Hard Life for Windows

Simple action game

Hard Life is a game where squares compete for dominance against a stripped down background. Although it's still in development, the last update was released in 2019.

The Hard Life requires you to assume the role of a yellow rectangle, fighting its way through the seas of red enemies. To progress, your goal is to eliminate all of them.

Your tasks get more difficult as you progress to each level. You will face more challenges as the terrain changes and you have to contend with more opponents.

This game's design is simple. It has a Microsoft Paint-style design with cartoonish rectangles against grey grid. You can also use colours and facial expressions to show which squares you should kill.

It is refreshing to see the mild cartoon violence that occurs when you remove an opponent. But it soon fades away.

This game can be played solo on your computer. You have four main controls that control everything on the screen.

The keyboard arrows allow you to move your character around the map. Pressing Z allows you to shoot at your opponents. Click F4 to enter fullscreen mode. ESC will close your game. Street Fighter II or Dragon Ball FighterZ are better options if you're looking for simple but cohesive fighting games.

The game's latest additions were released by the developer last year. He shared the game’s playful OST and added an opponent to the mix. They also fixed many of the game's bugs to ensure that it runs as smoothly and efficiently as possible.

The Game Jolt page has not seen any updates since then. Although Hard Life seems to be complete, the online records don't announce any new elements. Players are left with the lightweight, 9MB app they have.

Hard Life is a fun little game that can be enjoyed as a pastime. However, it's not as impressive as Indie arcade games. It is reminiscent of minigames from 2000, and even the small enjoyment it provides has a limited life span.