Pogo Sticker is a unique game that is hard to categorize – it has elements of both platform and puzzle and thankfully it is actually rather good. As the name suggests, you control a guy on a pogo stick via your mouse, carefully traversing level after level of what seem to be brightly colored caves. There are two aspects that make the game challenging. Firstly the caves get more and more complex the further you get into the game. Secondly the controls, although clever, can make the game frustratingly difficult (in a good way). The longer you hold the mouse button down for the more force your hero jumps with. The further away the cursor is from the hero, the further he jumps in that direction. If you hit your head too many times or too hard, you bite the dust. You will find yourself coming back to this again and again – it just has that ‘one more time’ feel to it.

The graphics are very simple, colorful and original – they don’t quite look like any other game you will have seen. Your hero has no distinguishing features; he is a figure and nothing more. The caves are just simple jagged edges filled in with various colors. This graphical technique works perfectly with the odd, addictive game play. The music is pleasant although far from extraordinary, although the sound effects, like the graphics are simple and work quite well.

The game play is the highlight of this wonderful game. The game is naturally challenging and it doesn’t let up at any stage – in the later levels there are even dead ends in the caves to contend with (you will understand how frustrating this can be when you realize the amount of effort you have to put in to get to even some of the most simple places in the game). Even though there technically isn’t a lot going on with the game play there is just something about it that kept me coming back for more (and more).

Thumbs up for originality on all counts. Highly recommended.