Flightless

Flightless is an upcoming multiplayer platforming-exploration game set for release in the coming future. The game was first announced through a preview image on September 27, 2011, with more information revealed on October 15, 2012, over a year after the image was released on the Nitrome blog.

The game was mentioned on Aaron Steed's twitter account weeks before its October 15th announcement under the name "ladder game", and was also mentioned by Mat Annal during an interview with Gamasutra. It was on October 15, 2012 Nitrome provided much more about the game, pitching it to Steam Greenlight, the game's minisite, and trailer.

Currently, the game's demo has been released, and is available to play. The game's full version will only be playable if enough people vote "Yes" to the question "Would you buy this game if it were available in Steam?" during its phase in Steam Greenlight. The game will be Nitrome's first purchasable game.

Controls
Pressing the P button on the keyboard will bring up the pause screen, which sort of acts like a help menu. When the game is paused, fullscreen can be toggled on and off, controls for each character can be toggled, one can reset the demo, go to the game's Steam Greenlight page, and toggle the Music and Sound effect on and off.

Below lists the basic controls for each character. Controls can be changed by going to the pause menu, clicking a button that corresponds to a key, then pressing the key one wants to map that action to.

Player 1 Move left/right: ←/→ Create ladder: Space Climb ladder up/down: ↑/↓ Player 2 Move left/right: A/D Create ladder: E Climb ladder up/down: W/S

Fullscreen
Fullscreen enlarges the game's screen to a 4:3 ration. During fullscreen, only the player who uses the keyboard keys (←↑↓→), mouse, and the space bar can play the game.

Gameplay
Flightless is an exploration puzzle game where the players controls a duck. The game is described by Nitrome as a Metroidvania, mixing the elements of the 2D Metroid games and elements of the 2D Castlevania games. Flightless does not have any levels, but is instead divided up into rooms. Each room somewhere has an exit to another room. As the player is a flightless, jump-disabled bird, the player relies on creating magical ladders to progress through each room.

Creating a ladder will cause to move vertically up, until it hits a platform of wall. Upon coming to a stop, the player can climb up this ladder. The player at any time can move horizontally off the ladder, or continue climbing up it. The player cannot create a ladder while still on a ladder, the player can also only have one ladder at a time, creating another ladder causing the previous one to disappear.

Ladders can be used to kill enemies and get gems, but are mainly used for climbing to higher up areas. Some rooms in the demo of Flightless require unique uses of the ladder in order to obtain the gem in the room. Much of the gems in Flightless are obtainable with only a single duck, however, having a second player can make the game easier. All puzzles can be completed with one player, however, a second player can make difficult 1-player puzzles more easier.

Demo
Fifty gems are scattered around the different areas in the demo, which the player can collect to unlock areas which require them to have a certain umber of gems in their possession.

The player is tasked with getting all gems, but getting all gems does not provide the player with anything. The player can get their duck to an open area in the demo, which prevents them from going back up.

Demo
Viewable all the time at the top left part of the screen is a minimap. This map is only a small version of the big map, seen only on the pause screen (press P button). This map shows all the rooms the player has accessed. Red pixels indicate doors, a door being two red pixels high. Although 2x2 blocks of red pixels appear on the map, these blocks are actually two two pixel high bars placed beside each other.

Room colouration
An orange room is a room the player is currently in. A green room is a room that contains a gem, and a brown-grey room is a room that has no gems. There are three rooms in the game that do not show up on the map, these rooms being secret rooms. Secret rooms are rooms that are not accessed by usual door, but by shooting a ladder through blocks.

Secret rooms
Blocks which lead to a secret rooms appear as 2-3 blocks that have a swirl on them, these blocks placed horizontally on a ceiling or floor. A single swirl block will not lead to a secret room, only swirl blocks placed side-by-side will lead to a secret room. Walking over two or more swirl blocks will cause the player to fall through them, while shooting a ladder in the direction of the blocks will cause the blocks to disappear.

Secret rooms are not marked on maps, even if they are entered, only two red dots will appear at the place the entrance to the room is, the map will only display the full room on the map when the room is entered. This is because the room on the map is so big, it cuts into the space of other rooms.

A total of four secret rooms are found in the Flightless demo, one in room 8 (shoot ladder through ), one in room room 18[] (fall through [[File:Twoswirls.png), one in room 23 (shoot ladder through [[File:Twoswirls.png]]), and one in room 28 (shoot ladder through [[File:Twoswirls.png]]).

Complete Map
The complete map below, with the secret area entrances being only two red pixels. The complete map below, with the secret areas shown. The secret areas appear an orange colour, and cut into the space of other rooms.

Rooms
The demo if Flightless features 34 rooms. Most rooms contain gems in them, while some don't. Of the 34 rooms, seven have no gems, and four of the 34 rooms are secret rooms.

All rooms
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Legend
Below lists the appearance of the room, the gems in them, the amount of enemies and of what kind, and what rooms they connect to. The arrow in the connections section, and the name of a room indicate that the door in the direction of the arrow leads to that room. In situations with two doors, there will be a - between multiple exits, as to not cause confusion. Also, words between parenthesis () indicate a note about that door.

