Duke Dashington

Duke Dashington is a sharp, bite-sized platformer that you can play with a single finger. A rich retro vibe threads through the game, and it's challenging enough that you're likely to swear a good few times as you play.

There are a few niggles with the controls that mean the game isn't quite as good as it could be, but there's enough here that you'll be entertained throughout its pretty substantial running time.

The game sees you controlling the titular duke. He spends his days pilfering relics from temples, but unfortunately the tombs and ruins he picks are always falling apart.

Undeterred, Dashington races through the chambers, leaping through spinning saws, large spikes, and plenty of other obstacles to reach the treasure in the last room.

You control him by swiping on the screen. Swipe left and he dashes in that direction until he hits something solid. Or gets impaled on a spike.

The levels are tiny, and require little more than a few swipes to complete. But you need to be fast, and you need to be clever. There's a ten second timer ticking down on each screen, and if it runs down the room collapses and you have to start over.

There are small puzzles to figure your way through, most of them involving pushing boxes. You don't have much time to think though, so a lot of these levels will take a couple of attempts.

There are a few niggles with the controls and the limits of your dashing abilities aren't always clear. It makes some levels more frustrating than they need to be, and can leave you frowning when you should be grinning at the pace of the game.

Duke Dashington snaps along brilliantly. It's tough, engaging, and eases you into its ideas where other games might crush you with them.

It's not without its problems, but it's enjoyable enough that you'll probably be able to forgive them.