Indie developers have come to revitalize the industry, because compared to big named studios, an indie game can be released faster than them (this is my understanding of course so it might not be accurate), and as I have stated before, the creativity of indie developers knows no limits. Hayfever is a good example of how to make lemonade out of lemons so to speak. In Hayfever, you play as Thomas, a mailman with a slight allergy problem which, because of that, he lost the letters he was supposed to deliver and his quest to use his allergies as an opportunity to complete his goal starts.
Hayfever’s premise is simple: you just need to jump your way through each stage and retrieve the missing letters all while avoiding the hazards, and solving some simple but clever puzzles along the way. But the main mechanic used to do so is what I find funny and creative, using his weakness as a strength is the whole purpose of the game, in my opinion. Thomas can jump but using a sneeze he can double, triple, or use a super sneeze to propel him to unthinkable heights. Using pollen spores floating in the environment, Thomas can reach those pesky hard to reach places to retrieve the missing letters. What I liked the most are the varied pollen spores you find in the game, the yellow spores can be “stockpiled” up to three times as shown with a gauge that is below in the screen, this gauge includes the number of letters found, and the power level of the sneeze. With two stocks full, you can control the sneeze times (meaning you can use it to do a triple jump of sorts), and with a full gauge, Thomas uses the super sneeze and he gets propelled in the direction you choose. After a super sneeze, there is a cooldown period, but if you happen to be in the way of another pollen spore you can sneeze one more time depending on the type. There are red pollen spores that act as the barrel cannons in Donkey Kong Country (the instant barrels I mean), and purple spores that make Thomas’ head bloated letting him float until the effect wears off (If you played Wario Land, imagine when Wario was stung by a bee, causing his head to inflate, and you were able to go up until you hit something). These mechanics make the puzzles and the areas fun to play but the game is not a walk in the park. There are some hard areas that give you a sense of accomplishment once beaten.
The game offers 140 levels, so you have your work cut out for you, but if that is not enough, once you collect a certain number of letters, you can unlock extra levels that will put your sneeze skills to the test. The game is colorful and I like how the theme of the stages changes with the four seasons. The landscapes you play through are a sight to behold and make you wonder about the sneeze powers of Thomas. The music is amazing and the sprite work made gives the game a SNES aesthetic. I think Hayfever is a good game, one that you can sink hours into without even thinking about it. The puzzles are clever and it has enough challenge to make the game enjoyable. I think that it all boils down to whether you like puzzle platformers or not, even if you are the latter, this is a fun game that anyone can enjoy, and I like the feel-good vibes the game has. Thomas knows how important letters are and he will do his best to deliver them.
That being said, I do recommend Hayfever. It has enough content to keep you occupied and with great music and gameplay, this is one that has earned its place in your digital library.
A review code was kindly provided.