Biped

Developer: NEXT Studios | Publisher: NEXT Studios / META Publishing | Release Date: 2020 | Genre: Co-op / Puzzle / Platformer / Adventure | Website: Official Website | Purchase: Steam

Walking is usually one of the easiest things to do in a video game. Push an analog stick in the desired direction, and the character takes care of all the complicated business of putting one foot in front of the other. Biped does things differently by handing players direct control of both legs and then building an entire puzzle platformer around the resulting coordination problems. What begins with the simple task of learning how to walk soon escalates into balancing on seesaws, operating machinery, crossing collapsing platforms, and trying not to accidentally kick your co-op partner into the abyss.

Biped stars Aku and Sila, two adorable little robots sent to reactivate a series of planetary beacons. The narrative is little more than a reason to travel through the game’s colorful environments, and there is very little dialogue or elaborate world-building. However, the robots are charming enough that the lack of a substantial story is never really an issue. Their expressive digital faces, tiny emotes, and enthusiastic movements give them more personality than one might expect from machines that are essentially a pair of legs with a head attached.

The defining feature of Biped is its unusual control system. When using a controller, the left analog stick operates the robot’s left leg while the right stick controls the right one. Tilting a stick raises the corresponding foot and moves it around, while releasing the stick places it back down. Walking therefore requires players to alternate between the two sticks and physically take one step at a time.

This sounds awkward because it is, but deliberately so. The opening tutorial does a good job of easing players into the process, and basic movement soon becomes surprisingly intuitive. Moving both sticks in the same direction also allows the robots to glide across smooth surfaces, which is considerably faster and often useful for timed sections. However, precise foot placement remains essential whenever the game introduces narrow platforms, pressure plates, rotating machinery, or ledges where a poorly placed step can send the robot tumbling.

An analog controller is pretty much essential for getting the most out of Biped. The game can be played using mouse buttons, but the sticks provide far more natural control over the direction and distance of each step. They also make it easier to perform the small adjustments required by the later puzzles. Even with a controller, though, it takes time to become comfortable with the movement, and moments of panic can still result in the robot spinning around or stepping in the exact opposite direction from what was intended.

Biped can be played alone or with another player, but co-op is where it really shines. The cooperative campaign is built around two robots working together, and the levels contain obstacles that require constant communication and coordination. Players might have to stand on opposite sides of a seesaw to keep it balanced, alternate steps across color-coded platforms, drag an object between them, activate switches simultaneously, or other ingenious puzzles.

Playing through the game in co-op is a chaotic blast. We lost count of the number of times one of us missed a step, moved too early, or fell out of sync with the other. Many deaths were also caused by accidentally kicking a partner off a ledge while trying to reposition a foot. These failures rarely felt frustrating, though, as watching both robots flail helplessly before disappearing into the void was usually hilarious.

The best co-op puzzles require both players to understand not only what they must do individually but also how their movements affect their partner. A platform might tilt depending on where each robot is standing, or a tether might require one player to anchor themselves while the other swings across a gap. Some floors are divided into colors assigned to each robot, forcing players to carefully weave around one another without stepping on the wrong tiles.

Biped is very good at introducing new ideas and then moving on before they become repetitive. One area might focus on rotating cylinders and weight distribution, while another introduces walls that can be clung to while supporting your partner swinging on a rope, moving rafts, conveyor belts, or platforms that collapse beneath the robots. The mechanics are usually straightforward in isolation, but coordinating them with another person creates plenty of memorable situations.

There are eight main environments, including forests, valleys, waterfalls, deserts, and icy mountains. Each culminates in the activation of another planetary beacon, but reaching it requires completing a series of platforming and puzzle challenges. The environments follow familiar video game themes, yet each is attractive and contains enough unique mechanics to establish its own identity.

Although Biped is marketed heavily as a cooperative game, the solo content is not simply the same campaign with one robot removed. The levels have been reworked to suit a single player and often place a greater emphasis on timing and straightforward platforming. Some sections also introduce AI-controlled robots that assist with puzzles involving seesaws, rotating mechanisms, or shared weight.

The AI companions are surprisingly endearing and often signal their next movement with a countdown or emote. They cannot replace the unpredictability and comedy of another human player, but they allow some of the cooperative ideas to appear in the solo campaign without forcing one person to control two robots simultaneously.

Solo play is naturally less chaotic and generally easier to coordinate. There is nobody else to blame when a robot walks off a platform, but there is also nobody accidentally shoving it into danger. The campaign remains enjoyable thanks to the clever obstacle design, although it does not generate the same laughter or sense of shared accomplishment as co-op.

We enjoyed Biped enough to earn 100% of the multiplayer achievements before immediately playing through the game again alone to complete the solo achievements. The separate level layouts meant the second journey did not feel like simply repeating the exact same content. Familiar mechanics returned, but they were arranged around the strengths and limitations of a single character.

Merely reaching the end of every level is not especially difficult, as checkpoints are generous and most failures result in only a small loss of progress. However, Biped provides optional goals for players who want a greater challenge. Levels contain hidden stars to collect, and medals can be earned for finishing quickly or keeping deaths below a set number.

These targets dramatically change how stages are approached. A casual run allows players to laugh at mistakes and take as long as necessary, while earning a perfect result demands much cleaner coordination. Completing a level in under four minutes while suffering fewer than three deaths can become significantly more difficult when both players must move in near-perfect synchronisation.

Timed coin-collection sections appear during some levels as well. These briefly transform the careful puzzle gameplay into a frantic scramble where players must sweep through the area and gather as much as possible before time expires. The unusual controls make even collecting a line of coins more involved than it would be in a traditional platformer.

