Through The Frame is a free out-of-the-box minimalist racing game that allows you to completely focus on being fast and winning the race. The goal is to use a grappling hook and speed through a bunch of angled square frames, all lined up to guide you to the finish line.

The game’s developer, Jaypay, warns that the game is meant to be really difficult, so players should prepare themselves for a whole different level of challenge. Hence, the game is designed to test how much a player is willing to win the game, minus all the fancy design and graphics.

Simple but very difficult

Through The Frame is one of the most minimalist racing games ever designed. The abstract layout that stays true to its title; the race track itself is an actual line of frames that you literally pass through in the middle and get to the next one. Additionally, the design of the character is also minimalist, as it’s only a blob of light in the middle of the screen.

The controls of the game are also simple. Move your mouse to aim, left click to the edge of a frame to start moving, and right-click to release your grappling hook. Now, while these are simple controls and mechanics, the game is far from easy. The developer even added a disclaimer at the beginning to warn about how the game is intentionally difficult.

What makes the game hard is its lack of physics. It’s almost impossible to know how fast you’re approaching a frame and how far your line can reach, so it’s difficult to control your movement. On top of that, you’re not allowed to hit the frames, or else you’ll die. If you don’t latch onto the next frame on time, you’ll also fall and die.

Fun competitive race

Put the complex grappling mechanic and impossible physics aside, Through The Frame is a great “beat the high score” game. While it removes the thrilling special effects and crisp, detailed graphics that are common for racing games, this game still stimulates good competitive energy within yourself and your friends. You just really need to actually finish an entire leg, first.