Shift Happens is a fun, family-friendly co-op platforming game from Klonk Games and is much in the style of a game I love: ibb & obb. You play either as a blue or red amorphous blobby character named Plom or Bismo, respectively. Size matters in the world of Shift Happens, as Plom and Bismo are able to shrink and grow in order to move throughout the level. The tricky part is that only one character is able to be large at a time, so you must strategically change size along with your partner. The game is clearly designed with two players in mind, although a single-player mode in which you control both characters is available. I would recommend experiencing this game with a friend because playing alone can be quite annoying.
I played the game almost exclusively in co-op, as I found the single-player mode to be significantly less enjoyable. The fun of Shift Happens largely comes from playing with a friend, even if it’s just to lob each other at walls and laugh at the hilarious splat noises! Apart from entertaining sound effects, the puzzles are pretty simple. It’s clear the game was inspired by other physics-based puzzle games like Portal 2, but it has less of the difficulty and ingenuity. The casual art style is inviting to younger players, and there is family-friendly humor scattered throughout the title.
Shift Happens also includes timed levels, which I found to be an unfortunate inclusion in the game. The puzzles in Shift Happens are best when you and a friend are discussing tactics and strategically progressing through a level. The time limit felt burdensome, ridiculously difficult, and led to more bickering than working together. That said, the majority of the levels are silly, fun, and make for a great game between friends.
In terms of accessibility, the co-op play offers a great option for gamers who need a sighted partner. It’d be great if the cutscenes could have spoken aspects in order to truly open the game to blind gamers, and I found the soundtrack to be less than helpful in terms of aural cues. Still, the controls are simple and easily remappable, and the gameplay doesn’t rely heavily on precision reflexes (with the exception of the timed rounds). Given the dependence on color, it’d be a wise idea to include some colorblind-friendly overlays.
Summary
Shift Happens is a fun, easygoing puzzle game and feature great visuals even though the premise isn’t that original. The game is slightly derivative at times but offers tremendous co-op appeal.
Jess contributed 16 articles to ICXM in 2017, covering game reviews, and Xbox news with a focus on hands-on impressions and verified-source reporting. Their bylines on the site span the Xbox One X launch year and Microsoft’s wider Play Anywhere / UWP gaming initiative. They post on X as @Enceladosaurus.