Room 1
Gems: 0 Enemies: 0 Connections: room 2→ This room is square shaped, with an opening at the bottom-right side that is momentarily covered by a large, moveable blocks. The room features a walkway at the top, and lower down on the opposite wall another walkway. Featured in the background are several stone pillars with barrels behind them.

The second walkway has a ladder leading down from it, and to the left of that ladder is a button. Stepping on this button lifts the stone that is blocking the door. The top walkway has a unique piece of scenery, in the form of collapsed blocks overgrown with plants.

Room 2
Gems: 1 Enemies: 0 Connections: ←room 1 - room 3→ This room appears square shaped but with the top right and bottom left parts of the square extending a bit to the right and left, respectively. This rooms features three wooden platforms, the lowest extending from the right wall, the second above the first; extending from the left wall, and the highest up one extending from the left alcove.

The bottom two platforms have ladders attached to them, while upon coming to the third platform, the duck will speak and prompt the player to press the ladder button. A gem is located on the top platform.

Room 3
Gems: 4 Enemies: 6 batsConnections: ←room 2 - room 4→ This level is shaped like an upside-down T, consisting of a horizontal segment serving as the base of the room, and between the two bottom walls a large rectangle pointing up.

The middle of the horizontal section of the room has some blocks for the player to stand on. The rectangular section contains six flying bats, the area above the highest up part having four gems. The player can stand on the bottom blocks and fire ladders up to kill the bats and get the gems.

Room 4
Gems: 4 Enemies: 2 bats Connections: ←room 3 - room 5→ This room is rectangular shaped, with small alcoves at the bottom right and top left of the room. This room is entered from the top left. The upper part of the rectangular section of the room has two wooden platforms, which are placed so that the player has to fire a ladder down to proceed down.

Between the two wooden platforms lies two gems, and a bat. Below the lower wooden platform is a single bat, and also two gems.

Room 5
Gems: 0 Enemies: 0 Connections: ←room 4 - ↓room 7 (10 gems required) - room 6→ This room is semi cube shaped, and serves only for the 10-gem barrier. Overall, this room is rather small.

Room 6
Gems: 1 Enemies: 0 Connections: ←room 5 This room is square shaped and contains a button, a moveable slab of stone, and a gem. The upper left part of the room appears as a box, with a small bottom slab for the base of the box and a left slab of rock which is moveable.

At the top right part of the room, on the ceiling, is a button. To obtain the gem, the player has to fire a ladder at the button - which lowers the slab -, climb up all the way to the top of the ladder, and move to the left off the ladder into the box and claim the gem.

Room 7
Gems: 0 Enemies: 3 beetles Connections: ←room 8 - ↑room 6 This room is a horizontal rectangle, with the entrance to room 6 in the ceiling of the level, and the exit to room 8 at the bottom of the level. This level contain three alcoves and three platforms, the first alcove placed at the bottom left of the level (containing the exit to room 8), and above this alcove is a smaller alcove.

The right side of the room features a long alcove that takes up half the wall, starting at the ceiling and stopping ⅔ down the wall. The three platforms of this room are all infested with a single beetle, the first platform placed in mid air a bit away from the start of the second alcove, the second platform branching out from the end of the second alcove, and the third platform on the right wall lower down from the end of the right alcove.

This room possibly exists to show the player that they can stomp on enemies, and to test their reflexes at enemy stomping, as it is possible to get to the bottom of the level without touching a single wooden platform - possible on through landing on a beetle and using the momentum caused by the stomping to land on the next beetle.

Room 8 (secret room 1 entrance)
Gems: 0 Enemies: 0 Connections: ←room 10 - ↑room 9 - ↓room 21 - room 7→ (upper left door) - room 15 →(lower left door) This room is somewhat separated into two parts: the upper small semi-rectangular section, and the lower big semi-rectangular section. The upper section on the right side leads to room 7, in front of this door being a long drop down onto the 25-gem barrier.

The in the ceiling above this door leads to a secret room when a ladder is fired through it. The lower semi-rectangular section has two upper alcoves, both which lead to other room. In the middle of the room is the barrier, which leads to room 21 once opened. Nearby the barrier is, unusually, a crate, which seems to have no use.

This room is the first room to feature the difficult-to-locate first secret room (room 9), which is only accessible by firing a ladder into the located directly above the 25-gem barrier. Once this barrier has been broken, the player can only access the secret room through room 21, by firing a ladder through room 21's ceiling entrance.

Room 9 (secret room 1)
Gems: 1 Enemies: 0 Connections: ↓room 8 This room houses the most difficult puzzle in the game. The room has an upper, horizontal rectangular part, that holds two buttons and a moveable platform, and has a lower part which consists of a semi-long drop and a small area below with a moving platform wedged in the wall to the right, and a group of spikes with a gem above them.

Single player solution (video): The player has to place a ladder on the platform which will move down. Then, they have to stand on the button that causes the platform to move down. They have to stand on the button long enough so that the ladder id dropped to the below room.


 * Upon the first moveable platform returning to the top, the player should go and press the button across from them. This will activate the second moveable platform in the below area (past the long drop) to move horizontally, thus pushing the ladder into the gem before the ladder is destroyed.

Two player solution (video): This method is much more dangerous and inefficient, compared to the single player strategy. One player has stand in the alcove across from the first button. Another player then has to make a ladder above the first moveable platform, until it seals itself into the wall. Now, the player who positioned the ladder above the first button now has to go down the long drop, and the second player has to move at the right to as two cause the second moveable platform to come out of the wall and cushion the falling player's movement.


