Developer(s) Pingus developers Genre Puzzle video game | Initial release date 1998 Mode Single-player video game | |
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Platforms Linux, Microsoft Windows, Macintosh operating systems, Unix Similar Neverball, SuperTux, Frozen Bubble, Warmux, Tux Racer | ||
Pingus is a free, open-source computer game inspired by Lemmings and created by Ingo Ruhnke. It is a video game clone of Lemmings and features penguins instead of lemmings.
Contents
History
Work on the game began in 1998. The first post-GotM version 0.6 was released in 2003 for Linux featuring new levels and a level editor. On February 11, 2006 the game began being ported from ClanLib to SDL. On August 27, 2007 version 0.7.0 (the first version to use SDL) was released. In addition to Windows and Linux, the switch to SDL enabled Pingus to be easily built on other platforms, including Apple's OS X. There was no level editor in the 0.7.0 release. On September 23, 2007 version 0.7.1 was released with a new level editor. On October 31, 2007, version 0.7.2 was released with a set of Halloween-themed levels. There is a Windows 0.7.6 and an Intel OS X binary of 0.7.2 available from the Pingus website. There is a PPC OS X binary of version 0.7.0, while version 0.7.3 contains minor bug fixes that allow the game to work better with the GNU Compiler Collection. The latest version, 0.7.6, adds additional Christmas and Halloween-themed level sets.
Gameplay
Pingus has 55 levels, grouped into 5 level sets, as well as 21 winter-themed tutorial levels. Pingus 0.7.2 introduced 'levelsets', which are lists of related levels; levels in levelsets usually must be completed in order. However, there are many more levels included with the game not accessible from its GUI, some with entirely different graphics.
Reception
This game was the first "Game of the Month" by The Linux Game Tome, which has revamped such games as SuperTux, Super TuxKart, and Lincity. Critics were favorable toward Pingus. CNN and PC-Welt ranked it as one of the best free games available for linux. About.com called it a great game, while acknowledging its debt to Lemmings.