I Was In The War

I Was In The War is a free 2D side-scrolling action game intensive in skill and reflexes that features a minimalist aesthetic reminiscent of Atari 2600 classics where the goal is to hold out for as long as possible on a battlefield.

Created by indie developer Bisse (Perfect Run) and originally released on July 19, 2008, for Windows, I Was In The War puts you in the shoes of a war veteran—a white, weaponless figure—who runs along a red line inclined at a 70° angle, trying to survive the horrors of the battle: bombs, tanks, helicopters, and missiles.

The objective of this peculiar title is clear: hold out for as long as possible while collecting points in a simple scenario, but with challenges that require quick reflexes and coordination. Perhaps this is why it has gained some notoriety online, thanks to its addictive gameplay and retro visual style.

Originally created in just over three hours for the “10800 Seconds” competition, promoted by the collective The Poppenkast, I Was In The War is a concise work with a beginning, middle, and end. Despite being short and straightforward, it impresses with its simple and well-executed proposal.

You can download the game here!

Video

Gameplay

In I Was In The War, you grow as you run and shrink when you stop or get hit. If you get too small, it’s game over. The controls are intuitive: walk with the arrow keys, jump with A, reverse the line with S, and toggle between windowed and full screen with F4. You can even use gravity inversion while jumping—a feature that brings dynamism and creativity to the gameplay, representing an additional and elegant way to avoid the game’s dangers.

Features

Retro pixel art visual style.
Fast and responsive gameplay with a focus on reflexes.
Simple and creative jumping and flipping mechanics.
A scoring system based on continuous survival.
A defined ending, despite the endless runner style.
Developed for Windows with support for full screen or windowed (1024×768), simply pressing [F4] to switch.
Striking soundtrack composed by Eirik (@strotchy), which helps create the constant tension of the battlefield. Check it out below!