Zen and the Art of Transhumanism

Pottery is not a very popular hobby, mainly because modern technology makes being able to make a pot out of clay a pretty useless skill. However, the activity can be a godsend if you want to relax and do something pleasant for a while. You might even end up with something useful when you are done, so it’s not really a total waste of time in that regard.

Zen and the Art of Transhumanism is a little game designed for Ludum Dare 35 in which you play the role of a robot trying to master the art of pottery. Although it’s a pretty simple concept in theory, the gameplay is actually very addictive and exciting, especially since you are pretty much free to do what you want, at least if you are not interested in winning.

You start with a fresh lathe and a few tools at your disposal to reach the required design, but you can go ahead and do as you please with the blank piece of material. However, you must make sure to keep spinning the table, otherwise you won’t be able to carve anything. It takes a bit of practice as well, especially since you really have to tap the action button to make sure it doesn’t stop half-way through.

Because of this, it might be a tad difficult to coordinate your hands as well, due to the fact that one needs to move quickly and the other as gently as possible. You can get used to it, but it’s a lot of effort for such a small game. You also have to stop quite often and change tools, which is again pretty annoying and slow.

Granted, it’s nice to see the designs come to life after a bit of work, not to mention the fact that you are free to come up with your own creations. The game is still in 2D, however, so there are only so many shapes you can achieve, but it should be enough to keep you busy for a while. Speaking of which, the graphics are quite pleasant as well, especially if you enjoy the retro vibe.

In the end, Zen and the Art of Transhumanism is nothing more than a short jam game, but there’s tremendous potential at work here. Hence, with a bit of effort and dedication from the developers, this could certainly become something much more polished and captivating.