Contre Jour

Contre Jour from studio Mokus Games was released in 2011 and is among the mobile games that proved a physics platformer could also be a fully-fledged visual work of art. The player controls a small creature named Petit and, by touching the screen, deforms the terrain itself – stretching and compressing the landscape like a rubber membrane to get him safely past chasms, spikes, and other obstacles to the end of the level.

Controls consist solely of dragging fingers across the screen, changing the shape of the ground beneath and above the character's head, which calls for feel and patience rather than the quick reflexes typical of classic platformers. The puzzles gradually introduce new elements – gravity fields changing the direction of falling, moving platforms reacting to touch, beams of light and shadows – maintaining a smooth difficulty curve from simple early levels to noticeably tougher later chapters.

The visual side rests on silhouette graphics with striking sunsets and soft color gradients between sky and landscape, accompanied by a melancholic ambient soundtrack underscoring the main character's loneliness. This combination creates a contemplative, almost dreamlike atmosphere, placing Contre Jour alongside other art-minded mobile titles of its time, such as the aforementioned Sword & Sworcery. The game was also released on other platforms beyond mobile, but touch controls suit its principle of terrain deformation most naturally.

Why play it: recommended for players seeking a calm, aesthetically captivating puzzle platformer rather than fast action or a tough challenge to reflexes and precision.