Framed (video game)
| Framed | |
|---|---|
 App Icon | |
| Developer(s) | Loveshack Entertainment |
| Publisher(s) | Noodlecake Studios (Android), Loveshack Entertainment(iOS) |
| Director(s) | Joshua Boggs, Oliver Browne, Adrian Moore |
| Designer(s) | Joshua Boggs, Oliver Browne, Adrian Moore, Stuart Lloyd |
| Artist(s) | Oliver Browne, Stuart Lloyd |
| Composer(s) | Adrian Moore |
| Platform(s) | iOS, Android |
| Release | 12 November 2014 |
| Genre(s) | Puzzle, Narrative |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
Framed (Usually styled as FRAMED) is a multi-award-winning noir-puzzle game where the player re-arranges panels of an animated comic book to change the outcome of the story. Developed by the Australian studio Loveshack, Framed is an experience that sees the player changing the order of the narrative-based puzzles to a dance-meets-jazz score.[1]
A sequel, Framed 2, was released in 2017. Framed Collection is a compilation of Framed and Framed 2 released later on in 2018 by Fellow Traveller, available on Nintendo Switch and PC.[2]
Story
A man is on the run from the cops, and barely makes it to an alleyway where he is discovered by the sheriff. The sheriff then tracks down his partner's train ticket and manages to follow her to the secret location, where she is exchanging secrets with the Man. He shoots the man and kills him.
The player swaps the order of the events in order to change the story.
The new outcome is that the sheriff then tracks down the man's partner's train ticket and manages to follow her to the secret location, where she is exchanging secrets, and the Man shoots the sheriff to kill him. The Man is then on the run from the cops, and barely makes it to an alleyway where he is discovered by the woman.
Gameplay
Players take control of morally ambiguous characters as they slink their way across dark alleys and buildings in an effort to avoid the authorities and other obstacles. The goal of the game is to reorganize a series of comic panels so that the protagonist is not caught by the police. In order to accomplish this feat, players must move frames around so that the sequence allows the main character to sneak past, avoid, or knock out their would-be captors.[3][4]
Reception
| Aggregator | Score |
|---|---|
| Metacritic | 85/100[5] |
| Publication | Score |
|---|---|
| Pocket Gamer | 9/10[6] |
| The Sydney Morning Herald | 9/10[7] |
| Gamezebo |   [8] |
| TouchArcade | [9] |
| 148 Apps |  [10] |
| Apple'n'Apps | [11] |
| Pocket Tactics | [12] |
| Publication | Award |
|---|---|
| IGF China | Excellence in Design[13] |
| Indiecade | Excellence in Visual Design[14] |
| IGF | Finalist - Excellence in Design[15] |
| Kotaku | 2014 Best Australian Game[16] |
| Kotaku | 2014 Best Mobile Game[17] |
| Freeplay | 2013 Best Game[18] |
| Freeplay | 2013 Best Design[18] |
| IMGAwards | 2014 Best Upcoming Game[19] |
| BIG Festival | 2014 Best Narrative [20] |
| Intel Level Up | 2014 Best Puzzle Game [21] |
| PAX Prime | PAX 10 2014 [22] |
| Tokyo Game Show | Sense of Wonder Night 2013 [23] |
As of July 2015, Framed has received over 30 awards and accolades.[24] It has been praised by critics for its "brilliantly simple idea", "pitch perfect" execution, "subtle story telling", "gorgeous visuals", and "finger-snapping music".[6][7][16]
In November 2014, Hideo Kojima, creator of the Metal Gear series stated that Framed was his Game of the Year. He praised Framed for its "high sense of gameplay, graphic, & sound", adding, "my best game in this year without any doubt".[25][26]
References
- ^ "FRAMED Review". LA Times. 15 November 2014.
- ^ "Framed Collection Review - Worth A Thousand Words".
- ^ "FRAMED Review". 148apps.com. Retrieved 6 August 2015.
- ^ "FRAMED review: rewrite the plot to this espionage story". idownloadblog.com. 26 November 2014. Retrieved 6 August 2015.
- ^ "Framed Critic Reviews for iPhone/iPad". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 30 July 2015.
- ^ a b Harry Slater (19 November 2014). "FRAMED review". Pocket Gamer.
- ^ a b James Dominguez (27 November 2014). "FRAMED Review". Sydney Morning Herald.
- ^ Eli Cymet (17 November 2014). "FRAMED Review: Get Your Mind Into The Gutter". Gamezebo. Archived from the original on 23 August 2019. Retrieved 31 July 2015.
- ^ Dotson, Carter (28 November 2014). "'Framed' Review – Let's Try This One Again, Shall We?". TouchArcade. Retrieved 7 July 2018.
- ^ Campbell Bird (25 November 2014). "FRAMED Review". 148 Apps.
- ^ "Framed - Piecing Together An All New Puzzle Adventure - AppleNApps". AppleNApps. Retrieved 6 August 2015.
- ^ Kelsey Rinella. "Review: FRAMED". Pocket Tactics. Archived from the original on 29 May 2019. Retrieved 6 August 2015.
- ^ "IGF China 2013 Winners". GDC China. Archived from the original on 2014-12-29. Retrieved 2015-07-31.
- ^ "2014 Indiecade Awards". Indiecade.
- ^ "The 17th Annual Independent Games Festival Finalists". Independent Games Festival.
- ^ a b "Kotaku Awards 2014: Australian Game Of The Year". Kotaku. 9 December 2014.
- ^ "Kotaku Awards 2014: Mobile Game Of The Year". Kotaku. 8 December 2014.
- ^ a b "Freeplay Awards". Freeplay.
- ^ "IMGAwards". International Mobile Game Awards.
- ^ "BIG Festival". Brazilian Independent Games Festival.
- ^ "And the winners are". Intel.
- ^ "PAX Prime 2014's featured indies include Mushroom 11, Duet, Framed". Polygon. 29 July 2014.
- ^ "Sense of Wonder Night 2013". Tokyo Game Show.
- ^ "Loveshack Presskit - Framed". framed-game.com. Retrieved 6 August 2015.
- ^ "Hideo Kojima's Favorite Game of 2014". GameSpot. Retrieved 6 August 2015.
- ^ Mark Serrels (25 November 2014). "Hideo Kojima's Game Of The Year Was Made In Melbourne". kotaku.com.au. Retrieved 6 August 2015.