Klei Entertainment releases a new gameplay trailer for its upcoming first-person platforming game Hot Lava, which challenges players to 'not touch the floor.'

There are some childhood games that seem to be universal experiences. Red Rover. Freeze Tag. Duck, Duck, Goose. And of course, the Floor is Lava, a game wherein kids try to traverse an environment (usually their living room or bedroom) without touching the ground. Klei Entertainment, the studio behind indie hits such as Don't Starve and Mark of the Ninja is now trying its hand at bringing the classic childhood lava game to life as the new video game Hot Lava.

With Hot Lava, Klei Entertainment is stepping out of its 2D comfort zone, developing its first 3D game. Hot Lava is played from the first-person perspective, and just like the childhood game that inspired it, Hot Lava tasks players with avoiding the molten lava that has covered the ground. To do this, players will be able to jump from one piece of furniture to the next, swing on ropes, slide along walls, and more.

Based on the newly released gameplay trailer, it seems as though there will be plenty of variety when it comes to Hot Lava's environments. For example, early levels in the game are based on locations like a typical suburban home and a school, but later levels have players traversing through massive canyons, suggesting that there may be other fantastical levels as well.

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Hot Lava seems like an interesting concept, and looks like it echoes the first-person parkour platforming of Mirror's Edge in some ways. However, there's no denying that Hot Lava also marks a major departure from Klei's usual efforts. Klei has proven itself in the 2D realm with strong reviews for Invisible, Inc. and Mark of the Ninja, but it has yet to create a 3D game, and so only time will tell if Hot Lava will be as well-received as the award-winning studio's previous efforts.

Having said that, it does appear as though Klei Entertainment is looking to make sure the game is as polished as possible before release, with a beta planned for some point in the near future. Exact details on the beta, including a start date, how many people will have access to it, and all the features it will be testing, are not available at this time, but interested parties can visit the game's official website to sign up.

Overall, Hot Lava seems like it has potential. With a beta in the works, fans shouldn't have to wait too long to try out the game and see if Klei's first 3D effort will be able to match the work its done with its 2D games.

Hot Lava is in development for PC.

Source: PlayHotLava