 * If this is successful, the player should land on the platform and claim the gem. Now, the second player has to move off the second button, as so that the below player is dropped on to the non-harmful floor of the below area. The below player now should create a ladder, and continue doing so until they get a ladder of a good size.


 * Then, the player in the upper room should go across to the first button. Doing so involves pressing the second button, which will destroy the below player's ladder but drop them safely to the ground. Now, the upper player should stand on the first button until the moveable platform seals itself in the wall, now the below player should create a ladder and climb out of the hole.

Room 10
Gems: 0 Enemies: 1 bat Connections: ←room 11 - ↑room 14 - room 8→ This room is room is rectangular in shape, with an alcove in every direction except downwards. On the left and right side of the room is an alcove which contains a door, the left door leading to room 8, and the right leading foreword to room 11.

The upper alcove in the room has a door on the ceiling, beneath the door being a wooden platform. The main attraction in this room is a large pit in the middle, the pit containing spikes and above the pit being a bat. Room 11's door can only be accessed by stomping on the bat and using the gained momentum to get to the door's alcove.

The room 14 alcove is only accessed when the player is coming from room 14. It is not accessible any any other way except from room 14, and serves as a quick trip back to he 25-gem barrier.

Room 11
Gems: 0 Enemies: ∞ slimes (only 4 at a time on the stage) Connections: ↑room 12 - room 10→ This room is large and rectangular shaped, completely rectangular shaped. The room is a long corridor with three stone platforms suspended in mid air in the middle of the room, underneath each platform being a gem. This room is not unoccupied, four slimes will be present in the room at a single time.

Solution (video): An easy way to obtain all the gems in the room quickly is to create a ladder anywhere in front of the alcove, and climb to the top of it. This should attract the attention of all the slimes. Wait until all of them are under the ladder, then move left off the ladder and run down the corridor, firing up a ladder into each gem you pass. When at the end of the room, fire a ladder into the door in the ceiling and climb into the next room. It is important not to kill any slimes when falling off the ladder.

Room 12
Gems: 2 Enemies: Barrels, 1 bug Connections: ↓room 11 - room 13→ This room is rectangular, and has to be traversed by moving up. The floor of this level is made up of spikes, with the exception of room 11's door. Above the floor is a wooden platform which sticks out from the right wall, but does not connect from the right.

Above this platform is a stone platform that is bulkier than the wooden one, and sticks out from the left wall but does not connect with the right wall, the place where it fails to connect being an opening for the player to go up. A barrel-firing cannon is placed right above where the stone platform starts, this cannon firing barrels that will roll to the left down this platform, fall diagonally down the opening, and roll right down the wooden platform until it reaches the spikes.

In front of the cannon is a gem, which is easy to obtain if the player doesn't go in front of it when a barrel is fired. Above this stone platform is essentially a repeat of the previously mentioned platforms, only with a few adjustments. The wooden platform (above the first stone platform) extends all the way to the right, stopping only when it meets a block with spikes sticking out of it.

Above this wooden platform is a stone platform exact in appearance, shape, and distance away from the wall as the first stone platform, even having the barrel cannon and gem in the same place. Above this platform is a small room whose floor is made up mostly of a stone platform, with a gap in the platform filled in by a wooden platform.

Solution (video): The player has to make ladders while next to the right wall and standing on the wooden platform, and climb up all the way to the top of the ladder to avoid being hit by a falling barrel. When the time comes, the player should go on to the stone platform and fire a ladder to claim the gem, then move right of the cannon and fire a ladder into the above wooden platform. As the way to get each gem is the same, the player can repeat this twice to get both gems. When trying to get to the upper door, the player should create a ladder and go all the way to the top, then go down on top of the beetle when it passes under the ladder.

Room 13
Gems: 3 Enemies: 5 bats Connections: ←room 12 - room 14→ A large rectangular room. The room starts off with a raised up block, which is followed by a farther down block, which is then followed by a long pit of spikes with the only solid platform being a single swirl block in the middle of the room. Where the pit ends, a short and tall block the same as an the entrance is found.

The noticeable part of this room is the bats, all five which do not move vertically or horizontally and stay in one place. The bats are placed in such a way the player can make it to the middle block, stomping on bats and collecting the gems. This room is one of the few symmetrical rooms in Flightless.

Solution video: The player has to stomp on the first two bats, then upon stomping the third, fall onto the block below and fire a ladder up when the bat respawns, killing the bat and claiming the gem. They should quickly climb up to the top after obtaining the gem, and fall off the right side of the ladder and land on the fourth bat. Upon doing this, the player should go to the fifth and last bat, which will give the player enough momentum to get to the lower down platform.

Room 14
Gems: 0 Enemies: 0 Connections: ←room 13 - ↓room 10 This room is mostly a vertical drop, and also serves as a practice for stomping from enemy-to-enemy. This features a wooden platform as the platform for the player when they enter the room, below this platform being a gem. Across from the player is a gem, which is close to a bat which is nearby underneath the gem.

