JUNE/JULY JACKPOT JAM: Heatwave Antarctica

“Heatwave Antarctica” by Alessandro Pezzetti.

“[A] puzzle-platformer where you are a little piece of ice in a not-so-frosty Antarctica. […] [You] need to avoid beam lights in order to not melt away. You can also split yourself in two, trying to solve some puzzles along the way, but keep in mind that you will also split your lifebar!”


It is uncommon for developers to mash up the platformer genre with a serious issue like climate change. So it surprised me in a very positive way that the developer of “Heatwave Antarctica” went with this idea and also managed to include some clever game mechanic ideas! You play as an ice cube who has the ability to split into two smaller cubes. Whenever the sunshine rays hit them directly, they will lose some health – a health of just twenty-five percent will cause the level to restart.

The great mixture of switch and pushing puzzles fits right into it. Sometimes you will think that a big stone needs to be pushed away while you just have to jump over it, other times you will think that you have to split where you don’t need to, but do not worry: You will find out the solution. [PLAY]