would like to have added to Pixel: ru². Our goal is to be open and transparent. We also want to make sure the community is able to tweak and mod Pixel: ru² as needed.”
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Reviews

“Pixel was easily the most challenging game, and probably one of the most rewarding, at PAX East this year.”
TwoDashStash

“Pixel is a punishingly hard but very rewarding platformer/shooter/puzzle game.”
IndieHAVEN

“a truly geeky game ... If games were dice, Pixel ru² would be a d20.”
Without the Sarcasm

Feature List

  • Shoot a variety of weapons such as a rocket launcher and flame thrower, but try not to hit yourself with the ricochet gun.
  • Jump and flip from platform to platform, you can even rocket jump.
  • Solve challenging puzzles that revolve around manipulating gravity and color on yourself and other objects.
  • Online leaderboards to compete on.
  • A drag and drop level editor with a logic engine that allows you to make both simple and complex levels.
  • Level sharing through Steam Workshop.
  • Support for third-party mods and plug-ins.
  • Interactive with RGB peripherals such as keyboards, mouses, headsets, even Philips Hue bulbs.
  • Colorblind mode for those of us that see the world differently.

PC Master Race

Why should a 2D game be designed for 1080p at 60 frames per second or even worse, 720p at 30 frames per second? We designed Pixel: ru² with modern computer technology in mind.

120 Hz


Pixel: ru² is designed to be run at 120 frames per second. If needed, it can be rendered at a lower framerate through the video settings to reduce GPU load, but it will still internally be running at a smooth 120 Hz.

4K


Pixel: ru² may look like a low resolution game, but it's actually designed for a 4K display. Anything smaller results in the graphics being scaled down to fit correctly. This means that instead of the graphics being stretched or duplicated for scaling up, they are blended together smoothly for scale down. This results in a much nicer looking experience for all resolutions.

FLAC (requires DLC)


If you purchase the soundtrack DLC you will be provided with lossless versions of the in-game music. Having the soundtrack installed will allow Pixel: ru² to play lossless tracks instead of the Ogg Vorbis files it comes with.

RGB


Have a keyboard with RGB LED's in it? We designed Pixel: ru² to take advantage of them by doing colorful effects on your keyboard while you play the game resulting in a more immersive experience.

Here's a list of hardware we currently support:
  • Corsair Gaming K65 RGB
  • Corsair Gaming K70 RGB
  • Corsair Gaming K95 RGB
  • Corsair Gaming Sabre RGB
  • Logitech G910 Orion Spark
  • Philips Hue
  • Razer BlackWidow Chroma
  • Razer BlackWidow Tournament Edition Chroma
  • Razer DeathAdder Chroma
  • Razer Firefly
  • Razer Kraken 7.1 Chroma
  • Razer Mamba Tournament Edition

Learn more at:

Steam Greenlight

4,572 of you wanted us on Steam and here we are!
Thank you for your support.

About This Game

Story


We live in an amazing time. Computers are becoming smarter and more powerful, and more tangible items are being turned into digital data. Science predicts that within the next hundred years artificial intelligence (AI) will be as smart as humans. Imagine the possibilities if this trend continues for thousands of years.

In the distant future, AI will be so common in technology that even a single pixel in an image file may be controlled by one. Pixel: ru² is a tale of a sentient pixel that is tasked with eliminating a virus and restoring corrupted image files. Being a pixel isn’t easy; you’ll face infected pixels, puzzles that require color and gravity manipulation, and precision platforming challenges. You can complete your mission as efficiently as possible, or you can let your curiosity lead you to bits of information that may reveal the bigger picture.

About


Pixel: ru² (are you squared) is a game that is a combination of a platformer, a shooter, and a puzzle game. The gameplay features color theory based puzzle and combat mechanics and gravity manipulation based puzzle and platforming mechanics. There are a lot of simple systems stacked on top of each other which makes it easy to learn, but difficult to master.

Early Access


Since Pixel: ru² was first conceived, we've been deigning it for be a competitive game. You don't need to compete to enjoy the game, but we built the score system around players competing with each other on global leaderboards. To help make sure everything is balanced, we're providing access to the game early. This will allow us to see what needs to be adjusted to help make the game better overall. We do plan on raising the price as we add more content to the game. If you'd like to purchase the game at a discount, buy it now before it goes up in price. Doing so will also help you shape some of the game's mechanics. If you're not willing to take the risk on an Early Access title,

System Requirements

    Minimum:
    • OS *: Windows XP SP3 (we support it even if Microsoft does not)
    • Processor: You need one.
    • Memory: 256 MB RAM
    • DirectX: Version 9.0c
    • Storage: 256 MB available space
    • Additional Notes: The demo machines at our booth don't even have video cards.
    Recommended:
    • Sound Card: Not required to play, but nice to have.
    • Additional Notes: Internet connection required for online leaderboards.
* Starting January 1st, 2024, the Steam Client will only support Windows 10 and later versions.

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