Part hamster, part panda, all fun
Hamda Run is a free adventure game where you play as a Hamda: a part-hamster, part-panda creature. Developed by Jon Smiff, this side-scrolling platformer tasks players to navigate the maze created by “friendly scientists” and get to the end of the level.
Reminiscent of games like Flinthook, Hamda Run is a challenging game that requires timing and precision to connect to different-colored latches. Also, there are various obstacles aside from walls that make the game even more challenging. On top of it all, you should finish the stage in only 60 seconds, or else you’ll have to try again.
How to play Hamda Run?
Your character, the titular Hamda, is a hamster-panda hybrid that is enclosed in a transparent sphere. Armed with a grappling hook, you must solve the maze by navigating across the stage and unto the finish line. With exact timing, you must connect your grappling wire to red or blue latches. Red latches allow you to swing normally while blue latches propel you in a particular direction.
In Hamda Run, there are no enemies, there’s only one type of game element that serves as an obstacle. Aside from the walls themselves, there are green orbs scattered across the level, which, when hit, cause your character to bounce uncontrollably. There’s a particularly tricky part of the stage where an entire platform is filled with these orbs, sending your character to a corner.
After surpassing all the obstacles using the game’s simple controls, you’ll find a checkered flag at the end of the stage. This signifies that you’ve beaten the game. That’s all there is to it, since the game only has one level. You can either play around in the huge space filled with blue latches and bounce around or restart the game and attempt to beat your previous time.
A short challenging game
While Hamda Run is just a short game with a single level, it takes a few tries to get the timing and mechanics right, which starts frustrating until you get it right. This challenge essentially makes for several minutes of fun. Equipped with a cute character design, a pixel art aesthetic, and an upbeat soundtrack, this is one of those mini-games you’ll revisit every once in a while.