Gold coins collected throughout the game can be spent on hats and glasses for Aku and Sila. The available selection is charming but quite limited, and most players will likely find a preferred look without feeling much need to purchase everything. It is still amusing to coordinate outfits with a partner or deliberately wear mismatched accessories while attempting to save the planet.

The cosmetics are entirely visual and provide no gameplay benefits. This suits the lighthearted tone, although a larger range of hats or additional customization options would have made collecting every coin more rewarding. As it stands, the stars, medals, and achievements are stronger incentives for thoroughly replaying the stages.

The Steam version also includes a level editor and Workshop support. Players who finish the official campaigns can create stages using the game’s existing assets or download levels produced by the community. The quality naturally varies, but the feature gives Biped considerably more potential longevity than the relatively short story campaigns suggest.

The main game is still quite brief. Both the co-op and solo campaigns can be completed in only a few hours each, depending on how often players fall and whether they search for every star. Perfectionists will spend considerably longer earning medals, collecting coins, and completing all achievements, but anyone interested only in seeing the ending may find the adventure over surprisingly quickly.

The brevity is easier to forgive because the level design remains inventive throughout. Biped does not pad its runtime by endlessly repeating the same mechanic or filling levels with unnecessary backtracking. Every environment introduces something new, and the game usually ends an idea before it has a chance to become tedious.

The difficulty curve is also handled well. The early areas allow players to become comfortable with stepping and gliding, while later stages demand more precise timing and cooperation. The controls remain the main challenge rather than complicated puzzle logic, so solutions are generally easy to understand even if executing them is another matter entirely.

Occasionally, this can make the puzzles feel simpler than expected. Once both players understand the required sequence, success often depends on performing it without fumbling the controls. Players looking for elaborate brainteasers may therefore find Biped a little light, but the physical coordination provides its own unique challenge.

Visually, Biped is bright, polished, and very charming. Aku and Sila have rounded bodies, glowing faces, and toy-like designs that make them instantly likable. Their faces display emotions and simple symbols, which helps communicate reactions without relying on spoken dialogue.

The environments are equally colorful. Forests are filled with lush plants and running water, deserts feature warm sand and rocky formations, and the snow-covered areas make effective use of ice and bright blue scenery. The locations are not especially detailed compared to larger games, but the clean presentation makes platforms, switches, and hazards easy to identify.

Animations contribute greatly to the comedy. Each foot moves independently, so a robot can end up stretched into an awkward split, rotating on one leg, or desperately trying to recover after stepping too close to an edge. Watching a partner lose control is often as entertaining as successfully completing the puzzle.

The camera generally provides a good view of the action and keeps both players visible during cooperative stages. There are occasional moments where the perspective makes depth or foot placement harder to judge, but the indicator showing where each foot will land helps considerably. Most failures feel like coordination mistakes rather than the camera hiding important information.

The audio matches the colorful presentation with upbeat and cheerful music. Each environment has fitting accompaniment that supports the relaxed atmosphere without becoming distracting. The soundtrack is pleasant rather than particularly memorable, but it works well during both careful puzzle solving and chaotic multiplayer failures.

The robots communicate through expressive bleeps, mechanical sounds, and emotes. Their little cries when falling into the abyss quickly become familiar, especially during co-op. Environmental machinery, moving platforms, switches, and impacts all provide clear audio feedback, making it easy to understand when something has activated or gone wrong.

Biped also supports both local and online co-op, along with Steam Remote Play Together. Local play is the most immediate option for anyone with two controllers, while online support makes it possible to complete the campaign with someone elsewhere. Communication is important enough that voice chat or being in the same room is strongly recommended.

The game is accessible enough that it can be enjoyed by players who do not normally play platformers. There are very few buttons to remember, no combat systems, and no complicated inventory or character progression. However, the independent leg controls can initially be difficult for anyone unfamiliar with analog sticks, so some patience may be required during the tutorial.

Biped invites comparisons to co-op titles such as Human: Fall Flat, although its movement is more controlled and its levels more tightly designed. It shares the appeal of deliberately awkward physics and accidental comedy, but the robots do not flop around like ragdolls. The challenge comes from carefully managing each leg rather than wrestling with a completely unstable body.

There are also hints of games such as Death Squared in its communication-heavy puzzles and color-coded platforms. However, Biped feels more playful and physical, with much of the enjoyment arising from the act of moving rather than purely from solving logic puzzles. Even crossing an otherwise ordinary bridge can become an event when two players are trying not to trip over one another.

Overall, Biped is a delightful cooperative puzzle platformer built around one extremely simple but effective idea. Controlling each leg separately makes ordinary movement entertaining, while the varied environments continually find new ways to test coordination. The co-op campaign is packed with opportunities for teamwork, accidental sabotage, and hilarious failure.

The solo campaign is also worthwhile and contains enough redesigned content to justify a second playthrough. It cannot replicate the unpredictable fun of sharing the experience with another person, but it remains a polished and enjoyable puzzle platformer in its own right.

The main drawbacks are the short length, limited selection of cosmetics, and relatively simple puzzle solutions. Some players may also struggle with the intentionally awkward controls before they become comfortable with them. However, the inventive level design and strong replay goals prevent the game from feeling insubstantial, especially for anyone interested in earning every achievement.

Biped is at its best when both players are standing on opposite sides of a dangerous platform, carefully counting down before taking a step, only for one of them to move in the wrong direction and send everyone falling. These moments of shared chaos are exactly what make cooperative games memorable, and Biped provides them in abundance.