| Saira | |
|---|---|
| |
| Nicklas "Nifflas" Nygren | |
| Publisher(s) | Kreatoriet AB |
| Released | December 12, 2009 |
| Genre | Platformer, Adventure |
| Platform(s) | Microsoft Windows |
| Input | Keyboard, Mouse |
| Distribution | Free, Open-Source |
| Download | Full Game (free to unlock) |
Saira is a freeware 2D adventure/puzzle platformer by Nicklas Nygren.
Saira features multiple endings and is unique among Nifflas' games in that the player controls a human, not a fantastical creature, and uses fully-colored parallax-scrolling scenes instead of static flip-screens with solid black foregrounds.
Unlocking the full version[]
The game was initially commerical but later made free.[1] However, the version available for download still has serial protection, which may be unlocked via the Settings.exe app and entering the following serial code to unlock the full version:
00000377
Gameplay[]
The player controls Saira, with the ability to run, jump and hang on to walls, as well as interact with various objects and devices.
Saira carries a PDA with her at all times, activated by pressing "D" when not near any other device. The PDA can be used to access the inventory, view photos, and to return Saira to the last checkpoint she visited or teleport her back to her ship at any time.
Many devices require items or involve puzzles to be solved before they can be activated. The player may open the PDA while interacting with a device by pressing "D" twice and switch between the windows with the "TAB" key.
Saira can also take photographs of any scene, such as hints and helpful symbols on walls, by holding down the "A" key to choose a region on the screen and then pressing "S" to take the picture.
Checkpoints (also known as warp spots) allow the player to respawn after being injured or manually teleport to them via the PDA. Unlike other Nifflas games, the checkpoints have to be activated manually, just like interacting with any other object.
Plot[]
The star map.
The eponymous Saira is a photographer who, as a result of a mysterious accident, found herself as the only remaining human in the entire galaxy and has to find out what happened.
The first episode, titled "in which Saira has bad luck with teleportation" and designed by Nifflas and Yann van der Cruyssen, begins outside Saira's ship which has become stranded on Mars.
Development[]
Saira, initially known as Project Q, was first announced during the final stages of work on NightSky. It was released on December 12, 2009.
Unlike most other Nifflas games, Saira does not use a black silhouette for the terrain and static backgrounds; instead, the game has fully-colored environments and multiple parallax layers, combining traditional 2D animation with high resolution photographs taken by Nifflas—the press-release stated that the game was "developed almost as much in the outdoors as indoors".[2] The game also uses a combination of scrolling and flip-screen views.
Initially a commerical product, Nifflas later made the game freeware around August 6, 2014 and released its source code, citing that the game has "done its selling by now."[3]
A level editor is included with the game along with its source code.
References[]
External Links[]
- Download (Windows, free-to-unlock demo, open-source)
- Official page on Steam
- Original Soundtrack
- Wallpapers by Charlotte Winroth
- Official support forum