Typoman (Wii U) Preview

By Adam Riley 24.11.2015

Finding intriguing ways to get the attention of gamers is no mean feat, with many titles nowadays merely leeching from other products, regurgitating the same themes repeatedly. What was on show during EGX's indie sections, though, showed that there is plenty of innovation still pumping out from the smart minds of developers freed from the reins of controlling publishers. One such example was Typoman from developer Brainseed Factory, with Headup on publishing duties.

Normally, when faced with a problem, the answer in the gaming universe is to jump over an obstacle, despatch an enemy, hit a trigger to initiative a particular sequence of events, or something along those lines. In Typoman, though, there is a twist to the formula, with regular platform antics being in place, but with the added mix of puzzle-led gameplay where words must be spelt out to carry out specific tasks.

Screenshot for Typoman on Wii U

Approaching a strange creature that seemingly spells the word 'PART' may seem innocuous at first, but when it suddenly jumbles around to form the word 'TRAP' instead, capturing Typoman time and time again, there is an issue afoot that can be quite perplexing. Queue the clever part - meander back through the level to find a letter 'S' and bring it along to the same place Typoman keeps getting caught, trigger the dangerous 'TRAP' again and voila, it becomes 'STRAP' with the 'S' stretching around to tie up the rest of the word, thus allowing for safe passage further into the stage.

The first level was filled with intelligently-crafted brainteasers like this, and given how tight the regular platform-esque controls were, it really made for a unique take on the genre. On the odd occasion where carrying letters around and trying to get them over obstacles into the right position became too fiddly, there was also the chance to zoom into the Wii U GamePad and just type the correct order of the word required, which certainly lifted any potential frustration that threatened to creep in.

Screenshot for Typoman on Wii U

Final Thoughts

At first it was quite tricky to get to grips with the concept of Typoman, mainly because thinking logically on a busy show floor is not that simple, however, once it all clicked and that old grey matter got to work properly, it became exceedingly clear how inventive and thoroughly enjoyable this Wii U eShop experience could be. Mixing standard platform antics with brain-teasing word conundrums is far more enjoyable than it may sound on paper. Given how enthralling the early sections of Typoman were at EGX, the final product has a lot to live up to in order to maintain that high engagement level through to the end. Cubed3 will hopefully have a full review soon enough.