Portal: The Flash Version

Portal: The Flash Version transplants the teleportation-gun concept from Valve's famous game into a 2D platformer: the player fires two linked portals onto designated surfaces and uses them to solve puzzles involving movement, momentum, and getting around obstacles in order to reach the end of the level. The controls are classic platformer fare - running, jumping, and aiming with the cursor - supplemented by portal placement, so the player has to learn to think on two levels at once: the space of the scene, and the logic of where the portal will send them and at what speed.

It was created in 2007 by the team We Create Stuff as a fan tribute shortly after the release of the original Portal, and became one of the finest unofficial adaptations of its time - not because of graphical splendor, but because it managed to carry the feel of the portal mechanic into a completely different genre without losing its wit. This cleverness earned it attention even outside the usual Flash community, and it's still remembered today as one of the better examples of a fan game inspired by a major title.

As a Flash production, it now requires an archival player, since regular browsers no longer support Flash Player. Anyone wanting to experience the original portal mechanic in full force should reach for Valve's original Portal, but this version remains an interesting detour for fans of the series.

Why play it: For Portal fans who want to see a clever 2D variation on the beloved mechanic and don't mind running it through an archival Flash player.