Gasketball Preview

Remember the good old days of playing basketball out on the schoolyard courts? When it didn’t matter who won or lost, and everybody was in it for the camaraderie? Just you, a couple of friends, your flaming ball, some teleporters… wait, what? From the minds of Solipskier creators (and cleverly named developer) Mikengreg comes an inventive re-imagining of the classic shot-matching game of H-O-R-S-E: Gasketball.

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And you thought Space Jam was rad

Remember the good old days of playing basketball out on the schoolyard courts? When it didn’t matter who won or lost, and everybody was in it for the camaraderie? Just you, a couple of friends, your flaming ball, some teleporters… wait, what? From the minds of Solipskier creators (and cleverly named developer) Mikengreg comes an inventive re-imagining of the classic shot-matching game of H-O-R-S-E: Gasketball.

In production for a “bit longer” before its (estimated) early summer release, the indie duo’s latest may look like a sports game, but don’t let that fool you. Gasketball is a physics-puzzler in the tradition of titles like Casey’s Contraptions… but with a competitive twist. Using a host of interactive objects, players set up shots on net, and challenge their friends to literally jump through hoops in local or online asynchronous multiplayer. The format hasn’t been specified, but the game’s genesis in H-O-R-S-E gives me a hankering… for a back-and-forth gauntlet based on building elaborate trick shots. Not for horse, you sicko!

In true Rube Goldberg fashion, however, elaborate doesn’t just mean half-court at the buzzer. Mikengreg are giving players control over a toolkit of items design to up the shenanigan factor significantly. From what they’ve revealed so far, this includes bouncy barriers, accelerator pads, rotatable portals, and disruptive conveyors.

In addition to the court, players will be able to tamper with the ball (someone get a ref’, amirite!?) by adjusting its range or, you know, lighting it on fire! If the video above is any indication – complete as it is with menus quickly brushed past – Gasketball will play host to a vast array of implausible gadgetry meant to induce moments both epic and frustrating. Refreshingly, the duo are building the game with long term fan-service in mind, promising in their announcement that “updates and additions will be frequent and meaty.” Add to that a promised single player mode, and screenshots teasing a level editor, and we can pretty much guarantee a virtually endless slate of playable content; that’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

Gasketball

Part The Incredible Machine, part NBA, and all whimsy, Gasketball looks like a must-play for casual puzzle fans and professional one-upsmen (and women) alike. Right now details are limited to what you see here, but rest assured we’ll be following up with Mikengreg soon. If this looks like something you’d give a shot, then be sure to keep your eyes peeled to this spot for interviews, hands-on impressions, and more. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to go dig up my copy of Michael Jordan: Chaos in the Windy City,

Eli has loved mobile games since his dad showed him the magic of Game & Watch. He can't quite remember when he started loving puns.