MainFrames

MainFrames is a short and sweet platformer that manages to pack plenty of challenge and fun into every stage, all while remaining visually striking, engaging, and memorable.

In the end, MainFrames is the rare sort of indie release that both feels professional and knows not to punch above its weight. It has a clear central idea and hits the right notes without getting itself into too much trouble (unlike Floppy). I wouldn’t describe it as “cozy” given how much it can kick your ass, but it’s an easy suggestion for anyone who’s looking for quick and gorgeous platforming thrills with a perfect amount of complexity.

MainFrames is, simply, a lovely retro-themed puzzle platformer with humour, challenge, and some brain-straining mechanics to master. While not easy, the satisfying controls and charming world will make it hard to put down.

Mainframes is a fast paced platformer set inside a PC mainframe with excellent level design. Its accessibility options make it a good choice for newcomers and veterans alike, and it is near perfect on the Steam Deck!

MainFrames is a solid little platformer that takes players inside the world of a computer that just so happens to be a paradise for platformer fanatics.

All told, Mainframes is a solid recommendation if you’re after a new precision/puzzle platformer that tries something relatively fresh with its desktop-bending premise. We would have liked to have seen a few clever nods to real-world software brands to really take advantage of its setup, but with its pleasant pixel-art visuals and gorgeously laid-back soundtrack, it’s a good way to spend a handful of hours. Just watch out for those difficulty spikes; they can be a real downer.

So it’s probably pretty weird that I am going to recommend this game with one big fat caveat. If you’re a fan of the genre, there are a lot of cool and original things happening in MainFrames. If you’re not already comfortable in the space it’s probably not going to work as shining introduction to the world of indie platformers.

MainFrames grabs attention with its charming art style and brilliant concept for a platformer. Exploring the world of a dying computer sounds so cool, like a digital version of The Pedestrian. Instead, MainFrames ends up as an unimpressive experience, but not one that’s outright bad either. It’s simply mediocre, and disappointingly fails to fulfil the potential of the exciting premise.