Tag Game

A local multiplayer chase game whose interest is in the levels rather than the rule. Two to four players share a keyboard, one is it, and the maps are full of spinning obstacles, narrow gaps and speed boosts — all of which favour the person running, because a chaser has to follow through the same hazard a moment later. That asymmetry is the design. Being it in a cluttered map is genuinely hard: a runner can take a risky gap and accept a bump, while the chaser taking the same gap loses the line entirely. Speed boosts are placed to create escapes rather than captures, and the best chasers win by herding somebody toward a dead end rather than by out-running them. Maps are varied — forests, playgrounds, tighter arenas — and the round ends on a timer or when one player remains untagged. Rounds last a couple of minutes and the role passes constantly. The presentation is bright and the characters are cheerful, which suits a game aimed at playing with children. It runs on anything, needs no download, and supports up to four control sets on one keyboard.