If you've ever owned a handheld, the chances are you've probably experienced at some point what it's like trying to play a video game on the go, only to fail spectacularly in the process.
Growing up, we know we've picked up our own fair share of cuts and scrapes trying to play Super Mario Land or Link's Awakening while out and about, before eventually deciding that our parents were probably right all along and it wasn't the safest or smartest thing to do. But what if you could turn that rather ridiculous-sounding scenario into a video game concept all of its own? Well then, you'd probably end up with something like Screenbound.
Screenbound is a fascinating new puzzle platformer, announced earlier this year for PC, that sees players navigating a 3D-generated world while also controlling a 2D character on a Game Boy-like device with the same inputs. In other words, it's a game all about multitasking and coping with distractions, with players having to be mindful of the obstacles they encounter in each dimension, such as pits and enemies.
As we understand it, the game is being made in Unity and is still very much a work in progress. The team, for instance, is still coming up with new ways to exploit its central mechanic, with the latest suggestion being the idea of adding pressure plates that can impact the opposing playing field:
"Had one idea for a cool 2d to 3d puzzle element - dimensional pressure platforms. If you jump on one in 2d view it lowers. Then one rises in the 3d view. There will probably be a lot of stuff like that in the game."
Beyond what we've been able to share, there's not much else to say about Screenbound at the moment. No release date has been announced and no demo is available. But if you fancy keeping up to date with its progress, you can follow its account over on Twitter at @screenbound or follow the developers (unicellulargame, stereochromia, and CM_Games) to see new updates as they arrive.