In a straight diagonal line to the left of the bat is another bat, located about two blocks down and one block left of the bat. A little more than halfway down the room, on the left and right wall, are two 1x2 block sized blocks with spikes on the top, the only way to pass them being to fall through the empty space between them (this placed to test the player's skill in falling through small gaps).

Below this dangerous fall is a wooden bridge with three beetles patrolling, all being rather close to each other. Below this wooden platform is the door to room 10.

Solution video: The player has to fire a ladder downwards, that will collect the gem. Upon doing that, they should move off the wooden platform and land on the head of the first bat, using the gained momentum to move foreword and collect the gem. The player now should move to the left and land on the second bat's head, then move as to fall through the gap. It will be helpful for the player to land on a beetle below. If they miss the chance to do this, they should create a ladder and climb high enough up it to be safe from the beetles, and move down it to stomp a beetle when one wanders underneath.

Room 15
Gems: 2 Enemies: 0 Connections: ←room 8 - ↑room 20 - room 16→ A rectangular shaped room with an alcove on the left and right. The left alcove features the door to room 8, the right to room 16, and on the ceiling is a door to room 20.

This room features two small platforms with a gem underneath each one, with four wider platforms circling the middle platform. This setup is repeated twice in the room, one set placed close to the ground, and the other set placed higher up. The platforms, unusually, make linear movements: first moving straight down, then moving straight to the right until a wall is met, moving straight up, straight to the left, and infinitely repeating this pattern.

The upper and lower set's platforms which revolve around will cease movements when one meets another platform. Because of this, if the player does not anticipate the collision, they will be crushed. It works like this: a far left platform in the lower set will move vertically up, then collide with the upper set's lower platform moving horizontally right. The lower set's platform will then move to the left, brushing against another platform before coming to a spot where it will move down, where another platform will come on top of it before it moves down.

Solution: To get the first gem, the player should go on a lower set platform coming down. They should walk on to this platform and fire a ladder up as they pass the first gem. As the platform moves up, they should fire a ladder up and climb up it. Then, when the ladder is crushed, the player should fall on to a platform moving vertically up.


 * Upon this happening, they should move to the left of the platform, off the platform, and on to a below platform moving horizontally right. Upon this being done, the player should continue to move to the left while on the platform, and fire up a ladder to gain the gem.


 * Upon doing this, the player should fall through a large gap caused by lack of platforms, and on to a middle platform. With this done, the player should move to the right, off the platform, into the right alcove, into the door.


 * A less athletic way of doing this is following all the instructions mentioned above, but as soon as having the player's ladder destroyed, the player should fall on to a moving platform and move to the middle, non-moving platform when they can. To the left of the platform, as a platform is moving down, the player should go on one, grab the gem as they pass underneath it, then go back to the non-moving platform and catch another down moving platform on the right-hand side, moving off it to a platform in the lower set moving down. They should remain on this until brought to the right alcove, where they should come off the moving platform and into the alcove.

Room 16
Gems: 2 Enemies: 0 Connections: ←room 15 - room 17→ A rectangular room that requires timing. This room can be divided into two parts: the top room and lower room. The top room is a corridor with two large square openings in the ceiling, each opening containing a block which moves up into the square opening, and drops down, pulling itself back up and repeating the movement again.

At one end of the corridor (left end) is the door for room 15, while on the other end (right end) there is the door for room 17. The corridor features a button and moveable platform underneath the first crusher block (left crusher block), the button when pressed causing the small moveable platform to retract into the floor. Across, underneath the second crusher block, is another moveable platform, lowered when the button in the lower room is pressed.

The lower room is rectangular, and features a left alcove and right alcove, each alcove containing a gem. In the middle of the room is a large platform which holds a button, this button lowering the right moveable platform (this platform being underneath the right crusher block). The left and right of this middle platform contains two small pits with nothing in them, these pits on the sides of the middle platform and in front of each alcove.

Above these pits is a chasm which lead up all the way to the top of where the moveable platforms remain at rest when not activated.

Solution (single player) (video): The player has to place a ladder on the first button (upper button), right after the crusher block comes down and a big enough space is opened. The player then needs to get on the left moveable platform, and get off it when a big enough space is opened for the player to jump off into the left alcove.


 * Upon getting the gem (and the moveable platform retracting back up), the player should create a ladder on the button on the middle platform, and wait for the platform to retract down. The player should then get on the platform, and take the ladder away from the button (create another ladder) when the crusher block is coming down. When they get to the top, they should move to the left to avoid the oncoming crusher block.

Solution (two player) (video): One player has to stand on the upper button while another player gets on the left moving platform. If the player on the button times it correctly, they should be able to stay on the button long enough to let the player on the moveable platform get into the left alcove. Upon the moveable platform player getting into the lower room, they should grab the two gems.


 * The player in the top area should then go on the upper button and lower the left moveable platform down so the player in the lower room can get on it. The player on the upper button should get off the button just when the crusher block is about to slam down, as this will give the player on the platform enough time to get to the top and evade the block.

Room 17
Gems: 1 Enemies: 0 Connections: ←room 16 - room 18↑ This room is rectangular shaped, the middle of the left wall featuring a small box. Two horizontal beams sticking out of the wall served as the base and ceiling of the box, respectively. The base beam is sticking out of the bottom of the middle of the wall, while the top beam is placed at the top of the middle of the wall.

