Igneous

Overview

 
Igneous is a quick little 4-level game featuring a small totem rolling for its life through environments which collapse around it. The player takes control of the little blue magical tiki totem, only identified as the 'Totem.' The objective of the game is to escape a burning volcano alive. 
  

Gameplay

The player begins each stage with a short cinematic showing some sort of lava-hazard or other such device chasing down the Totem. The Totem must then roll away as fast (which, in this game, is really fast) as possible, all the while the entire environment around the player is exploding and falling apart. Meteors plummet from above and shoot up from below, exploding structures hurl fiery pieces of their foundation at the Totem and destroy the path ahead, and an ever-present flow of magma barrels down on the player from behind. 
 
To avoid these hazards, the Totem can choose to speed up, slow down, turn left or right, and jump. The Totem is very maneuverable, and can thus wall-jump as many times as possible in a row on any solid piece of the environment. While parts of your path ahead may be destroyed, you may still be able to jump off a flying piece of rubble to save yourself. 
 

Levels and Detailed Explanations

 
Igneous features four distinct levels, each introducing new gameplay mechanics that challenge the player. 
 

The Totem Awakens

 
As with every level, a cinematic starts the experience: 
Everything is black, and a few streaming auras of blue magic appear to overtake an inanimate tiki totem. This idol is what the player controls, and is only ever referenced as the "Totem." With the blue magic inside the totem, its eyes glow red and the camera swoops behind the player. 
 
The player now has control. 
 
In this small room, the player has time to familiarize themselves with the controls, rolling around or jumping up the steps it was resting upon. There is one exit to the room, a narrow corridor. 
 
The corridor is short, opening up to another room filled with glowing blue statues. This likely serves to demonstrate that blue is synonymous with the player totem, and is therefore good. This room ends, continuing into another short corridor. 
 
The next room is a large space, with a broken bridge in the middle. The player totem is required to jump this piece of broken bridge if they wish to proceed. Falling isn't fatal here, as there is hard ground below, and a path leading back up. Jumping the gap leads the player to a red-eyed, motionless, totem poll. 
 
Nearing the red-eyed totem poll initiates a cinematic: 
The player totem rolls toward the totem poll, touching it. Heat emanates from both sides of this space, and the ground begins to crumble from beneath both totems. Both totems are swallowed up by the ground and fall below, into an apparent lava flow. 
 

Into the Inferno

 
A cinematic plays: 
The player totem rolls down a slope towards the camera. A wall of lava follows the totem, close behind. The wall of lava takes out stalagmites, exploding them upon contact. The totem passes the camera and the camera swoops behind. 
 
The player now has control. 
 
As the totem rolls down this cavernous slope, the wall of magma behind launches globs of magma forward at the player. The player quickly exits the tunnel. 
 
The tunnel opens into a slightly larger cavern, with the addition of a river of magma that the player must dodge and jump over. Nearing the end of this section, the player totem shoots upward and is propelled into a massive area. 
 
This next area is truly gigantic. Walls are lined with flows of magma, building-like structures explode in the background, a larger river of fire twists and turns ahead, and the wall of magma continues to barrel down on the player. The exploding structures hurl fiery blocks at the totem, which can disorient the totem in the air, and can slow down movement. The blocks can also be used to the player's advantage, though, as they can be jumped off of if the player finds themselves about to land in the magma river. Jets of magma burst up from the river, making jumping from one island to the next slightly more difficult. The exit to this area is through the mouth of a large tiki head. When close enough, a giant fireball explodes through the mouth of the tiki from behind, hurling a great number of blocks in all directions. 
 
Entering the mouth brings forth the next section, a corridor which reintroduces the wall of magma behind the player as they roll down a slope. The magma starts to shoot a few more globs at the player, but this scene ends within seconds. 
 
A cinematic takes over as the player nears the end of the tunnel: 
The player totem is taken out of player-control and launches itself over a gigantic gap and into another cavern. 
 

Across the Molten Sea

 
A cinematic plays: 
The camera faces the next area, showcasing the enormous bridge that awaits. The bridge is made of breakable blocks, being held up only by large chains. Below is an endless sea of magma, and in the distance a fire rages on. The camera pans towards the tunnel-entrance to this area. The tunnel explodes with fire, launching the player totem out and onto the bridge toward the camera. The fire feverishly chases the player totem, utterly annihilating the bridge as it follows. The camera swoops to a side-view, then back behind the player totem.  
 
The player now has control. 
 
Tearing up the bridge behind the player, the fire launches bridge-blocks forward, destroying any part of the bridge that they hit. A couple seconds pass, then massive fireballs bust from below, demolishing the bridge and continuing onward. Fireballs rain from above as well, and the player must now dodge any holes created by these numerous hazards. The bridge starts to weave side to side, making blind jumping impossible. The bride eventually opens up to a larger platform. This area is still susceptible to breaking. At the end of this part the player loses control. 
 
A cinematic plays: 
The player totem rolls towards a large stone staircase, and presumably begins climbing it. The camera pans up to show the top of the staircase, where a large magical fire rages on. 
 

Wrath of an Idol

 
A cinematic plays: 
The camera points towards the large area ahead, showcasing an enormous fire-eyed idol head atop a large pyramid in the distance. The walls of this large area are lined with an ancient cityscape. The distant idol shoots beams of fire from its eyes and destroys the path directly behind the player totem. The camera swoops behind the totem as it rolls onward.   
 
The player now has control.
 
The player totem must now navigate onward, weaving in and out of destructible totem polls as the fire-eyed idol shoots numerous streams of deadly fire at the player. After one area like this, another destructible bridge is presented. This bridge is more fragile, and a hit from th fire idol behind the player will send a crack along the entire length of the bridge, which soon drops that entire section into the lava below. 
 
This bridge then leads to another open area which has the player navigating between totem polls, but with a greater volume of fire-beams this time. At the end of this area, control is taken from the player. 
 
A cinematic plays: 
The player totem rolls into the bottom of a tall structure, evidently making its way to the top. The camera swings around to reveal a large yellow-eyed idol face, which faces the fire-idol, albeit from a much lower height. The fire-idol attempts to destroy the yellow-eyed idol with its eye fire-beams, but the beams are met with the yellow-idol's own blue eye rays. The yellow-eyed idol is then overcome with blue magic as it propels a massive single blue beam at the fire-idol, knocking it off the pyramid. The screen fades to black.
 
The credits roll. 
 
 

"Impossible" Difficulty Mode

 
The game has two difficulties, "Casual" and "Impossible." When switched to Impossible mode, the level becomes harder in different ways, depending on the level. Below are the tweaks made in Impossible mode. 
 
Level 1 

• Nothing changes. This is a tutorial level, and there are no threats present. 

 
Level 2 

• Touching the river of magma will be instantly fatal, whereas before it merely damaged the totem a little.

 
Level 3 

• Fireballs will fall and shoot upward at much higher frequencies. Parts of the bridge will be completely destroyed. 

 
Level 4 

• Getting even a little too close to the fire-idol's eye-rays will be instantly fatal.