Always up for a revolutionary 2D platformer, Bad Dream Games and HandyGames’, One Hand Clapping caught my attention this past fall with its beautiful visuals and intriguing gameplay. A game that focuses on solely solving platforming puzzles than on combat, this title proved to be a true battle of wits and voice as I peeled back the layers of each level it gave to me. This is a title that singing aficionados will love and their partners will… either love or hate.

Story

There isn’t too much of a story that is “in your face” when it comes to OHC. The main theme is that a dark unnamed force is taking over the world, piece by piece, and pulling away the souls of its colorful inhabitants.

Though there isn’t any dialogue in the game, music is the way of how these wonderful characters communicate. It’s through each area’s different style of music, that you begin to realize the different languages at play and it makes it all the more rewarding as you go further.

Gameplay

Gameplay is simple in some ways yet vastly complex in others. Controls-wise, you won’t really do much more than jump or possibly click your L and R shoulder buttons every once in a while. 75% of the game’s core mechanics come from players using their voices to solve its near-endless variety of puzzles.

They require a bit of technique in some cases or at least an ear for musical pitch. Some will have you sing/hum to keep pitch with a few bars, others will want you to match pitch with what’s going on, similar to Simon says, and others may actually sample your voice in a pattern that will set the entire puzzle section into motion.

There is so much to dive into here and even though some ideas are recycled, they have a difference to them either in how they’re used or in how the puzzle area is laid out which makes them feel fresh again. Even without the singing aspect, this title does require some brainpower too as it isn’t a breeze in the slightest.

I have to commend the devs for taking this unique mechanic and placing it in truly difficult scenarios. When it comes to games with a gimmick, they can often feel as if that’s the only thing that was crafted fully. With OHC, the entire thing is a cohesive and intelligently designed project.

It actually blew me away that I never really got tired of the mechanics at play either. Nothing overstayed its welcome for too long. Not the levels, puzzles, or mechanics. Just when one did seem to grow too familiar, the game went in the opposite direction just to wake you up again.

I will mention that one hilarious part of the entire experience of OHC is the fact that those around you will often wonder what the heck you’re doing. Because you’re required to use headphones with a mic, you’re isolated in the game and immersed while those around just hear you singing like a crazy person. It was a trip every time my wife jokingly asked if I was okay while I was doing a terrible version of throat singing.

Audio and Visuals

One Hand Clapping delivers some of the most beautiful looking and fantastically sounding environments. The various tunes and overtures tossed into each “realm” of the game does such a great job of setting up its locales and inhabitants. No two ever sounded the same and always created an organic shift when necessary.

Because of its heavy use of music and singing, OHC really leaned into its toolset and pulled no punches. The music is also pretty unique in and of itself. These aren’t pop tunes that you’d hear in something like Sing 2, for instance. These are original scores that feel as if they really were pulled out of these foreign worlds they were made to represent.

Replayability

In all honesty, this is actually a pretty long game for what it’s worth. Though it can be beaten in about 5 hours or so, it generally feels long while playing. I could totally see myself picking this up every once in a while just to enjoy the serene feeling it gave me while playing.

What It Could Have Done Better

My single complaint is that the game can have issues picking up your voice at times. Though you can adjust the mic sensitivity in its settings, I always seemed to have a problem every so often. And no matter what I set it on, it wouldn’t be sensitive enough to hear me but yet so sensitive that it would pick up the tv or someone speaking in the room. It was pretty inconsistent and at times slowed my progression down in the wrong way.

Verdict

One Hand Clapping is a title that demands to be played. It offers fun and relaxing gameplay, a lush world of beautiful characters, and a duration that doesn’t overstay its welcome and actually allows you to enjoy every minute with its constantly revitalized levels. With the extremely modest price of $14.99, you’d really be doing a disservice to yourself by not picking it up if you truly want an original new platformer.