This Game is Crap (v2022.04.12)

Cruel punchlines, sudden drops, and deliberately unreliable platforming define the mood here. This Game is Crap is a compact 2D jump-and-run comedy built around the pleasure—and frustration—of being fooled by its own levels. Floors collapse when they appear safe, hazards arrive where logic says they should not, and apparent solutions often exist purely to lure players into another failure. The tone is knowingly silly rather than punishingly grim, making every death feel like part of a prank shared between the designer and the player.

Players guide their character through a set of short obstacle courses, timing jumps, reacting to traps, and gradually learning that familiar platform-game rules do not necessarily apply. Progress comes less from gaining abilities or mastering combat than from memorising each level’s tricks, testing suspicious terrain, and accepting that trial and error is the central mechanic. Nineteen levels provide a brisk run designed for short sessions, with German and English selectable in-game. Presentation is intentionally bare-bones, including fixed audio and graphics options, so the focus stays squarely on the next gag, fake-out, or badly timed fall.

What separates it from a standard retro platformer is its commitment to misdirection: it treats level design like a series of practical jokes rather than a straightforward test of reflexes. The simple 2D visuals and lean feature set give it the feel of an old-school rage game, but its comedy makes it closer in spirit to trap-heavy titles such as I Wanna Be the Guy than to a precision platformer like Celeste. Replay value mainly comes from sharing the experience, watching friends walk into traps you already know, or attempting cleaner runs after learning the layouts. Players looking for polished controls, deep progression, or fair challenges may lose patience, but anyone who enjoys absurd surprise deaths and lighthearted frustration finds a quick, mischievous distraction here.