UFO 50 is a collection of many games. Some of the more notable games are listed here (a complete list is later in this article).
Barbuta Barbuta (01), the first game in the collection, is a puzzle platformer where the player explores a castle, with the ultimate goal to "liberate the castle". There are items and money scattered throughout the environment which the player can collect. The items affect the game in various ways. Like many games in UFO 50 that were directed by Eirik Suhrke in real life, Barbuta is credited to the fictional developer Thorson Petter.
Bug Hunter Bug Hunter (02) is the first strategy puzzle game in the collection. It takes place in a cave filled with wild bugs and the player character has to defeat enough bugs within a set amount of "days" otherwise they will lose. The player navigates the 5x5 grid and attacks enemies by using "modules" - when all modules are used, the game advances to the next day. This reimburses the player with their modules, but new bugs may appear on the map and bugs left over from last day may evolve to their next form. When a bug turns into an egg, it must be defeated that day otherwise the egg hatches and bugs overrun the cave - resulting in a game over. The main challenge is to survive three rounds in a row.
Ninpek In Ninpek (03), two ninjas have their sandwich stolen and they have to recover it. The game is an auto scrolling precision platformer. Players can double jump and shoot projectiles in a straight line to defeat enemies. Players also have a limited amount of lives and losing all lives results in a game over. The game takes just under nine minutes to beat.
Paint Chase In Paint Chase (04) players control a car that leaves a trail of paint behind, and try to paint a maze / race track in their own color, while opponent cars paint the track in a different color. When the player car runs into an opponent car, the opponent car gets removed without affecting the player car, so it is often to the player's advantage to remove the opponent cars before they can paint much of the maze. There are various types of enemy units, which have various properties to challenge the player as they try to paint the maze in their color. Every level has a minimum percentage of the map that must be painted in order to progress to the next level, and each percentage of the map above that threshold that gets painted gets added to the player's score. At certain score thresholds, the player gains extra lives.
Magic Garden Magic Garden (05) has the player collect so-called "oppies", small characters that resemble jelly, and "saving" them by bringing them to a delivery area. Upon collection, the oppies follow the player character in a tail that lengthens in a manner reminiscent of the classic game Snake, which disappears when the oppies are saved. The player must avoid running into this tail of oppies, as well as enemy oppies that spawn at regular intervals. Enemy oppies can also arise from friendly oppies not being in the delivery zone when the player tries to save them. Enemy oppies can be removed by drinking a potion, which puts them into a vulnerable state for a limited time, during which they are removed when the player touches them. The game is won when 200 oppies are saved.
Mortol Mortol (06) is a platforming game where the player can sacrifice their current character to improve the state of the game. The player starts with 20 lives, and a limited amount of extra lives can be collected in each level. Because the game continues from one life to the next, terrain that is destroyed or created in a previous life (including the bodies of the previous lives) can impact the gameplay during a current life. In this way, it is often necessary to sacrifice many lives in order to complete a level. The player may sacrifice their character using three different "rituals" - blowing up; flying horizontally across the screen (leaving a platform where the character contacts a wall), or turning into a cube of stone. Mortol has a sequel in the collection, Mortol II. (These two games were conceived of separately at the start of UFO 50's development by Jon Perry and Derek Yu, respectively, and were made into one series with common theming and story elements during development due to their shared mechanics. Fictionally, Benedikt Chun originally had the idea for Mortol, but Gerry Smolski directed the game because Chun was preoccupied at the time. Mortol II was Chun's chance to make the game in a manner more true to his original vision.)
Velgress Velgress (07) is a fast-paced platforming game where terrain crumbles away a short time after the player first stands on it. The player must climb 30 stories to complete each level, and a grinder rises as the player goes up, destroying any terrain, and killing the player if they fall into it. The grinder is the only way the player can lose the game, but various obstacles can stun the player and remove the player's ability to control their character, making it likely that the player will fall into the grinder. Players can collect coins to use at shops after each level to upgrade their character, such as ability to recover from stun faster. There is also a bird in each level that appears at around the halfway point and drops a key when killed. If the player collects all keys on the way through the game, a secret level will unlock that leads to the game's true ending. Velgress is the first game to feature Alpha, a recurring character in UFO 50, who also is the player character in the later game Overbold (34).
