While I have dreamed of being a lot of things in my life, an earthworm has never been one of them. Nevertheless, Earth Muncher’s Norm has proven to be the ideal avatar for eating my way through a 10-minute work break, or a few hours, which really should have been spent sleeping.
Currently only available on PC, Earth Muncher is the first release from Odd Ocelot Games, a new independent Florida-based developer. It features an earthworm named Norm who is hungry for adventure. Norm eats his way through the treacherous earth, solving puzzles and avoiding traps and enemies to find, and eat delicious treasure.
The game has the aesthetic, feel and adorable soundtrack of a classic Nintendo puzzler and hits just the right note or retro-nostalgia.
There are 100 ‘bite-size’ levels in standard arcade mode, and the learning threshold for getting started is low enough that you will find yourself passing the introductory levels and developing an addiction from the get-go. New game elements are introduced at a pace that keeps the game fresh, but never overwhelming.
While the game may seem simple at first, as you progress through the level challenges such as move limits are introduced, making planning and correct execution crucial. The game evolves to stay challenging enough to keep you returning for more. It is well designed to reach the level of fun, rather than frustration.
For those looking for something a bit tougher, there are an additional 48 levels in challenge mode that throw extra dangers in Norm’s path. There is also a lot of potential for speedrunning attempts! Unfortunately, I have yet to see what happens when you reach 100% and become the Ultimate Muncher of Earth.
Launched in April 2018, 20% of launch sales were donated to the Earth Day Network, giving me a warm fuzzy feeling about my purchase too. Currently available for PC on Steam, the game is small and nimble, needing only 1GB of RAM to play. The developers are also working to bring Norm to mobile, and I am sure that I will have many fun hours with Earth Muncher on my commute when they do.
A passion project which the developers call a result of ‘30 years of dreaming’, they are also sharing their code with qualified creators on Woovit. I for one can’t wait to see what they come up with next.
Leave a comment