Boštjan Cadež / Published by inXile entertainment / 2006 / Slovenia For Personal Computers

In Line Rider, users draw with the mouse one or more lines along which a little man on a sledge slides, once the player presses the “play” button. The game includes physics simulations, which means that the line must meet minimum design conditions to prevent the character from falling off the sled. Since it has no defined purpose or scores, Line Rider is described by its creator not as a game, but as a toy.

As white as an Etch-A-Sketch, the game space offers infinite possibilities that depend only on the ingenuity and creativity of the player. The most complex examples use drawing tools to construct three-dimensional-looking landscapes that create a broad sense of spatial and visual storytelling. Conceived as a project for an illustration class, Line Rider has become a mass phenomenon online, inspiring forums and collections of fan-generated videos collected on YouTube.