I first played 140 at the Xbox @ ID event on the Microsoft campus a couple of months ago. Even in the short time I had to play the demo I was hooked. I had meant to pick it up for the last couple of months, but just never got around to it, until I saw it go on sale for 90% off and just couldn’t resist. I will say this though, it’s well worth the $5 it will cost you on Steam when it’s full price.

140 is a platformer with a big rhythm component. You start off each level with just a backbeat, but as you progress through the level and pick up additional spheres, you continue to add different musical components to the soundtrack. Meanwhile, the entire level is moving in sync with the beat (that presumably is running at 140 bpm, as per the game’s title). So if a platform is moving, it slides into place with the beat. If an impassible wall appears and disappears, it does it with the beat. The effect is a game world that moves with you and becomes interestingly predictable, but not any easier.

The game only has three levels, so it’s relatively short. I’ve played all the way through level one and made it to the “boss fight” at the end of level two and can’t wait to go back and finish it out. Five bucks might seem a little steep for 60-80 minutes of game time, but when the game is this interesting and innovative, there are significantly worse ways to spend your money.