OnOff
OnOff is a puzzle platformer built around a single idea: the world has two layers of blocks, and only one of them is solid at any moment. Press one key and the other layer snaps into place while the first turns to ghostly outlines.
Daniel Marino and Brad Dunbar made OnOff for js13k 2018, with crisp vector shapes and a bouncy soundtrack. You can play on a keyboard or plug in a controller, and there is a level editor on the main menu too.
How to play OnOff
Every screen has a star on it. Reach it with your little robot and the next screen loads straight away. There are 25 stages in all, and they start simple before piling on spikes and stacked floors.
Blocks from the active layer are solid. The inactive layer appears only as faint shapes you can move through. Press Space to trade places between them. So a gap too wide to jump might hide a ledge in the second layer, and a blocking wall can vanish the instant you swap.
The robot breaks apart if it drops off the bottom, touches live spikes or ends up inside a block that just became solid. The level then restarts. You get unlimited tries, and a counter up top tracks how many times you have broken.
Controls
| Action | Keyboard | Mouse | Touch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Move left or right | A / D or Left / Right arrows | — | — |
| Jump | W or Up arrow | — | — |
| Swap the solid layer | Space | — | — |
| Menu navigation | Up / Down arrows, Enter to choose | — | — |
| Exit a custom level | Escape | — | — |
Tips
- Before your first step, trace a path through both layers with your eyes. Most stages need several swaps in a set order.
- Swap while airborne. It is safe in midair as long as no block from the other layer appears exactly where the robot is.
- Spikes belong to a layer as well. A strip that would break you right now becomes harmless after a swap.
- You can fall through a floor on purpose by swapping it away, then swap back to land on the level below.
- The jump is short and always the same height. Take off near the edge of a ledge to clear wide gaps.
If you like OnOff, try these
Hyperspace Garbage CollectionFlipping between two states to solve rooms is the link, as a robot swaps matter and antimatter to push trash onto switches.
Sky HopPure jumping with no puzzle layer: steer a self-bouncing ball up an endless stack of platforms.
Questions
Can I play OnOff with a controller?
Yes. It reads the first gamepad you connect. The D-pad moves the robot, and face buttons handle jumping and switching layers.
How many levels does OnOff have?
There are 25 built-in stages. After the last one, a closing screen appears. You can also design new stages in the editor and test them right away.
Why did my robot break when I pressed Space?
A block from the other layer became solid in the spot where the robot was standing. Check that the space around you is clear before swapping.
More like this: all adventure games · every game A–Z
