Can't Get Back
Can't Get Back drops you onto a tilted, glowing board covered in swaying grass. The field scrolls as you move, and anything that slides too far away is gone for good. That rule gives the game its name and most of its tension.
Kipkat built it for the js13k contest in 2019, drawing every shape and making every sound in code. It runs right in the page, and you play it entirely on the keyboard.
How to play Can't Get Back
Press Space to begin and let the short story scroll past. A counter near the top tells you how many generators the level holds. Steer with the arrow keys and look for gray machines with numbers on them.
Generators must be switched on in order, starting from 1. Walk up to the next one and press E. A machine with the wrong number refuses to start. Each one you power up also heals a heart if you are hurt.
Dark squares with red edges chase you. A touch costs a heart and knocks you across the board. Your shots, fired with the letter keys, shove them away, and a square that leaves the edge of the board is gone. Finish every generator to climb a level, where the colors change and the sequence grows by one.
Controls
| Action | Keyboard | Mouse | Touch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Start or try again | Space | — | — |
| Move | Arrow keys | — | — |
| Shoot up, left, down or right | W, A, S, D | — | — |
| Use a generator or pickup | E | — | — |
| Mute music | M | — | — |
| Low-detail mode | L | — | — |
Tips
- Keep one eye on the radar in the lower corner. Green dots are generators, red ones are squares and blue ones are pickups.
- If you spot the number you need, go straight for it. Drifting away to explore can scroll it off the board forever.
- Your shots home in on the closest square. Fire in its general direction and keep moving instead of stopping to aim.
- Hold the medkit until you are almost out of hearts, since it refills them all at once. The green heart, by contrast, adds one extra heart on top of your current total, so grab it whenever it is close.
- The dark statue grants several seconds of immunity. Pray at it when a group of squares is closing in.
If you like Can't Get Back, try these
Escape the CatacombsSearching a dark map while enemies close in returns, with a key to find and a lock to open on each floor.
OnOffPuzzling movement in a stranger world: switch between dark and light platforms mid-jump to guide a small robot.
Questions
Why won't Can't Get Back let me start a generator?
You can only switch on the next number in the sequence. If you have done 1 and 2, the game will reject anything except 3.
Is there a last level?
No. Each level adds one more generator and one extra heart, and the climb keeps going until you run out of health.
Can I turn the music off?
Yes. Press M and the music stops once the current loop finishes. The L key also switches to a lighter mode for slower computers.
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