STORY

Challengo is an addictive puzzle game made by Xanthom.  It is inspired by a game called Chip's Challenge, but it adds some new features as well.  Ray is trapped in a world full of danger.  A world full of fiendish puzzles and deadly monsters are out to get him.  He has to somehow find his way to the blue escape portal in each level.  Unfortunately, the portal is often blocked by sockets, so he must unlock these sockets by collecting Point Shards (coloured 'Plus' symbols).  These Point Shards can be coloured green, blue, or red, and each colour gives you a different amount of Health Points. 

Only you can help Ray overcome the many obstacles in each level.  You must help him make sense of this crazy world, and escape.  Of course, nothing is ever that easy!  There are many puzzles that Ray must solve.  Coloured keys open doors of the same colour.  He cannot cross gravity fields, pits, water, or fire - luckily, there are special boots that Ray can find to help him walk across these surfaces.  He can also pick up dynamite, and use it to blow up certain walls.  Solid brown blocks can be used as stepping stones to cross water.  Cracked tiles break if Ray stands on them for too long.  Toggle switches open and close certain blocks.  Strange creatures get in Ray's way, and chase him.  All this, and more, stand between Ray and his bid for freedom.  Will he manage to escape from this nightmare world? 

TIP The name of each level is shown at bottom left of the screen.  I recommend you take note of these level codes as you play the game. 

GAMEPLAY

The game is controlled by using the keyboard.  Move Ray by using the arrow keys, shoot the gun (when you have it) by pressing 'Space Bar', and place dynamite by pressing 'Enter'.  It has 89 levels in total, and gets progressively more challenging in the later levels.  The first 10 levels are lessons, and they teach you the basics of how the game works.  Challengo uses a handy Password feature, which I found extremely useful.  After you start the game, simply press F5, and type in a Level Code.  This is so you don't have to start the game from the beginning each time. 

Each level must be completed in a certain time limit, and the time you have left is shown at the bottom right.  If you don't manage to complete the level, you can try again as many times as you like, or you can simply move on to another level.    Any keys and boots that you have are shown at the bottom, and the amount of Point Shards you have are shown at the bottom left. 

There is also a 2-player mode, so you can compete against a friend on the same computer.  The level editor allows you to create your own levels, and play them. 

Move Ray  - Arrow Keys
Side step  - Shift & direction to move & direction to face.
Shoot gun  - Space
Place dynamite - Enter
Restart Level  - Ctrl & R
Previous Level - Ctrl & P
Next Level  - Ctrl & N
Enter a Level Code - F5
Exit Game  - Esc
Help Screen  - F1

GRAPHICS

The graphics are very colourful and clear.  Ray looks adorable in his bandana and blue top.  I was impressed with all the different types of monsters (my favourite is the red and white spiders), and they all move very smoothly.  It was fun to watch Ray slipping on ice, or swimming in the water.  Some of the later levels have snow or rain, which is very impressive to watch.

MUSIC AND SOUND EFFECTS

Challengo has a good variety of music.  Everything from the upbeat, to the dramatic, to the just plain scary - you will love hearing it all.  The sound effects are nice to hear.  I especially like the 'yoink' as you pick up keys or Point Shards, and the splash as you fall into water.  There is an impressive fanfare at the end of each level. 

SUMMARY

I can recommend Challengo to anyone who enjoys puzzle games.  The levels are well designed, and really make you think about how to solve the various puzzles.  The first 10 levels ease you in gently, so you can get a feel for the game.  I thought the Level Codes were a very handy, so you can jump to any level you want to, and not start back at the beginning each time.  The graphics are nice and clear, and Ray's bandana was a nice touch.  There was a good variety of music, so you don’t hear the same clip all the time.