Beautiful platformer Adventures of Pip hops onto iOS

Last month, Tic Toc Games released a charming 2D platformer on Mac and Windows called Adventures of Pip. The game stars a tiny pixel which can transform into a full-sized hero and back again in order to deal with enemies and solve puzzles. Now the full-sized Adventures of Pip game has arrived on iOS with controller support. And for the first week, it's on sale for $4.99.

From pixel to hero

Pip's small but lovely world lives by a caste system, not unlike some countries in our own. 32-bit people are the most beautiful, and thus the top of the heap. 16-bit citizens live less luxurious but still comfortable lives. And 8-bit pixelated people have the fewest pixels, making them the lowest of the low – the serfs. Basically, the more pixels you have, the better off you are.

One day, the evil Skeleton Queen kidnaps a princess who can magically create pixels from nothing. With all of the princess's knights defeated, no one is left to rescue her… None except for Pip, a lowly red pixel who makes up for his small size with plenty of bravery.

How can one pixel save a kingdom and its non-democratically elected ruler? Thankfully a sympathetic ghost knight grants Pip the power of the Bitstream. This ability allows him to absorb his enemy's pixels, eventually transforming into a high-resolution hero.

Pip will gain two larger and more detailed forms as he progresses through the adventure. Each form has its own unique abilities, so you'll find that being just a pixel can come in handy! He'll use these abilities to solve puzzles and thwart the Skeleton Queen's minions.

Adventures of Pip

Pip's 16-bit Agile form is not only fast, he can also punch enemies and cling onto ledges and jump off of walls. Switching to him greatly increases your mobility. But being larger than a pixel, he also weighs more. When Pip needs to bounce off of spring-like mushrooms to heights above or to ride a monster who won't move if the load is too heavy, he has to devolve back to Pixel Pip. The pixel form can also squeeze through smaller spaces than Agile Pip.

When Agile Pip evolves, he becomes Strong Pip. As a 32-bit character, Strong Pip is bigger and tougher than his previous forms. He can attack with a sword, greatly increasing his offensive capabilities. His strength also lets him push heavy blocks around, which can help him access new pathways and solve puzzles. Strong Pip can't move as fast or jump as well as his lower-pixel counterparts though.

Players will have to switch back and forth between forms in order to progress through each level.

Adventures of Pip

Pip jumps onto iOS

The iOS version of Adventures of Pip sports multiple control options. Players can choose between virtual d-pad, virtual stick, or use a Bluetooth controller for the ultimate in pixel precision. It also offers Game Center Achievements to keep completionists busy.

Adventures of Pip is on sale for $4.99 this week. After that, it jumps up to $14.99, same as the Mac and Windows versions. Get it now and save the pixel kingdom!

Paul Acevedo

Paul started writing about games in 2003 with his first strategy guide (Bomberman Land 2) for GameFAQs. He continued writing guides while earning his B.A. in Literature. When Windows Phone launched in late 2010, the Xbox integration lead our hero to jump on board the platform. He joined Windows Phone Central as Games Editor at the beginning of 2011, going on to review over 125 mobile Xbox titles over the years. He now leads Windows Central's Xbox One coverage, personally specializing in developer interviews, indie games, controllers and accessories, and Twitch broadcasts. Paul loves games on all platforms; he goes where the games are. Although very busy with console coverage, he sometimes contributes gaming articles to iMore and Android Central.

TOPICS