The Throwback Nostalgia of Monochrome Heights

Happy little platformer. As a child, my favorite type of video games (and the only ones I played) were platformers. I (and my parents) staunchly opposed “Traditional” video games, which I (and my parents) believed to be filled with violence and kissing and swearing—but most importantly, they cost money, and required downloading something to the computer! Browser platformers were different. Platformer games had none of the violence my parents might object to, required no downloading, and were free to play. As such, I essentially had free rein. I adored tackling the various Flash games on Nick Jr.’s website, along with Playmobil and Lego platformers as well. I became a skillful manipulator of the arrow keys and spacebar, conquered my fears of patrolling enemies, and rejoiced in my ability to get all (or at least most) of the points in each level—whether they be gears, bricks, or panda toys.

Over the years, I aged and moved on. I would still dream sometimes about my old platformers, but I didn't touch a platform game for years. Then came the chance to review Monochrome Heights, released on Steam on October 7th, developed by Patrick Knisely’s company, One Frog Games. Patrick Kniseley had previously worked in a variety of creative industries, such as puppetry, podcasting, sketch comedy, and many others, before releasing his debut, Monochrome Heights.

Original Title: The Throwback Nostalgia of Monochrome Heights

Author’s note: The piece preserves core memories of early browser platformers and situates the indie release within a personal retro-gaming continuum.

SUPERJUMP — 2025-11-15

The Throwback Nostalgia of Monochrome Heights

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