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There Is No Game: WD – hilarious fourth-wall breaking game

Look, there is no review. So you might as well just stop reading. There is no review because there is no game, ok? There is no award-winning point-and-click comedy adventure game and there is certainly no five-star rating at the end of this non-existent review.

Fine, you can have a review. Just a little one. There Is No Game: Wrong Dimension is a whip-smart and often hilarious romp through a charming array of non-levels, inspired by a range of all-too-familiar videogame styles. Part escape room, part puzzle game, and part nostalgia trip, TING:WD is consistently inventive, only retreading ideas occasionally to make a point or a joke.

One level echoes classic point-and-click games, with a twist

The game’s meta narrative is told through fully-voiced dialog from a grumpy computer program as he responds to your attempts to play the “game” – which he keeps insisting doesn’t actually exist. What results is a wild goose chase through a series of genre pieces, each providing a new take on the non-game gimmick. Even casual or lapsed gamers will find tons of references to enjoy, from entire levels based on the Zelda series to throwaway quips about the Rusty Lake games.

The game offers a fresh angle on familiar gaming tropes

To say too much about the puzzles and mini-games would spoil half the fun, but suffice to say you’ll have to think well outside the box to get by. You’ll be ignoring direct instructions one minute and dismantling the user interface for scraps the next. TING:WD doesn’t so much break the fourth wall as snap it in half completely. This is a title that revels in subverting your every last expectation.

Mini-games aplenty, but rarely are they what they seem

That said, the game’s subversive energy feels more… versive as the game progresses and you come to anticipate its twists. Luckily, the regular dimension swaps (each with its own perfectly crafted graphical style) keep things fresh and unexpected. By the end, you’ll have blasted through several game worlds, fake operating systems, and even had a glimpse of “real life”. This is heavy meta stuff.

Exploring this fake computer for clues is a particular highlight

Our only real criticism is that the game isn’t especially challenging. If you like your puzzle games extra tricky, you’ll want to ignore the comprehensive hint system – and you might find the narrator’s unsolicited verbal clues annoying. But despite a relatively easy ride, it’s a joyous one throughout its entire 5-6 hour playtime.

$5/£5 is a steal for a title of this quality, half the price it commands on other platforms. As far as we can tell nothing has been lost in the translation from award-winning PC game to touch-screen mobile fare.

There’s not much quite like this on the App Store, but if you’ve ever enjoyed a 90s adventure game or a modern-day room escape puzzler, you’ll be right at home here. And even if you haven’t – There Is No reason not to give it a try. We think you’ll be pleasantly surprised, user.