The Corporation killed the entire galaxy. One-by-one the suns flickered and died, and without light or heat, so did every living thing in the galaxy, except for one small boy.
And one small sun.
Developed by one-man army Dene Carter of Fluttermind, Incoboto is a charming game about corporate greed killing everyone and everything we've ever loved, and one small boy's quest to reignite the universe.
Inco wakes up to find the galaxy strangely silent. Apparently he slept through the catastrophe. Luckily he runs into Helios, a baby star that provides him all the heat and warmth he needs to explore the puzzle-riddled surfaces of circular planets, collecting star pieces to fuel his friend while unraveling the mystery behind a murder mystery of galactic proportions.
Utilizing an intuitive single-finger control scheme (other options are available, but that's the default), the player guides Inco along each planet's surface, the terrain spinning to stay in perspective. A finger to either side of the character moves him in the right direction, a tap makes him jump. It's simple and elegant.
Collection star pieces fuels Helios, who utilizes his heightened powers to open gates to new worlds. Each new locale brings more complicated puzzles and mechanics for Inco to employ. He'll uncover hidden switches with a two-finger scanning technique, throw objects at targets to activate alien machines, and use physics to push and pull objects together, forming electric circuits that power devices to clear the way towards further adventures.
The charming graphics and beautiful ambient soundtrack (now available for purchase on Bandcamp) meld wonderfully with Incoboto's bleak future, and oddly-endearing mixture of melancholy and whimsy. Inco looks like he's having a great time as he reads the messages scrawled in the dirt beside the scattered remains of his people. This compelling dissonance extends to the game's absentee villains, The Corporation, with signs dotting the dead worlds festooned with humorous slogans, suitable for tweeting.
Incoboto is exactly the sort of experience I look for on the iPad. With the latest version of Apple's tablet boasting more power than the current generation consoles, I play a game like this and wonder why that matters.
Incoboto [iTunes]