Isometric games aren’t a genre, they’re a visual design choice. And that’s why we love them! Originally developed as a way for early computers to emulate 3D-like landscapes, the isometric game became something entirely its own, even in an age where polygons and true 3D are king. They’re particularly good at creating adventure/puzzle games, as blocks can cover blocks while opening up most of the screen for exploration, leaving you immersed in a compact little world filled with charm. We’ve gathered a few of the best isometric Flash games below. Plenty to keep you fiddling with your keyboard for hours on end, trying to figure out why the right arrow moves you down and right!
Monkey Metric – A group of monkeys is threatened by a nearby volcanic eruption, but one lone brave primate sets out to save them. You are that monkey, and making it to the volcano to save your family requires solving puzzles through a host of isometric stages. Pressing buttons, moving levers, carving out pathways, sliding boxes around, all to make an unobstructed view from yourself to the exit. It’s an extremely challenging game, so don’t let its cute exterior fool you!
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Dr. Sweetvalley and the Broken Time Machine – More puzzles, please! This charming little game features a series of small rooms with detailed pixel art cubes occupying a very real 3D space. Move around the world, careful not to neglect the up and down axes, as you try to activate the exit portal. It takes some getting used to, especially if you opt for keyboard controls over the on-screen arrows, but after an adjustment period, you’re ready to fix the time machine with your puzzle-solving might!
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Cuboy: Hot Pants – It may not make the most impressive use of the isometric perspective, but you’ll have a tough time not falling for this crazy, hilarious, and challenging game. Dashing down a volcano, you must leap from cube to cube, avoiding lava and cracked blocks as you stay one, two, three steps ahead of the liquid hot magma. We liked it so much, we even created the Cuboy: Hot Pants strategy guide!
