''Towdie'' is a

platform Platform may refer to: Technology * Computing platform, a framework on which applications may be run * Platform game, a genre of video games * Car platform, a set of components shared by several vehicle models * Weapons platform, a system or ...

adventure game An adventure game is a video game genre in which the player assumes the role of a protagonist in an interactive story driven by exploration and/or Puzzle video game, puzzle-solving. The Video game genres, genre's focus on story allows it to draw ...

published in Europe in 1994 by

Ultrasoft Ultrasoft was a computer game developer and computer game publisher located in Bratislava, Slovakia. The company specialised in the development and publishing of games for the ZX Spectrum home computer. With over 40 titles published, its most su ...

for the

ZX Spectrum The ZX Spectrum () is an 8-bit computing, 8-bit home computer that was developed by Sinclair Research. It was released in the United Kingdom on 23 April 1982, and became Britain's best-selling microcomputer. Referred to during development as t ...

. The game, similar in style to

Dizzy series ''Dizzy'' is a series of video games, created by the Oliver Twins and published by Codemasters. It was one of the most successful British video game franchises of the late 1980s and early 1990s. Originally created for the ZX Spectrum and Amstrad ...

, is set in a fantasy land called Alkria and follows adventures of a little restless creature called Towdie. The player controls Towdie, the titular character, who is on the mission to save the kingdom of Alkria from the evil dragon Quido. The game was developed by Balara brothers (DSA Computer Graphix), where Dušan Balara created all the graphics & animation and Ladislav Balara programmed the game engine. In May 2, 2013, Ultrasoft launched a crowdfunding campaign on

Kickstarter Kickstarter is an American public benefit corporation based in Brooklyn, New York, that maintains a global crowdfunding platform focused on creativity. The company's stated mission is to "help bring creative projects to life". As of July 2021, ...

to fund a HD remake of this game for Android,

iPad The iPad is a brand of iOS and iPadOS-based tablet computers that are developed by Apple Inc. The iPad was conceived before the related iPhone but the iPhone was developed and released first. Speculation about the development, operating s ...

, and PC with a funding goal of $50,000. Unfortunately, this campaign failed to reach its target.

Plot

The inhabitants of the kingdom of Alkria were living their happy and carefree lives, until one day the evil dragon Quido descended on the land, burning everything and everyone with his fire breath. The only hope now rests on an unlikely hero - little Towdie, who must overcome all the obstacles which get into his way on a mission to unite the remaining citizens of the kingdom and, with their help, defeat the dragon Quido. Throughout the game Towdie meets and interacts with many of Alkria's inhabitants, including a prince and princess, a cook, a smith, an executioner, an evil sorceress, along with various other creatures who can help or hinder Towdie's progress towards his goal.

Gameplay

The player guides Towdie, a juvenile-troll-like character, through an interior and exterior of a castle in an attempt to save the kingdom of Alkria from the evil dragon Quido. The locations are all situated in or around the castle and are fantastical in nature, many loosely inspired by

fairy tale A fairy tale (alternative names include fairytale, fairy story, magic tale, or wonder tale) is a short story that belongs to the folklore genre. Such stories typically feature magic (paranormal), magic, incantation, enchantments, and mythical ...

s. Movement from one room (screen) to the next is through

flip-screen This list includes terms used in video games and the video game industry, as well as slang used by players. 0–9 A ...

such that when Towdie touches the outer edge of one room (screen) he appears at the beginning of the adjacent room. The individual rooms consist of platforms, stairs and ropes with Towdie able to both walk and jump to navigate the castle and its obstacles. Towdie can hold up to four items at once which are then used at specific locations to solve puzzles and advance through the game. At the start of the game the player has a full health bar, which goes down in dangerous situations and once depleted the game is over. The health bar can be replenished by finding and eating

Amanita The genus ''Amanita'' contains about 600 species of agarics, including some of the most toxic known mushrooms found worldwide, as well as some well-regarded edible species. This genus is responsible for approximately 95% of the fatalities result ...

mushrooms scattered throughout the castle.

References

External links

''Towdie''
{{Webarchive, url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714120211/http://www.zxspectrumreviews.co.uk/Details.aspx?gid=5940 , date=2014-07-14 at ZX Spectrum Reviews
''Towdie''
at World of Spectrum
''Towdie''
at ZX Art
''Towdie - the Map''
at ZX Magazin 1994 video games Action-adventure games Europe-exclusive video games Fantasy video games Platformers Single-player video games Ultrasoft games Video games about dragons Video games developed in Slovakia Video games set in castles ZX Spectrum games ZX Spectrum-only games