Runny Bunny

It can feel strange sometimes to play these simple games on your expensive computer or console. Because Runny Bunny really is as stripped down and simple as it gets; you guide a little bunny through tracks to collect all the dots and carrots so you can move on to the next one. It all kind of looks like Pac-Man and every time you steer the bunny in a direction it moves super fast. At first it's mostly collecting everyone in a little maze-like concept but quickly different traps and enemies are introduced. One mistake and it's back to the beginning and try again.

To squeeze out a text and a judgement on this is really a lot. But at the same time, it's something that has to be done, so I'll just have to see it as a challenge. You simply push little Runny Bunny in one direction, but the crux is often that you may have to figure out how to reach everything that needs to be collected. This without steering the rabbit straight into thorns, or any enemy and their projectiles. With a hundred levels, there are a couple of hours of gameplay here. However, you manage quite well to keep it fun by a simple introduction of a new trap of some kind and of course, eventually they all mix in a blissful mess the further you go.

The visuals consist of small blocks and everything is clear and easy to understand. If you like classic pixels, there are plenty of them here. Sometimes you may have to run a course a few times to know what's coming. It's easy to make a small mistake by misjudging a section. Fortunately, it is never that frustrating. However, sometimes you miss a few items and it is not always designed so that you can go back and get them, which is a shame. In some passages you also have to know what to press immediately as it can be a misstimed button press that'll kill you. It becomes a bit like the classic Konami code at times. You have to press up, up, down, down... at a fast pace to keep the rabbit alive.

The most frustrating of the levels have a red zone creeping towards you from the side of the screen. These can induce a touch of 'throw the controller' frustration. I found it easiest to control the rabbit with the digital crosshairs as it gave the quickest and easiest response. Which is something you really need when you start getting into the later levels. Because if the first levels are straight stretches, here you need to navigate more precisely and time your movements with great precision.

In many ways, Runny Bunny is the essence of simplicity in game form. It lacks some finesse and visual presentation to make it really fun to pick up for a few long moments. At the same time, it's certainly not boring when you do. The feeling of finishing on a slightly more difficult level is still as wonderfully delightful as it can be when a challenge of that kind is completed. It's a bit like a puzzle mixed with platforming and a few hours of light-hearted entertainment. You only have to look at the pictures to see if this is the kind of arcade-like experience you've been looking for in between the more epic experiences.