Square On Top

So here’s the thing about Square On Top. The controls take about five seconds to learn. You drag back on the square, pick your angle, let go, and it jumps. That’s literally all there is to it. And yet somehow this game had me stuck on the same section for over an hour last Tuesday.

It’s a climbing game. You go up. The whole point is reaching the top of this big vertical world and there’s nothing stopping you except the physics and your own mistakes. No enemies, no timers, no lives system. Just you trying to land on platforms that really don’t want you on them.

The catch, and honestly the part that makes people lose their minds, is that there’s no checkpoints. None. You slip off something near the top and you might end up right back where you started twenty minutes ago. It sounds unfair when I write it out like that but trust me it works. Every jump matters because of it. You actually care about each landing.

About the physics, because this is the part people always ask about. The square doesn’t just stop when it hits a surface. It’s got weight to it and it slides around, especially on the icy parts higher up. You have to think about where the square is going to end up AFTER it lands, not just where you’re aiming. Takes some getting used to. Once it clicks though you start pulling off jumps that would’ve seemed impossible your first day playing.

The scenery changes while you climb which is a nice touch. Bottom is all green and mossy and relaxed. Higher up things get cold and empty and honestly kind of stressful? Like the game knows you’ve got more to lose up there. The whole look is pretty minimal, not a lot of stuff on screen. Keeps you focused on not messing up your next jump.

One thing I want to mention because I know people are tired of it. There’s no pay to win garbage in here. You can’t buy a boost or skip a section or whatever. If somebody’s at the top of the leaderboard they got there the same way you’re trying to. With their thumbs and a lot of patience.

Speaking of which yeah there’s leaderboards. Global ones. Some of the times on there are honestly ridiculous, I don’t know how those people do it. But it’s cool having something to chase even after you beat it.

Will you rage? Probably. Most people do. I’ve watched friends play this and say things I can’t repeat here. But they keep reopening it, so. Take that for what it’s worth.