Gish (Game)

Gish is a 2D platform game for PC developed by Edmund McMillen, Alex Austin and Josiah Pisciotta. There was also going to be a sequel, but it was canceled in 2009 when Edmund left Cryptic Sea.

The game was featured in The Humble Indie Bundle. Because of the success, Cryptic Sea decided to make the game open-source, which eventually happened on May 29, 2010. On 3 June 2010 Gish was ported to AmigaOS 4.

Plot
Gish is a ball of tar who lives happily with his human girlfriend Brea, until one day a "shadowy figure" kidnaps her. Gish fights his way through numerous levels, defeating his enemies and getting closer to Brea. Finally, the final boss Appears: Hera, Gish's former classmate who has an unrequited affection towards him. Gish rejects her, and Hera threatens to drop Brea into lava. After Gish defeats Hera, he should save Brea. If he succeeds, Gish and Brea escape and become famous entomologists, as well as the world's first legal inter-specied marriage. Otherwise, Brea burns to death and Gish goes on to live a life of celibacy, "volunteering most of his time to charity organizations that specialize in bringing lava awareness to the mainstream."

Gameplay
In Gish, the player controls a 12-pound ball of tar. Besides movement Gish has 4 abilities: becoming sticky, slick, heavy, and jumping. When sticky he can climb walls, stick to ceilings and usual blocks. Becoming slick makes Gish frictionless and more 'liquidy', letting him slide down pipes. Becoming heavy lets Gish fall faster, smash enemies and breakable platroms, sink in water, and resist being crushed. To jump, Gish must compress his body, and then expand to launch himself in the air.

Gish's abilities can be combined to use in different situations.

Awards

 * 2005 IGF Grand Prize
 * 2005 IGF Innovation in Game Design
 * Game Tunnel's 2004 Indie Game of the Year
 * Game Tunnel's 2004 Adventure Game of the Year