Between the edges of the two beams is a middle beam, which can be caused to move. On the wall which the two beams are attached to, between them is a button, in front of the button being a gem. Pressing this button rearranges the first two blocks of the two horizontal, wall attached beams, placing them either on top or below the remaining blocks of the platforms. The rearranging of the blocks allows the player to more easily fire a ladder into room 17's door.

At the top right of the room, on the part of the ceiling, is a button which when pressed causes the beam between the edges of the two horizontal beam to move horizontally to the right. Due to the placement of the button, the platform will soon come back to its original spot as it will crush the ladder the player creates, as the ladder has to be placed vertically on the button, and kept on the button, which is in the path of the moving platform.

At the top left side of the room, on the ceiling, is a door leading to room 17.

Solution (single player): The player has to shoot a ladder into the top-right button. As soon as the ladder is destroyed, the player should shoot a ladder up next to the platforms coming out of the wall. The player should climb up this ladder and move right, into the box. They should get the gem, and shoot a ladder next to the button. This will rearrange the blocks. Upon this happening, fire a ladder up into room 17's door.

Solution (two player) (video): Follow the directions for the single player method, only when one player fires a ladder at the top-right button, the other player should fire a ladder up next to the branching platforms. This allows the player to easily get into the box, and claim the gem.

Room 18 (secret room 2 entrance)
Gems: 1 Enemies: 0 Connections: ←room 20 - ↓room 17 (bottom door) - ↓room 19 (upper door) This room is rectangular and consists of three parts: a middle alcove, left room and right room. The middle alcove contains a wooden floor and a door below that leads to room 17. The right room is a block that is raised up higher than the middle room, and contains a floor that has a on it. Going over the block will plummet the player into room 19.

The left room consists of a pit with spikes, next to the pit being a wall that has a large opening in it, and above this opening being a stone platform. The door to room 20 is located to the left end of the stone platform. Above the pit of spikes are two platforms that make linear movements, moving in a rectangle. These two platforms constantly brush against each other. The platforms move in a clockwise motion, each platform moving in the opposite direction of the other.

The lower platform will move to the left, while the upper one will move to the right, until it comes to the point when the lower platform ascends up, and the higher platform ascends down. The lower platform now performs the actions of the upper one, and vice versae.

Solution (video): To get the gem in this room, the player has to place a ladder on the upper right moving platform. They have to do this by going on the platform, creating a ladder, then falling off on to the left stone platform (one that has the door to room 20 at the right end). The ladder will fall off the right platform and obtain the gem, before being crushed.

Room 19 (secret room 2)
Gems: 1 Enemies: 0 Connections: ↑room 18

This room is rectangular and offers a puzzle which requires the player to be speedy. The bottom-left platform is what the player lands on, and is somewhat small. In front of this platform (to the right of the platform) is a pit with spikes, which is small in term of width as it ends right in front of a two block high one block platform (1x2 block platform) that contains a button.

In front of this small platform is a long pit full of spikes, above this pit and a short distance from the 1x2 block platform is a moving platform, which moves via pressing the button. At the top-right section of this room, is a large wall that extends down, only having a opening small enough only for the moving platform to move into.

Solution (video:The player has to make a ladder on the first platform, climb up it, and fall on to the platform with the button. As soon as they hit the platform, they should immediately create a ladder, climb up it, and upon getting very close to the end, move to the right off the ladder on to the moving platform and immediately create a ladder, if they touch the platform. This may take some practice.
 * There is an easier and less dangerous way to get the gem too. The player must drop into the pit of spikes and get killed. Once the player respawns, they will have invincibility for a short time. Quickly, they must jump into the pit of spikes and create a ladder before their invincibility wears off.
 * Once the ladder is created and the player is safely on it, they must climb all the way up and jump onto the moving platform and get the gem. Since the player didn't have to jump on the button or make a ladder there, the moving platform doesn't move into the wall. This way may seem easier for some players.

Room 20
Gems: 2 Enemies: 0 Connections: ↓room 15 - room 18→ This room is rectangular. The spot at which the player enters is right before a pit full of spikes. Where the pit ends is where there are two blocks, which on the left side hold a wooden platform, below this wooden platform being a door to room 15. Going constantly back and forth across the pit is a small platform.

Cut out of the ceiling above the pit is a small room the player cannot access. This room has a base floor provided by a stone platform in the middle of the ceiling. At the edges of the platform, and across the edges on the edges of the wall, are two spikes placed horizontally on each edge.

This is a visual sign to prevent the player from getting up to that area, as the remaining opening of those sides contain a gem located higher up above the opening. Even though the spikes are placed there to make it impossible for the player to come up, it would impossible anyway for the player to get up there, even without the presence of the horizontal spikes, as the platform moves at to fast a speed for the player to ever create a ladder and climb up it fast enough.

Solution (video): The solution to this room involves the player playing a sort of game. The player has to get on the moving platform, and whenever the platform passes the spike-edged opening, the player has to fire a ladder. If they fire it correctly, they will gain the gem. If they miss, the ladder will fall on to the spikes and disappear. The acquisition of these gems is one of the simplest, as the player barely has to move.

Room 21
Gems: 0 Enemies: 0 Connections: ←room 22 - ↑room 8 - room 22→ This room is rectangular and basically serves as a connection to room 22, the reason it could not be implemented into room 22 directly due to its size. This room introduces the player to arrows, which are necessary for entering room 22. The player enters this room from the door in the ceiling, which drops the player on to the middle platform in the room, which is suspended above a pit of spikes.

