Pass the Time with Impasse

If there’s one thing I love in the middle of a workday, it’s wasting time with a smart and frustratingly addictive game.  That’s why I was so pleased to find Impasse, by Wanderlands games.  Billed as a “minimalist moving maze puzzle game,” part of its charm is that it has no story and no instructions (aside from “arrow keys”).  Part of the joy—and frustration—is figuring it out as you go.

It’s easy to forget how simple a game can be and still be totally engrossing and enjoyable.

Wanderlands is made up of three guys: Harry Lee, Howard Lee, and Jarrel Seah.  All three have pretty impressive credentials listed on their website, ranging from medical courses, to electrical engineering, to the International Physics Olympiad.

One very cool portion of Wanderlands’ website is the Half Bakery, where the designers have posted a bunch of their sketched out ideas.  It’s got a very “work-in-progress” kind of feel.  If there weren’t such an impressive game like Impasse attached to the site, the Half Bakery would probably be written off as the incomplete musings of a wannabe game designer.  But from what I can see, these guys have the chops to do some seriously interesting things in the limited browser- or mobile-game medium.

The trio also notes that a “spiritual successor” to Impasse is on the way soon, so if you like what you play now, watch out for what they do next.

Play Impasse now on Kongregate.