Legend tells us the story of King Midas, granted a gift by Pan so that all he touched would turn to gold. Sadly, like with many gifts from the Gods, irony soon reared it's ugly head. Bread in his mouth would turn to glittering stone. Water would become a molten poison. And worst of all, he would find that his loved ones were not immune to its effects... The tale is the inspiration for Midas, a puzzle platform game by Wanderlands, and overall winner of the Ludum Dare 22 72-hour Game Jam. In it, you must guide the king to his love, but not before you reach the river that will wash him of his "gift". Every block you touch while "gifted" will turn to gold, making them heavier. Most importantly, this means floating blocks will start to fall, just the thing for making paths to an objective... or for crushing an unwary king.
The theme for the competition was "Alone", a word that's perfectly captured by this short, challenging, and even poignant, game. Even with (or perhaps because of) its minimalist aesthetic, Midas has an affecting sense of melancholy that's difficult to express in words. It may take only a little while to play, but it's worth its weight in... well, let's say "silver".
Walkthrough Guide
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Honestly, this was a fairly simple game where 10 levels can be done without a walkthrough - but here one is anyways.
Midas Walkthrough
Level 1: No text
Press Right go into the water so that he could touch the girl
Level 2: No text
Press Right to go to the steps then Space to jump past the steps and block.
While you can definitely jump towards the girl, it will turn her into gold if you do not touch the water first. This is something that holds true for all stages.
Level 3: She waits for me everyday.
Go Right to the top of the 2 steps, then Space to jump to the last step at the top.
If you get stuck in the gap, press R to restart. This stage shows you the limitations of Midas' jump - 2 blocks wide, 1 block high.
Level 4: This is the price of gold:
Jump over the girl, touch the water, then touch her.
Remember! You can not touch the girl while you have the golden touch!
Level 5: A heavy heart.
Go under those blocks to your right, and touch the blocks that hang there. Get out of the way!
Golden blocks that are not supported by Black blocks will fall - and when you touch the third block, this will give you a staircase.
Make sure you do the same thing to the 3 blocks on the right side of the object before you touch the water - once you lose the golden touch, you can never get it back!
Level 6: I step in the same river again and again
Quickly go to the right before the blocks under you give way. This is the introduction to levels where you need to have good reflexes.
Touch the block in the air to give you a staircase.
Touch the water, get the girl. When you go down to touch the water, make sure you don't touch the bottom set of blocks, otherwise you will create a wall.
Level 7: just so I can touch her hand.
Jump over the girl, then carefully jump so that you land on every other square until you reach the water - so that you have a way back to the girl.
Level 8: I am a prisoner to Pactolus*.
Carefully touch only 1 or 2 of the three blocks above you, and dodge by standing under a block you did not touch.
Jump (you will most likely touch the block you are under) so that you are on the block(s) that fell down in 1, and repeat step 1 again.
Jump out, touch water, touch girl.
Level 9: But I must have her!
Carefully get all the blocks on the left side down first. Safest way to do so is from left to right.
Because of Mida's jumping ability, you can get away with only touching 3 blocks on the right side to build the staircase to touch the water. Best if you did this staircase by touching the bottom, then left middle, right middle.
Once you built both staircases, be careful and either just touch one of the 2 blocks that platform the water, or if you accidentally touched both, you'll have to make a jump from on top of the water.
Level 10: My burden only grows.
Stand under the leftmost block. Touch it, and get away.
Get onto this leftmost block. You will most likely touch the second leftmost block in this process.
Do not touch the water yet. Touch the middle block.
Now make a leap of faith for the water, then touch the girl.
Level 11: My world collapses.
Go left, but you must not touch the black block that is under the preset gold block, nor the 2 blocks on the left. Stop where there are 2 blocks on top of each other - this is the only safe spot.
Carefully jump on top the block just left of you only. Then quickly touch the block in the air, land on the block you started on, go to the block on the left, and time it so that you jump back to the safe spot (which should now have 1 black block, 2 gold blocks).
Touch the block under the gold block, make your way to the water and the girl.
Level 12: And she feels so distant.
Jump off so that you land on the block just to the right of the girl, make a quick jump to touch the block in the air (as well as the block to the left of the block in the air - third block to the right of the girl), go onto the block on the left (second block to the right of the girl) then jump onto the block that should have fallen down by now (middle).
Same as before, carefully jump squares to touch the water so that you have a path back to the middle.
While on top of the middle block, make a leap of faith and you'll get the girl.
Level 13: I live on borrowed time
Quickly jump, touch the block left of the girl, but you must not touch the block over the water. If your timing is good, you will be able to jump on top of the block that was to the left of the girl.
Touch the block the girl is on, land on the block that is under the girl, go Right off, but hold Left so that you land on the platform the water is on.
Touch water, touch girl.
Level 14: Is she still waiting?
Just jump, run, jump, run - hit every block you can. Jump on top of the water and stay there.
Once all the blocks have fallen, make your way back to the girl.
Level 15: Or is love just fool's gold?
Hit the block above you. Wait a little, then go to the block on the right, then jump onto the block above you.
Touch the block that is above and left, wait till it falls, then jump onto the two-block island.
Land on the right side of the heart, where the 2 blocks are.
Touch both blocks that compose of the top right side of the heart. Do not touch any other blocks.
Touch water, touch girl.
Credits
Most people know full well of Midas' myth - the man who turns anything he touches to gold. But what some may not know is that a variation of this myth was that he even turned his daughter into gold.
In Level 8, Midas mentioned that he is a prisoner to Pactolus. This is the river that the Greek God Dinoysus told Midas to wash in so that it would wash away his power of the golden touch. This, of course, is the water that you touch on every stage.
That is what the credits mean to me - that Midas simply can not undo the damage which he has done. Even if he had the ability to jump that gap (which he does not), he can never get his daughter back ever again.
Posted by: Anon
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January 13, 2012 3:55 PM