To the left and right of the player is an alcove, both containing doors to room 22. Next to the platform the player lands on are the magical arrows, which twist the player's ladder in the direction at which they spin. To exit this room, the player has to fire a ladder into one of these arrows.

Room 22 even has a black areas between the two doors, this area smaller than the actual size for room 21, which explains why it couldn't be made apart of room 22.

Room 22
Gems: 2 Enemies: 0 Connections: ←room 23 (bottom left door) - ←room 21 (top left door) - room 28→ (bottom right door) - room 21→ (top right door) This room can be divided into two parts: the upper area and lower area. The upper area consists of the two areas that serve as exits from room 21, along with these area's destructible rocks. The lower area contains two spike pits and the two doors which provide access to the other rooms of the area, along with the 40-gem barrier.

The upper area contains the two doors which provide access to room 21, in front of both these doors being wooden platforms. Below each wooden platform are cracked, destructible blocks which are destroyed as soon as a ladder impacts them. The lower area of room 22 contains a platform that holds the 40-gem barrier. At the edges of this platform is a spike pit on each side, across from each spike pit being a platform which connects to a wall, both of these walls containing doors.

On the two solid platforms on the left and right of the 40-gem barrier are magical arrows, a yellow one on the left side and a blue one on the right side. On the platforms across from these arrows is an arrow of the opposite colour of the one on the side of the 40-gem barrier (blue arrow on far left platform, yellow arrow on far right platform).

Solution (single player) (video): To get each gem, the player has to fire a ladder up into a yellow arrow. Then, they have to walk on top of this ladder, and when above the spot where the gem is, create a ladder. The ladder will claim the gem, and not kill the player, instead, the player will be bouncing off the top of the ladder. Now, the player has to bounce over to a solid platform. This can be used for both gems in the room.
 * Alternatively, the player can simply enter one of the doors located in the lower area, enter the door again, and go kill themselves on the spikes. Upon respawning, taking advantage of their invincibility frames, they can go back on the spikes and go underneath the gem, and fire a ladder up into the gem. Upon gaining the gem, they should enter into a door to another room and enter back into room 22 if they want to get the other gem, as this method can be used for both gems.

Solution (two player) (video): One player has to fire a ladder into any arrow, only be standing in the direction at which they want the ladder to go. Upon doing that, the other player has to climb up on to the ladder, stand over the gem, and fire a ladder downwards. This method works for both gems.

Room 23 (secret room 3 entrance)
Gems: 1 Enemies: 2 bats Connections: ←room 24 - ↑room 23 - ↓room 27 - room 22→ This room is a very large and rectangular shaped, and can be divided up into three parts: bottom left segment, upper segment, and left segment. The bottom segment refers to the small area that consists of three wooden floors and is placed at the bottom right of the room, the highest up wooden floor being part of the upper segment.

The upper segment refers to the short corridor section of the room that is found at the upper right side, containing the one automatic crusher block and the two button activated crusher block. This section ends at a wooden platform that is near to the second crusher block button. The left area refers to the left area of the room that contains the gem, moving platform, and button that activates the moving platform.

The door to room 25 is here also; this room starts at the right end of the wooden platform that is to the right of one of the crusher block activation buttons.

Bottom segment
The bottom segment consists of three wooden platforms and three smaller rooms. The highest up wooden platform serves as a floor for the upper segment. Four block down below this platform is another wooden platform, the approximate space available between these two platforms being a 4x6 grid. The right walls of this sub room is taken up almost completely by room 22's door.

The contents of this sub room is a single crate, a ladder for the player to climb, and a bat that flies horizontally close to the top of this room. The height of the bat is not a problem for the player, as the bat is higher up than the player. It is unusual to find a wooden ladder this late into the game, as the player will probably have mastered the use of the ladder by this point.

The wooden platform that makes up the floor of this sub room forms the ceiling for the below room. The below sub room is the same area of the above sub room, and has most of the contents of the above sub room, only there are two creates instead of one. The floor of this room is not completely a wooden platform, only the bottom left side of the floor is a stone platform, under this wooden platform being a door to room 27.

Upper segment
This segment is a small corridor, but dangerous. The right side of this room features a completely wooden platform floor, the ceiling for the below sub room that contains a door to room 22. Above the wooden platform for this section is a ceiling made up of blocks, on that ceiling being a, which when a ladder is shot into it, disappears to reveal an opening to room 23. This floor has a crate on it.

To the right of this section is the last section of this segment, this section containing the crusher blocks. The first crusher block is placed in a rectangular section that has an opening in the bottom. The crusher block that resides in this section moves automatically vertically, and is big enough to fit nicely into the section.

To the left of this rectangle pocket - about two blocks - is another pocket, this one being wider and containing two rectangular blocks a bit smaller than the automatic crusher block, these two rectangular blocks being side-by-side. Below each of these slim crusher blocks is a button, which when stood on brings the above crusher block down, that corresponds to the button. These crusher blocks are not that hazardous. The floor after the wooden floor is made of stone.

