Pushmo

Pushmo is a downloadable puzzle game developed by Intelligent Systems and published by Nintendo for its Nintendo 3DS handheld system, available on the Nintendo eShop. In the game, players must shift around puzzle blocks in order to create steps and platforms, ultimately to reach children who have been trapped within the giant structures. A sequel, Crashmo, was released for the Nintendo 3DS in 2012. A third game, Pushmo World, was released for Wii U on June 19, 2014. A fourth game, Stretchmo, was released for Nintendo 3DS in May 2015.

Pushmo is set in the Pushmo Park, where Pushmos are made by Papa Blox, the creator and caretaker of the Park. While visiting the park, Mallo witnesses papa Blox hurting his back while trying to rescue a trapped child. Mallo assists and they discover another child trap them inside. Mallo then crosses the park rescuing the remaining children. Reaching the end of the park, Mallo confronts the child, which presents himself as Corin, a new child who wanted friends. The children forgives him, and they leave the park alongsides Mallo. The next day, Papa Blox expands his park with new Pushmo.

In the game, a Pushmo is a large, climbable playground structure made of blocks that can slide forwards and backwards. The player controls Mallo, a red, round sumo wrestling creature visiting Pushmo Park, home to dozens of Pushmo. In order to rescue the children, Mallo must move the sliding blocks of the Pushmo in such a way to create a path to reach the child. Mallo can push and pull blocks a maximum of three steps forward, and can only do so while standing in front of the block or by standing to the side, provided Mallo has a platform on which to step while moving. 

If Mallo becomes stuck, the player can either reset the Pushmo or use a rewind feature similar to games such as Braid and Catrap. Also, difficult levels can be skipped and re-visited later, if desired. Later levels add manholes that allow Mallo to travel within the Pushmo to reach other parts of the structure. Along with the game’s included 250-plus levels, Pushmo also includes the Pushmo Studio, where players can create and share their own Pushmo puzzles. In order to share puzzles, Pushmo generates a QR code that can be read by the 3DS’ on-board cameras; the QR images can be posted on the Internet, printed or photographed from the 3DS’s screen.