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My Arms Are Longer Now is a disturbingly entertaining puzzle game with dry humor and quirky charm

My Arms Are Longer Now is a disturbingly entertaining puzzle game with dry humor and quirky charm

Developer based in Melbourne Toot games does not describe My arms are longer now as a puzzle game, but that doesn’t make the title any less puzzling. Your goal is simple: give you a short list of items to steal from passengers aboard a train carriage in Melbourne because you’re a kleptomaniac who can’t just tap it and sit down.

However, instead of playing like an old Myki owner, you control an endlessly extendable arm that glides around like a penny-clawed anaconda. The horrific appendage snakes around and lifts itself off the ground with the pull of a trigger. It is capable of pinching, hitting and pulling back. The thief’s trifecta.

The five-minute demo gave me three items to loot: a bike, a dog, and a briefcase. The bike was a breeze, even if the owner protested slightly, and the dog was similarly easy. The briefcase, on the other hand, was a harder stain. Not only was it handcuffed to a dozing commuter, but the train inspector came aboard, and while he wasn’t fazed by the sight of an unnaturally long arm flailing about, he wasn’t too pleased by the lack of a valid ticket.

This is where Toot Games’ designation of a stealth comedy game came into play, as I had to avoid or distract the inspector in order to get my final prize. I chose the standard option of moving under the seats while he wasn’t looking, but as I watched others play the demo, I was surprised to see other tactics, such as moving out of the train’s windows- and crashing back in and even introducing him with a valid ticket, which of course was stolen.

As short as the demo was, I was immediately impressed by the simple but fun physics-based gameplay and the variety of viable approaches on offer. The images and animations are charming, save for the grotesque arm movements, and the occasional use of voice acting provided a laugh or two. The Australian voices delivered the tongue-in-cheek lyrics in a comedically dry manner that perfectly suited the game’s silly tone.

Feeling like a fusion of Thank God you’re here And Goose game without a titleWith a healthy dose of Australiana mixed in, this uncomfortably hilarious stealth comedy game is at the top of my list of games I played at PAX Aus 2024. You know you have a winner when you have a big, stupid one I had a smile on my face 30 seconds into a demo and that goofy grin stayed with me the entire time I was standing at the Toot Games booth.

My Arms Are Longer Now is currently scheduled for release on PC in 2025, but you can check it out now steam and put it on the wish list now. Better yet, you can download the demo we played at PAX Aus this year and see for yourself what all the fuss is about.

Did you attend PAX Aus this year? What was your show game? Let us know in the comments or on our social media.

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