Elephants: This Is the Only Level Too

The game “Elephants: This Is the Only Level Too” lives up to its name in the most literal sense. The entire game is indeed built around a single level that you have to play over and over again, but each time with radically new rules and unexpected twists that change the very essence of the controls. You control a little blue elephant who is desperately trying to escape the room. It seems like a simple task, but the entire game hinges on it.

How to play?

The level layout is always the same: the elephant appears on the left, the exit—a pipe blocked by a door—is on the right, and in the middle of the arena is a red button that opens the door. Platforms are scattered between the starting point and the button, some of which are studded with spikes. Visually, the level doesn’t change, but the rules for completing it change every time. Sometimes you need to use the standard arrow keys, while other times the controls suddenly invert, swapping left and right. Occasionally, you’ll have to use the mouse to open a door, find an underground tunnel, or even press the “Panic” button in the most literal sense of the word. Sometimes you have only a limited number of jumps available, and sometimes gravity changes unexpectedly. The title of each of the thirty stages—as well as the secret one—gives a small hint about what mechanics await you this time. The goal is simple: complete all variations of the level as quickly as possible and with the fewest deaths.