Attactics Attactics (09) is a strategy game, simultaneously real-time and turn-based. Two armies face off, automatically deploying units from opposite ends of the battlefield. Although structured in discrete turns, unit movements / swaps are entered under a short real-time timer, forcing the player to make rapid decisions. The game takes place on a 8-by-6 grid. Each turn, units move automatically forward and attack units directly ahead, with different unit types serving as ranged attack, defense, mobility, or area damage, among other roles. When a unit reaches the other side of the grid, it removes a flag on the castle wall, and the player wins when all their opponent's flags get removed. Attactics is the first game that was developed for UFO 50.
Devilition Devilition (10) is a puzzle game where the player must defeat hordes of invading demons by placing bombs and detonating them in a chain reaction. Different types of bombs have a distinctive geometric pattern in which they explode, so they must be placed strategically in relation to the demons and the other bombs in order to create the most effective chain reactions. Friendly townspeople also spawn on the board, and the player must avoid hurting them. If the number of townspeople is ever less than the number of demons after a round, then the player loses the game. Devilition is a remake of Derek Yu and Jon Perry's 1999 game Diabolika.
Kick Club Kick Club (11) is a platformer game made by Benedikt Chun (in real life, Derek Yu). Kick Club is a linear series of pre-authored single-screen levels, divided up into four worlds with ten levels each. The player character must defeat all the enemies on the screen, but cannot attack directly. In order to attack, the player must pick up a football (soccer ball), which can then be launched to damage the enemies. There is a total of 40 stages. The player starts with 2 extra lives, which are lost on any contact with an enemy. If the player takes a hit with no remaining lives, the game is lost, and must be started from the very beginning.
Avianos Avianos (12) is a strategy game. Each turn, the player chooses one of three deity-ancestors to "pray to". Each ancestor grants a unique set of 3 actions that the player will benefit from that turn, in a specific order. There are 5 different ancestors, so not every ancestor is available each turn. There are two armies on the map, and the player controls one army, with the aim of wresting control of castles away from the other army, in order to win the game. There are 5 different unit types that the player can recruit and use in order to triumph in combat.
Mooncat Mooncat (13) is described in UFO 50 as being conceived of as a spiritual successor to Barbuta, sharing the same developer both fictionally (Thorson Petter) and in real life (Eirik Suhrke). Mooncat, a platforming game, is noted for its non-standard and counterintuitive controls.
Camouflage Camouflage (16) sees the player controlling a lizard with the ability to change its color to hide in its surroundings. There are predators such as frogs, gators, and birds, which will eat the lizard if they can see it. Because the lizard cannot change its color and move at the same time, the player must carefully plan out the route to take in order to get to the end of the level, and optionally collect fruits and a baby lizard along the way. The overworld (level selection screen) has branching paths, so there are multiple ways to get to the final level and beat the game. This game's cherry is earned upon attaining 100% completion (collecting all fruits and baby lizards in all levels).
Campanella In Campanella (17), the player controls the eponymous space ship Campanella to get through a series of levels with various obstacles. Horizontal movement is controlled by the d-pad / arrows, while vertical movement is managed by a thruster, controlled by one of the buttons. Inertia plays an important role in the Campanella's movement and control. Using the thruster to gain vertical momentum costs fuel, which runs out fairly quickly. Flying into a specific tile reveals a hidden coffee collectible in every level - collecting these is optional, but is mandatory if one is going for the "cherry" completion of the game The space ship Campanella is the titular UFO that the UFO 50 collection, as well as the fictional UFO Soft, gets its name from. The Campanella is featured as the spawn point for the character Pilot in the games Planet Zoldath and Pilot Quest. Campanella also has two direct sequels, Campanella 2 and Campanella 3, as well as a spin-off, The Big Bell Race. The Campanella is also featured to a lesser degree in other UFO 50 titles. Campanella and its sequels (but not the Zoldath games) are among the games in UFO 50 that are fictionally directed by Thorson Petter, and in real life were directed by Eirik Suhrke.
Golfaria Golfaria (18) is an open-world adventure game comparable to The Legend of Zelda, but with the twist that the player character is a golf ball, and is controlled similarly to other golf games. This aesthetic is reinforced by the player only being able to hit the ball a limited number of times before running out of strokes and having to start from the previous checkpoint.
The Big Bell Race The Big Bell Race (19) is a multiplayer racing game, featuring the same physics, controls, and engine as Campanella (and Campanella 2). The game takes place on a series of race tracks, which the player must complete a loop around multiple times. The player aims to complete each race faster than the other racers. The game is won if the player comes in first place in the tournament consisting of a race around each race track. The game's cherry condition is satisfied if the player wins first place in each race in the tournament.
