If I was to call MainFrames a proof of concept, I would be grossly overlooking its stellar presentation of byte-sized platforming as a little floppy disk. Yes, it’s difficult at times, but just about anyone can reach its end credits within a few hours. Developer Assoupi has nailed the platforming formula to a T; I can’t wait for more!
When MainFrames was initially announced in August of 2024, I immediately fell in love with its retro-Windows-esque aesthetic and its simplistic platforming. I am an aging gamer, sure, but I was not a child of the 80s. Instead, I was exposed to Windows 3.1 and Mac OS 7 thanks to several PC-owning family members in my life. I hold the era of rudimentary GUI, simple gaming, and a mouse with an internal rubber ball near-and-dear to my heart.
MainFrames by developer Assoupi and publisher The Arcade Crew have crafted a magical little platformer that is sure to pull on those nostalgic heartstrings. Younger gamers probably won’t get excited to see a silly little floppy disk bounce and spin around a little computer screen, but that’s okay. Games don’t have to appeal to each and every demographic.
The cute, simple, yet vibrant pixel-art sets the game’s tone as a far less bloody variant of Super Meat Boy. Playing a Floppy, the 8-bit floppy disk of a protagonist, I was to explore an old-school PC full of charming characters (like a chatty penguin) and silly digitized coffee machines. That PC contained discrete levels that were encapsulated on a single screen. Upon reaching the end of the screen, I would be taken to the next level/screen until I found an elevator that took me to the next sector of the PC. I praised Star of Providence for utilizing a similar method of containing everything within a single window; in doing so, MainFrames contains just enough meat to keep things interesting throughout its entirety.
The best platformers are those that introduce a new mechanic and slowly build on that mechanic through iterative and increasingly difficult level designs. That mechanic is pushed to its fullest extent before introducing a new mechanic. The original Mario games did this quite well, setting the gold standard for how platformers should onboard players to utilize new mechanics. MainFrames adopts the same gold standard, letting me find delight in discovering new ways to launch Floppy across the screen and move around the PC.
MainFrames put me through my paces as I moved from window to window, level to level. I consider myself a decent platform player having growing up with them and returning to them at various stages throughout my life. The mechanics of MainFrame ratcheted up in difficulty quickly, but none were difficult to the point of me unable to advance to the next level. At most, the hardest segment stumped me for all of five minutes in the form of me dying repeatedly and being transported back to the starting platform of the screen before figuring out how to take advantage of one of the mechanics.
Much of its charm lies in how MainFrames surprised me with its platforming mechanics. Things like double jumping, bouncing on “bump.sh” icons, and moving windows/platforms around with the Switch’s right joystick (a hardware element that is often unused in 2D platformers) felt like Assoupi wanted me to use every button of my Nintendo Switch at least once. The less you know about MainFrames’ levels, the more you will enjoy it and be delighted by how its mechanics are presented. Avoid spoilers wherever possible – trust me.
I was reminded of Celeste’s difficulty and Haiku, the Robot’s charm (sans the Metroidvania exploration) during my playthrough. MainFrames is surprisingly fluid, a stark contrast to its CRT-fueled 8-bit design. When I would fail a jump, I would snap back to my original platform to try my current level again, only to fail several more times until I would have the “Eureka!” moment of figuring out what I needed to do to move to the next level.
At its core, MainFrames is a puzzle platformer. It’s a puzzler in that there are ways to complete every one of its levels through brute force or through thoughtful consideration of platformer mechanics. The little in-game penguin reminded me several times that I didn’t have to complete everything or focus too hard; sometimes, the easiest solution is the one that is off the beaten path.
Some of the best games are those that are short yet sweet. It took a handful of hours for me to reach the end credits, and I felt like MainFrames ended on a satisfying note without burying the lede or repeating too many mechanics into oblivion. Do I wish that there were more levels? Absolutely. However, I will admit that adding more to MainFrames would endanger its charm and overall presentation.
MainFrames is a very easy recommendation for players who want that old-school platforming, difficulty curve and all. Its short runtime and puzzling difficulty may be a turnoff, but that’s part of platformers being acquired tastes in favor of other game genres in 2025. That said, it’s still a delightful game that kept me hooked until the very end.
If I was to call MainFrames a proof of concept, I would be grossly overlooking its stellar presentation of byte-sized platforming as a little floppy disk. Yes, it’s difficult at times, but just about anyone can reach its end credits within a few hours. Developer Assoupi has nailed the platforming formula to a T; I can’t wait for more!
