This is the Only Level

Last updated
This is the Only Level
This is the Only Level Title Screen Screenshot.png
Developer(s) John Cooney
Release2009
Genre(s) Metagame
Mode(s) Single-player

This is the Only Level is a 2009 meta Flash game developed by John Cooney and published by Armor Games. [1] [2] [3] The title of the game is a literal description of the game - the whole game takes place in a single level the player has to play over and over again, albeit with several game-changing variations as the game progresses. [4] The game has received an (unofficial) port to PICO-8. [5] Cooney also released two sequels to the game, This is the Only Level Too and This is the Only Level 3. [6] The game was included on a list of "10 Flash Games That Pushed the Limits of the Genre" in a 2021 Screen Rant listicle. [7]

See also

Related Research Articles

A stealth game is a type of video game in which the player primarily uses stealth to avoid or overcome opponents. Games in the genre typically allow the player to remain undetected by hiding, sneaking, or using disguises. Some games allow the player to choose between a stealthy approach or directly attacking antagonists, but rewarding the player for greater use of stealth. The genre has employed espionage, counter-terrorism, and rogue themes, with protagonists that are special forces operatives, special agents, secret agents, thieves, ninjas, or assassins. Some games have also combined stealth elements with other genres, such as first-person shooters and also platformers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Browser game</span> Video game played in a web browser

A browser game is a video game that is played via the internet using a web browser. They are mostly free-to-play and can be single-player or multiplayer. Alternative names for the browser game genre reference their software platform used, with common examples being Flash games, and HTML5 games.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adventure Game Studio</span>

Adventure Game Studio (AGS) is an open source development tool primarily used to create graphic adventure games. It is aimed at intermediate-level game designers, and combines an integrated development environment (IDE) with a scripting language based on the C programming language to process game logic.

<i>Chuckie Egg</i> 1983 video game

Chuckie Egg is a platform game released by A&F Software in 1983 initially for the ZX Spectrum, BBC Micro, and Dragon 32/64. It was ported to the Commodore 64, Acorn Electron, MSX, Tatung Einstein, Amstrad CPC, and Atari 8-bit computers. It was later updated for the Amiga, Atari ST, and IBM PC compatibles.

<i>I Wanna Be the Guy</i> 2007 platform video game

I Wanna Be the Guy: The Movie: The Game, commonly called I Wanna Be the Guy and abbreviated to IWBTG, is a freeware platform game created by Michael "Kayin" O'Reilly for Microsoft Windows using Multimedia Fusion 2. First released on October 5, 2007, the game is no longer in active development, though the game's source code was released by Kayin in 2011 and a remastered edition was released in 2020. IWBTG has unusually difficult platforming elements, unorthodox level design, and uses sound effects, characters, and music from many other games.

<i>Dont Look Back</i> (video game) 2009 video game

Don't Look Back is a platform game playable through Adobe Flash and designed by Terry Cavanagh. The game is a modern interpretation of the Greek legend of Orpheus and Eurydice.

<i>Katamari</i> Video game series

Katamari is a Japanese video game franchise created by Keita Takahashi and developed and published by Namco. The series puts players in control of a young character called The Prince as he assists his father, the King of All Cosmos, in the re-creation of stars and planets by using a ball called a katamari to roll up objects. The first title in the series was Katamari Damacy for the PlayStation 2, which became a cult classic and led to several sequels and spin-offs.

<i>Transformice</i> 2010 video game

Transformice is an online multiplayer free-to-play platform and indie game by Atelier 801. Created by French game designers, Melibellule produces the game's artwork and graphics, while Tigrounette programs the game's functions and mechanics. Transformice was released as a browser game on May 1, 2010, and on Steam as a free-to-play game on January 30, 2015. Transformice requires either a web browser running Adobe Flash Player 9.0+, Adobe AIR to run the official standalone or Steam to play the game. As of 2012, the game has 10 million accounts created, 60 million as of 2015, 70 million as of 2017, and 100 million as of 2019.

GROW is a series of Flash or HTML5-based puzzle games created by On Nakayama, a Japanese indie game developer, and posted to his website, eyezmaze.com. The series, which was launched on February 7, 2002, comprises 12 full games, 7 minigames, and 1 canceled game. The most recently released title was published in June 2018. The games all feature a simple click-button interface requiring the player to determine the correct combination of buttons to click to maximize visual reward and ultimately to achieve the good ending. Graphically spare and minimalist, GROW games employ a cute aesthetic and often include creatures and characters taken from On's other games like those in the Tontie Series.