Right room
This segment is somewhat abstract in appearance. Across the wooden platform nearby the buttons of the upper segment is a stone platform that contains a button, this button moving a below platform horizontally right. Above the platform is another wooden platform, which serves as the floor for the entrance to room 24.

Below the first wooden platform near this room - the one near the two buttons - is a stone platform that underneath has an opening, this opening big enough for only another horizontal platform. Below this opening is a platform that has the same appearance as the platform that is above the opening. Below this lower down platform is a wall.

At the edge of the entrance of this opening is a stone platform the same height and width as the two platforms that serve as the ceiling and floor of the small opening. The difference this platform that is sticking out of the opening has from the two other platforms is that this platform can be caused to move, it caused to move by the only button in this segment.

When caused to move, it retracts into this opening. Below this platform is a gem.

Solutions
Solution (single player) (video): The player should pick up the box on the very top wooden platform of the bottom room, this is done by creating a ladder under the box and moving the duck up under the box. Once obtaining this box, the player should walk over to the wooden platform near the two buttons, and upon getting on this platform, create a ladder downwards and move down it.
 * Leaving the box at the top of the platform is the right thing to do, as upon doing this, the player should create a ladder up and go to the top of the platform, and push the box on to the button. This will retract the platform and allow the player to get the gem.

Solution (two player) (video): This method is the same as the single player solution, only simpler. One player has to stand on the button that causes the below platform to retract, while the other player retrieves the gem.

Room 24 (secret room 3)
Gems: 1 Enemies: 2 Magical slimes Connections: ↓room 23 This room is rectangular shaped, and is shaped like stairs. The opening of this room features a small platform to the left, a block higher than this platform being another platform placed to the left of this platform, this platform having slime at the left end of it and a red gem above the slime. One magical slime will always be present here.

A block higher than this platform, and to the right of this platform is another platform longer than the previous one, this platform at the left edge featuring slime and a red gem above this slime, a single magical slime always being present here. A block higher up, at the left of the aforementioned platform, is a small platform that holds a gem.

This room can be difficult at first, as the player being prohibited from creating a ladder may cause some to try to fall off an extended ladder in hopes of reaching the next ledge. Solution (video): The player has to advance to the gem via bouncing on the heads of the magical slime. On the first slime covered platform, the player should wait for a magical slime to come close to the edge of the floor slime or be on the floor slime. While waiting, the player should create a ladder near the floor slime, go up the ladder, and wait for the opportune magical slime to come. The player shouldn't hesitate killing a slime if it wanders too far away from the slime on the platform the player is currently on.


 * When a magical slime that meets the requirements comes, the player should move to the right, off their ladder, on to the head of the magical slime, and used the momentum gained from killing it to bounce on to the next slime-covered platform. The player should create a ladder close to the floor slime and wait for a magical slime to come, one that is close enough to the gem platform. Upon pouncing on the right magical slime, the player should nab the gem, and go down the previous platforms, creating a ladder, climbing up it, and falling off it to squash slimes if any come in the player's way.

Room 25
Gems: 1 Enemies: 0 Connections: ←room 26 - ↓room 27 - room 23→ This room is rectangular and features a difficult puzzle regarding the placement of a ladder on a moving platform. This rooms can be divided up into four parts: left-hand segment, middle segment, right-hand segment, and lower segment. The left segment details the room 23 entrance area, the middle segment details the moving platform and the upper spiky area, the right segment details the long drop and the area that leads to room 26, while the lower area details the bottom of the room.

Left-hand segment
The left-hand segment is a small hall that has a small vertical block that constantly moves back and forth horizontally, reversing movement when it comes close to the path of the middle segment's platform.

The hall, close to the edge, has an opening in the floor which provides the player a short drop down and an opening to the middle segment. The wall that creates the lower opening (which the player enters through the drop) and the top opening (which the small moving platform reverses movement in) is a 1x2 block. Below this platform is wall.

Middle segment
The middle segment is between the left-hand and right-hand segment, this segment reaching down almost to the lower segment. The main attraction of this segment is the long platform that will move slowly down, then immediately speed right up. At the top of this segment is a little alcove that appears as a room with a platform in the middle that has spikes on the bottom, and a moving gem.

This gems will move slowly around the perimeter of the moving block, but upon going across the bottom, it will speed right past the bottom as soon as the platform in this segment increases speed.

Right-hand segment
This segment is to the right of the middle segment, and although being very similar to the left-hand segment, it has its differences. The left wall of this segment is made up of pillars, a pillar from the top of this segment extending down and stopping, as to allow two blocks of space for the player to enter the bottom part of the right segment. Below the two block space that extends all the way down, and stops, providing a two block space for the player to pass under.

The first two block space, where the player enters the right segment, has a wooden floor. The room extends up for six blocks, to the right of the fourth block being a small platform that provides entrance to room 26. Below the previously mentioned wooden platform is a semi-long vertical drop, the drops the player into the lower segment.

Lower area
This area is a simple corridor that at the end has a wooden platform, below this wooden platform being a door to room 27.

Solution
Solution (video): The player should go through the upper opening of the left-hand segment, go out of it, and go all the way to the edge of the platform in the middle when it is moving down. The player should create a ladder when the platform goes past the opening to the right-room. If done correctly, when the platform moves quickly back up, it should get the gem for the player before the ladder is destroyed.

