Ultra Hat Dimension Demo

Hats are getting to be quite important in video games lately, thanks to a trend launched by Valve in their Team Fortress 2 shooter. Even if they usually don’t affect the gameplay at all, their cosmetic value cannot be argued against. People have paid a lot of real money for them in certain cases, and it would appear that your skill level can be easily deduced by the size and color of your hat as well.

Ultra Hat Dimension has a different perspective on headwear, because hats are used to gain passage around otherwise forbidding obstacles. In short, you have to keep changing them to fit the pattern displayed by the obstacles. This makes it really tricky to navigate certain mazes, given the fact that you have to figure out which hats need to be acquired first and how to reach them.

The story is not that important, although there is one slowly making its course in the background. Your biggest concern is to navigate the levels and try not to get stuck while doing so, because that is also a possibility. The main character even has an arch enemy you have to deal with at the end, which means that there is a rather exciting boss fight waiting for you as well.

As far as the hats are concerned, the gimmick is simple: they are spread all over the level, and you must get to them by avoiding the punching boxes. These boxes don’t damage you, but they push you back one square if you get too near. Thanks to clever positioning, this can prevent you from reaching the key required to finish the maze. However, each box lets you pass unharmed if you wear a specific hat, which is where the fun begins.

As far as the graphics are concerned, everything is pixelated and designed to look as retro as possible. That shouldn’t be a problem if all you’re looking for is fun, but it may disappoint those who value aesthetics above everything else. The soundtrack is cute as well, not to mention the level design, which is always different and exciting to figure out.

Finally, it is even possible to create your own mazes and have as much fun as possible after finishing the main story. Thus, Ultra Hat Dimension can easily become a steady title in your game library, at least if you are a fan of puzzle games.