Warptank In Warptank (20) the player controls a tank with the ability to warp to stand on whatever surface is opposite it. For example, the Warptank can warp from standing on the floor to "standing" on the ceiling; or go from being on one wall to being on the opposite wall. Using this maneuver, as well as side-to-side movement, the player must successfully navigate the level to reach the end. Warptank is one of several games in UFO 50 that are fictionally directed by Thorson Petter, and in real life were directed by Eirik Suhrke.
Porgy Porgy (22) is an underwater exploration game with a Metroidvania-like structure. Like many games in the Metroidvania genre, the player character, a submarine called Porgy, starts out very weak, with few powers, and a small fuel tank. This fuel tank determines how far the player can explore in each dive, as moving burns fuel. If Porgy takes damage from a creature, that will also reduce the amount of fuel in the tank. Porgy is refueled whenever it reaches one of two stations on the surface of the water. The player will find fuel tanks as they explore the ocean, allowing them to explore further and deeper. In order to collect the fuel tanks, in addition to other collectible items, the player must not only reach the item in the ocean, but must successfully return to a station without running out of fuel. If Porgy does run out of fuel, whether due to traveling too far, or taking damage from creatures in the ocean, then the item will return to its original location, and must be retrieved again in order to collect it (once an item is successfully delivered to the station, then it will not be lost again). A number of large creatures, called "roaming bosses" by the developers, roam the ocean. These can hinder the player's progress, but once defeated, they will not come back. The player must delve into the deepest and darkest parts of the ocean in order to discover what is going wrong in the ocean, and win the game. By collecting all items and defeating all bosses, 100% completion may be achieved, getting the cherry for Porgy.
Party House Party House (25) has the player manage a series of parties, and the list of guests invited to each party. As the player gains popularity, they can invite more and better guests to the party. Money can be used to buy a bigger house that can fit more guests. Most guests provide popularity and / or money to the player, but some also cause trouble. If 3 troublesome guests show up, without any way to mitigate that trouble, then the police arrive and end the party, and no popularity or money is scored for that round. The game ends after 25 nights. The player must invite special star guests, and have 4 stars in one party before time runs out, in order to win the game. In order to get this game's cherry, the player must win 5 randomized scenarios in a row without running out of time on any of them. The design of Party House has been compared to deck building card games like
Dominion) is a strategy game where two colonies of ants fight against each other. The "history" tab in UFO 50's menu (which chronicles the fictional history of UFO Soft and the development of its games) says: "Mr. [Tao] Nemuru created the vision for this highly innovative strategy game!"
Seaside Drive Seaside Drive (48) is a shoot 'em up game. Unlike the other shoot 'em ups in the UFO 50 collection, Seaside Drive only allows the player to move along one axis - the road on the bottom of the screen. This is justified because the player character is a car driving along that road. The goal of each level is to survive the onslaught of oncoming enemies, which can be destroyed by shooting them, then defeating a final boss at the end of each level. By completing all the levels, the player wins the game. Seaside Drive is the only game in UFO 50 that was spearheaded by
Ojiro Fumoto of
Downwell fame (Fumoto played a supporting role in the development of some other UFO 50 titles). The drifting mechanic, where one button both moves the player backwards, and also charges up the player's weapon, is a continuation of Fumoto's minimalist game design style evident also in Downwell, where the design explores how multiple mechanics, such as movement and combat, can be fit into a single input mechanism.
Campanella 3 Despite sharing the same name as Campanella 1 and 2, Campanella 3 (49) has little in common with the previous games, and runs on a different engine. Campanella 3 is a pseudo-3D game, with obstacles appearing first in the distance, and getting closer as the Campanella flies closer to them. The Campanella can shoot both towards incoming obstacles, and well as sideways (up / down / left / right). All obstacles can be destroyed by shooting them, but can damage the Campanella if they reach the screen, and are in the same x-y position as the Campanella. Each level consists of 3 "waves" of obstacles, followed by a boss fight.
Cyber Owls Cyber Owls (50) is the final game in the UFO 50 collection. The Cyber Owls are an elite team of 4 anthropomorphic owls, each with a distinct set of skills. Players must navigate a variety of levels, each with a different gameplay style tailored to the skills of one of the Cyber Owls. If a mission is failed, then that owl is captured, and a rescue mission must be completed in order to rescue that owl, and that owl's mission cannot be retried until they are rescued.
List of games in UFO 50 Director credits explicitly stated when directly sourced. == Story ==