Room 26
Gems: 1 Enemies: 1 slime Connections: room 25→ A square-ish room that contains a clever puzzle that involves movement and no ladders. This room is divided up into two parts: the upper segment and lower segment.

The upper segment is a horizontal hallway, at the top right corner of this segment featuring a red gem that spawns red slimes. About five blocks away from the bottom left of this segment is a single block of spikes, placed out in the open, on this platform. Two blocks after these spikes is a pit with two blocks worth of spikes (four spikes).

To the left side of this pit is a raised platform at the same height of the previous platforms, this platform containing a button which lowers the platform in the lower segment. This segment is the only visible room in the game the player cannot enter whatsoever.

Below this segment is the lower segment, a simple hallway two blocks high that extends horizontally across the room. At first, the end of the room is blocked off by a vertical three block stone platform, behind this platform being a gem. If the button in the upper segment is pressed, the stone platform will come down and the player can claim the gem.

Solution (video): The player should stand underneath the pit of the upper segment. When the red slime comes to rest after it has jumped over the spikes, the player should run around below the edge of the platform to the right of the pit and try to land the slime so that when it lands again on the edge of the platform, part of its body is off the platform. :When this is done, the player should run to the left edge of the room, as the red slime will surely leap on to the platform across from where it is. If the slime has landed on the across platform (the one with the button), the player should go to the left side of the room lower room (if not there already) and wait for the slime to jump and land on the button, lowering the platform in front of the player and allowing access to the gem.

Room 27
Gems: 3 Enemies: 2 bats Connections: ↑room 25 (left door) - ↑room 23 (right door) A horizontal, symmetrical, rectangular room that have the only spring blocks used in the demo. The description of this room is from left to right, starting at the farthest left side of the room. At the bottom left side of the room is a small, two block wide platform, right beside it being a 1x2 block structure with spikes on top. On the ceiling above the platform is a door the leads to room 26.

After this 1x2 block structure comes a floor made up of 29 spring blocks side-by-side, this entire floor one block below the 1x2 block structure. Above the sixth and 23rd spring is a three block pillar that extends down from the ceiling, at the bottom of the pillar being one block worth of spikes (two spikes). Below these spikes (for each pillar) is a gem.

Between these two pillars are two red gems that will usually have two bats that fly horizontally, reversing direction when about to go past under a red gem. One bat flies below the higher up bat. Above the higher bat is a gem.

Past the second pillar with a gem beneath it is a reverse of the platform and 1x2 structure found at the bottom left of this room, the bottom right side of this room exactly the same as the bottom left side (having the door in the same position), with the exception that the door, platform, and 1x2 structure have been reversed.

Solution (video): This walthough (and the accompanying video) start from the left side of the room, where the door to room 26 is. However, as the room is symmetrical, this text walkthtrough can be used regardless of what door is taken into this room.
 * To get the first and third gem (beneath the pillars stretching out of the ceiling), the player has to fall underneath the pillar when in the stage of falling after bouncing up from a spring block. To get the second gem (middle of the room), the player has to bounce off the head of the highest up flying bat, which can be done without bouncing off the head of the lower bat, by bouncing off the head of the highest up bat once the player reaches the height of their bounce.

Room 28 (secret room 4 entrance)
Gems: 0 Enemies: 2 beetles Connections: ←room 22 - ↑room 29 - ↓room 30 - room 31 (top door allows easy access to upper segment of room 30, lower door allows easy access to room 33's door)→ A rectangular room that consists of two vertical chasms. This room is divided into three segments, right-hand segment, left-hand segment, and lower segment. The right hand segment details the right chasm in this room, the left-hand segment details the left chasm, and the lower segment details the floor of this level.

Right-hand segment
The right-hand segment details the right chasm, the first part of this room the player will encounter. The top of this room has a door the leads to room 22, the ceiling of this part of the room consisting mostly of a of a, which leads to a secret room (room 29) is a ladder is shot into it. The platform the room 22 door is on extends a bit out, before stopping.

Sticking out of the upper part of the right wall is a small, 2x1 block platform. Below this platform, and sticking out of the left wall, is another 2x1 platform.

Lower segment
The lower segment contains a wooden platform that below holds a door, a door that leads to room 30. Two platforms are placed at the left and right of this wooden platform, each platform a block higher than the wooden platform. Solution (video):

Room 34
This room houses the non-fightable boss.

Enemies
Demo '''Full Game (Hypothesisized)'
 * Bats
 * Beetles
 * Slimes
 * Magical slimes
 * Giant beetle
 * Guards (Flightless)
 * Purple bats

Hazards

 * Spikes
 * Barrels

September 27, 2011
Nitrome released a preview image of the game they were currently working on, also announcing the artist of the game.

September 19, 2012
The game's programmer, Aaron Steed, announced on his Twitter account that he wanted play testers for it before it was pitched to Steam Greenlight. Playtesters assisted in the development of Flightless' demo.

September 28, 2012
This game has been accepted by Steam Greenlight.

October 15th, 2012
The game's name was announced and a few videos were uploaded by Nitrome. A demo of the game was released on Nitrome.com.



Trivia

 * The main character in the game was seen climbing up a ladder out of Balloons Inc. in the Nitrome 2.0 Skin.
 * This game's preview blog post was the only blog post to specify who the artist was before the game was released.