'Spider: The Secret of Bryce Manor' – A Wonderfully Imaginative Game
posted by arn on August 11th, 2009 3:58 AM EDT in $2.99, 5 stars, Action, Adventure, Puzzle, Reviews, iPhone games, iPod touch games
Tiger Style's first entry into the iPhone market kicks off with this very interesting game description:
You are a spider. One afternoon, you discover an abandoned mansion. Where is the family who lived here? What happened, and why did they leave? Search for clues as you adventure from room to room on the hunt for your next meal.
And the game is as unique as it sounds. Spider: The Secret of Bryce Manor is a beautifully created action (adventure?) game that places you in the role of a spider who must spin webs in order capture enough food to make it to the next level. Use up too much silk between meals and you won't survive.
Gameplay screenshot from MidianGTX
As a spider, you are able to crawl across objects, jump great lengths and lay down silk to weave your web. Spinning a web simply requires you to create closed geometric shapes using your silk. Tapping on the spider toggles silk production while swiping on the spider causes it to jump. Finally, crawling is invoked by simply tapping on the screen. All in all, the controls work incredibly well and makes it feel like a natural iPhone game.
The game comes with 28 beautifully hand drawn levels that walk you through Bryce Manor. Secret areas can be discovered and an underlying mystery ties the game together. The storyline, however, is simply a bonus to an immersive puzzle/action game, and I'll admit I haven't myself discovered the secret of Bryce Manor. The gameplay, itself, will keep you occupied as you strategically manage your silk to capture your next meals.
Different bugs require different strategies to capture and the 28 levels in story mode should keep you occupied for some time. Beyond Story mode, there are 3 additional modes: Feeding Frenzy (race against time), Precision (less Silk to work with), and Hunger Mode (Keep eating or die).
Here's our gameplay video:
[ Full HD version | Low Bandwidth version ]
Our forum members are loving this game and so are we. Spider: The Secret of Bryce Manor is a lovely original iPhone game that we highly recommend.
App Store Link: Spider: The Secret of Bryce Manor, $2.99
TouchArcade Rating:
Best thing happening in games on the App Store. Only bad point, I guess, is that there's not enough of it. It's funny when a game is so brilliant it reminds you of one of your favorite childhood (and adulthood) stories… Ralph S. Mouse. Best 3 bucks I ever spent on the App Store. I want more, dangit!
Get ready for a whole bunch of copy cats cuz this is such a new and fresh idea. I'm defiantly gonna purchase this. Looks awesome.
wow, awesome n creepy, and I like it
This game is so amazing. Thanks for recommending it!
Such a great game. The multiple modes keep it really fresh and challenging, even after many hours of playtime.
I also enjoy seeing that you guys play it with a double thumbing motion, as I play it very differently. That's one of the cool things about the platform, I suppose, is that while I can play with my pointer fingers, others could play with their toes if they wanted to….
wow you checked the support site? nothing except stupic tiger pictures!!
how is the support supposed to work..?
might just use twitter for now
i love the music and look of this game. i'll have to get it!
The video intrigued me. I initially thought, ho hum, another Qix clone, but the gameplay is actually pretty unique and the levels are brilliant in all of the cool little options they offer. It really does at least give the illusion of complete freedom to go about clearing any level the way you want.
So can Mr. spider snag insects right out of the air by jumping on them or do they need to be trapped in the web first?
Different insects behave differently. The default ones will just fly around in a set pattern, so webbing them up is just a case of making one where they'll fly into it, some of them keep away from the spider, so you have to lure/chase them into a web, and so far the only ones I've seen that you have to tackle out of the air are hornets… since they're too strong for webbing.
You also have to wrestle the dragon flies a few times before getting them into your web. Once you get the hang of it, it's quite fun. It's the mosquitoes that drive me batty. But in a good way – what a fantastic game!
has anyone had an issue with this game starting?
the game quits after 2-3 seconds on the title screen. running a 1st gen iphone with 3.0.1 and have plenty of memory.
this game and archmage defense are just 2 i cant ever get to open.
just did a restore this morning, but no luck
D
If you fail at a level, do you have to start all over again?
After you complete a level you get to save.
This game is awesome. Who would have thought playing with a spider would be so much fun!
Wow.
Seriously.
That looks friggin' fantastic.
Sometimes a game comes out of left field and provides the sort of all around quality that makes it an instant buy.
This is one of those games.
Hopefully Apple and the App Store consumer market as a whole takes notice of this gem.
Hey,
To anyone having problems getting the game to run / looking for support, please contact us at support (at) tigerstylegames (dot) com.
We really want to make sure everybody who buys the game can play the game.
Sorry about the non-functional website, we're going to address that ASAP.
Thanks,
David Kalina
Tiger Style
Hey David,
While I understand that all of the levels are wondrously handcrafted, are the insect spawning points somewhat randomized, at least in the non-story modes?
If you die, you have the option to start at the same level or restart the entire adventure. You're score is reset if you die either way.
The music reminds me of the old game "Bad Mojo" and the gameplay (including being a spider) seems very similar to "Spider" an old game for the Playstation 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ga4Zqq1tXa8
The gameplay is not really anything like that Playstation game, which seems like a pretty standard platformer. This game has almost a turn-based QIX feeling, if that makes sense – I've only played through the first few levels, but so far the play mechanic feels really fresh and unique.
It's a great game, well designed, well thought out, and lots of fun. But I finished the "adventure" in a couple of hours. Not sure I found all the "secrets" or what they're supposed to do for you. I'll hop over to the forums and read up.
WELL WORTH THE MONEY!!! HELL YEAH
I read a few interpretations as to what the secret of the manor is and lemme tell you, my respect for this game only increased. I won't spoil it for you, but here's a hint/spoiler – the decay in the house chronicles a failed marriage. There's a few subtle hints – pay attention to the Well, Kitchen Sink and Bedroom levels.
Spider has it all – unique gameplay, gorgeous graphics, tight controls that fit the platform perfectly, AND an interesting and compelling story.
This game is a true gem. Easily a A++ in my book. I'll keep my eyes peeled for their next offerings.
If you pay attention to the pictures on the walls and find a few of the "secrets," you'll be able to figure out part of the story.
[Spoiler?]
I still don't know what the arrows on the grave mean.
why.. why is this game so unbelievably good.
this game is freaking sweet. i feel so spidery. the controls are amazing and it plays phenomenally. reminds me of a quality not seen since Ambrosia games
Yup, this game is really a winner. I love how it boots straight into the level and the title is layed over the environment briefly. There's so much replayability here as well between all the different game modes and leader boards.
I only have one complaint after hours of play. It's the same complaint I had with Blimp, which had similarly designed levels. And that's that most of the maps are relatively small. It works well for the pick up and play iPhone style gaming, but I guess I would really appreciate a couple sprawling environments with more possibilities for exploration. Although, I can see how that would be difficult to incorporate into this game, since the gameplay style is not linear.
Best game for 2009, no doubt
amazing indeed!!
excellent job and a must have on the iPod Touch. Thanks for reviewing this game Toucharcade, and thanks to the developers….
Congratulations!!!
One of my favorite games! Thank you for this one!