Just when you thought 2018 didn't have any surprises left in store, everyone's favourite herd of suicidal rodents have returned to video games in their first new title in almost a decade.
Lemmings is a free game for Android and iOS mobile devices, developed by Sad Puppy and published by none other than PlayStation, which has owned the best selling IP since the late 90's. Better yet, it's out today, just in time for Christmas, with a stealth release announced via a post on the PlayStation Blog from Sad Puppy's Serkan Hassan.
Lemmings retains everything you love about the geometric puzzling of the series but, thanks to the wizardry of procedural generation, features "more levels than every previous Lemmings game combined." Check out the first (and presumably only) trailer for the game below.
In his blog post, Hassan describes Sad Puppy's mission to create a mobile friendly Lemmings experience, using the portrait format to facilitate comfortable touch controls that can be mastered no matter where you are with your mobile.
Lemmings takes place in space, with groups of levels categorised around distinct biomes, each with their own art style, characteristics, and set of hazards that you'll need to guide the titular critters away from in their quest to explore the universe for a new home.
The game has an uncanny aesthetic that brings to mind early Rayman titles, and Sad Puppy has designed brand new Lemming "tribes" exclusively for this iteration, boasting their own distinctive look and rarity types. Be warned, while Lemmings is free, Hassan mentions that it does contain "in-app purchases", which is probably where these tribes come in.
You can download and play Lemmings right now on your mobile device of choice, so give it a whirl and let us know what you think of this unexpected comeback from the franchise in the comments below.
If you're in the market for a new machine to play Lemmings on, check out our guide to the best gaming phones available right now, alongside the ongoing deals for each one.
