One of the nice things about the Xbox Indie games is some of the developers are really trying some unique things. I have already reviewed a couple of games that fit the bill with Groov and Artoon. CarneyVale Showtime is another game that falls under that category. An unusual platformer, CarneyVale Showtime will keep you coming back for more.

Throw that clown around

In CarneyVale Showtime, you play as Slinky the clown. Slinky is a circus performer in the Carnival. Your job is to try and entertain the crowd, but the thing is you do not really have direct control of your actions. To move about the levels, you have to use the grappling arms to grab your character and fling him throughout the level. The object is to try and pop the balloons throughout the levels, making way to the exit without falling off the board or hitting the various obstacles in your path.

CarneyVale Showtime’s unique gameplay and level designer make welcome addition to the Indie games.

Sounds simple enough, right? Well, it is not. You not only have the learned just how to launch off the grappling arms to reach the next section of each level. While you can have a slight influence on the direction Slinky will travel, ultimately you are at the mercy of the physics in the game. Not only do you need to advance to the next level, but you need to do so with flair, scoring well enough to advance. After all, you need to put on a show.

So you have the entertaining and challenging puzzles, but that is not all the designers have given you.

Create your own levels

The creators of CarneyVale Showtime seem to think that, since they had so much fun creating the game, you would have fun creating your own levels. The level editor they have included with the game is extensive and yet easy to use, giving you the chance to try out the levels as you work on them to make sure you are not making them too difficult.

Unique gameplay, a level creator and the nice touch of built in achievements that may not improve your gamer score but still add something to the gameplay make this a game you really should try for yourself. CarneyVale Showtime gets a 4 out of 5.