<i>Loved</i> (video game) 2010 browser-based platform video game

Loved is a browser-based platform video game developed by Alexander Ocias, an Australian graphic designer and artist. Written in Adobe Flash, the game was built over the course of about half a year in Ocias' spare time. Released online on 14 June 2010 onto various game hosting websites, it has garnered sizeable praise and scrutiny since its release, with critics finding the game to be thought-provoking while having poor controls.

<i>Deep Rock Galactic</i> 2020 video game

Deep Rock Galactic is a cooperative first-person shooter video game developed by Danish studio Ghost Ship Games and published by Coffee Stain Publishing. Deep Rock Galactic was fully released on May 13, 2020 for Microsoft Windows and Xbox One after its early access release in February 28, 2018. The game was later released for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 in January 2022, and for Xbox Series X/S in September 2022.

<i>Book of Travels</i> 2021 role-playing video game

Book of Travels is a role-playing video game under development by Might and Delight. Unlike massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs), Book of Travels limits the number of players on each server to create memorable meetings with players. The early access version was released for Windows, Mac, and Linux on October 11, 2021.

<i>Tangle Tower</i> 2019 video game

Tangle Tower is a murder mystery point-and-click adventure game developed and published by SFB Games. It is a sequel to the 2014 game Detective Grimoire and the third entry in the Detective Grimoire series. The game was launched with the Apple Arcade service on 19 September 2019 and was later released for Nintendo Switch and Steam on 22 October 2019, followed by PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on 6 October 2021.

John Cooney, also known by his pseudonym jmtb02, is an American game developer and former chief executive officer of Armor Games. He is best known for his numerous Flash games, many of which feature a blue elephant as the player avatar, including Achievement Unlocked and This is the Only Level.

<i>Achievement Unlocked</i> 2008 video game

Achievement Unlocked is an Adobe Flash video game written by John Cooney in four days and published by Armor Games in 2008. The player controls an elephant who moves and jumps around a level with the goal of completing every achievement. Such achievements include finding hidden numbers, dying, or even doing nothing for a period of time.

A Soulslike is a subgenre of action role-playing games known for high difficulty level and emphasis on environmental storytelling, typically in a dark fantasy setting. It had its origin in Demon's Souls and the Dark Souls trilogy by FromSoftware, the themes and mechanics of which directly inspired several other games. The "Soulslike" name has been adopted by a number of critics and developers. However, there have also been questions whether it is a true genre or a collection of shared mechanics. A subset of these games, named Soulsborne, refer to most of the Soulslike games developed by FromSoftware.

<i>Silt</i> (video game) 2022 video game

Silt is a surreal underwater puzzle-adventure indie horror game developed by Spiral Circus and published by Fireshine Games for Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, in which the player controls a deep-sea diver who can possess the diverse marine life that enters their vicinity. It was released on June 1, 2022.

<i>Siege of Centauri</i> 2019 video game

Siege of Centauri is a tower defense video game by Stardock for Microsoft Windows. It takes place in the same universe as Ashes of the Singularity, a game developed by Oxide Games and published by Stardock. The game was released on September 12, 2019, earning mixed reviews as a standard implementation of the tower defense genre.

References

  1. Gillen, Kieron (25 August 2009). "Unfortgettable Elephant: This Is The Only Level". Rock Paper Shotgun.
  2. W., Tim. "GameSetWatch Best Of Indie Games: Playing With Just One Button". www.gamesetwatch.com. Archived from the original on 2021-07-25. Retrieved 2021-07-25.
  3. Wilson, Jason. "This Is The Only Level". VentureBeat. Retrieved 25 July 2021.
  4. "This is the Only Level". www.lexaloffle.com.
  5. Blye, Ericka (23 January 2019). "20 Video Games That Epically Trolled Players (And 10 Times Players Trolled Developers)". TheGamer. Retrieved 25 July 2021.
  6. "Stretching The Definition: This Is The Only Level 3". Rock Paper Shotgun. 12 May 2012. Retrieved 25 July 2021.
  7. Wilds, Anastasia (9 September 2021). "10 Flash Games That Pushed The Limits Of The Genre". ScreenRant. Retrieved 18 August 2022.