Ascent
Ascent is a pixel art metroidvania made in PICO-8 by Johan Peitz for LowResJam 2022.
You have crashed on a desolate, mysterious planet, and you are now eye to eye with an ancient civilization. Nobody said interplanetary travel would be relaxing.
How to Play Ascent?
Explore the planet, find powerful upgrades and uncover its secrets. It is a metroidvania, which means the map is full of places you cannot reach yet. The upgrades you discover change how you move, and each one opens up routes you could only look at before.
Ascent is short, with a typical session lasting a few minutes, and packs a lot into a tiny low-resolution world. The music and sound are by Vav, and if you enjoy it, there is a bigger DX version with more of everything on Nintendo Switch.
Because it was made for a low resolution game jam, every pixel is doing a job. The planet feels bigger than its screen size suggests, and working out where an old ledge now leads is exactly the kind of small, private triumph metroidvanias are built on.
Tips and Tricks:
- Remember the dead ends: An unreachable ledge is usually a spot to come back to later.
- Try each new upgrade everywhere: New moves unlock old areas.
- Climb the ladders: Up and down arrows take you places the jump cannot.
What Are the Controls for Ascent?
- Move: Left and Right arrow keys
- Jump: Z
- Climb ladders: Up and Down arrow keys
- Special moves: X or Z
- On a touchscreen: on-screen buttons
Features
- A compact metroidvania made in PICO-8
- A mysterious planet and an ancient civilization
- Powerful upgrades that open new routes
- Retro pixel art and music by Vav
- Free to play in your browser, keyboard or touchscreen
If Ascent gets you exploring, climb the heights of A Difficult Game About Climbing or throw yourself at the pixel chaos of Pizza Tower.
Ascent FAQ
Who made Ascent?
Ascent was made by Johan Peitz.
Is Ascent free to play?
Yes. Ascent is free to play on HahaGames, and you don't need an account.
Can I play Ascent on a Chromebook?
Yes. Ascent runs in the browser on Chromebooks, Windows PCs and Macs, with nothing to download or install.
