MainFrames

MainFrames is a delight to look at, but less enjoyable to actually play. The charming and cute aesthetics can’t save MainFrames from its simplistic gameplay which struggles to capitalise on its strong ideas.

Mainframes is a 2D platformer that blends puzzles with smooth, intuitive gameplay. Playing as a floppy disk, you explore digital-inspired environments with creative mechanics and full Portuguese support.

MainFrames stands out for its creativity in transforming a digital environment into a charismatic platform and puzzle adventure. The mechanics of manipulating windows and icons are well explored, bringing varied challenges and keeping the experience dynamic. On the other hand, the irregular difficulty and moments of trial and error can make progression frustrating, especially in the more advanced stages. Still, for those looking for an enjoyable experience and willing to overcome some barriers, MainFrames delivers an original concept with very creative moments.

MainFrames is a delightful romp set in an era of technology that took place before my time, but thanks to its charm and solid gameplay, I felt nostalgic for that world despite having never lived in it.

MainFrames is, simply, a lovely retro-themed puzzle platformer with humour, challenge, and some brain-straining mechanics to master. While not easy, the satisfying controls and charming world will make it hard to put down.

This game both wants to be like its old-school Grandpa Mario and Aunt Celeste. The mixture of the two just doesn’t gel with me. The real bummer is I badly want it work. I truly for some it probably will. Playing MainFrames has made me realize the genre probably just isn’t for me. I don’t understand platformers and I’m certainly not good at them. So it’s probably pretty weird that I am going to recommend this game with one big fat caveat. If you’re a fan of the genre, there are a lot of cool and original things happening in MainFrames. If you’re not already comfortable in the space it’s probably not going to work as shining introduction to the world of indie platformers.

MainFrames is a short and sweet platformer that manages to pack plenty of challenge and fun into every stage, all while remaining visually striking, engaging, and memorable.

Mainframes is beyond doubt an impressive game that looks terrific, sounds fantastic, and handles like a dream.

With the best of the classics in the genre and without losing sight of the present, MainFrames delivers a challenging platformer that fulfills its mission.

As smooth as butter, MainFrames is an excellent little platformer with adorable art, a unique concept and well laid out difficulty curve.

Quotation forthcoming.

MainFrames is a good choice for those who want a simple and challenging game to kill time. The little over four hours of the campaign passed without weighing too much, and even though there are some clear points of improvement, lovers of the platform genre will certainly find themselves in the game.