Browser game of the week: Hot Throttle
Hot Throttle is a game -- er, experience -- from Cactus and Doomlaser, best known for, well, not really known for anything, but best associated with the weirder side of gaming. Case in point, the premise of Hot Throttle is that you play as a naked man who believes he is a car. Yes, it gets weirder. 
The game sort of plays out like Off Road with a hint of Mario Kart, but you have to picture that run through Cronenberg's brain and set on fire. The game isn't actually NSFW, but if your coworkers got a glimpse of it while you were playing they'd definitely think you were exceptionally (more) creepy.
There are no actual directions in game, but the controls are pretty simple to grasp. Arrow keys will get you moving, and pressing 'X' will let you use the power up and items you pick up. You'll also be able to upgrade your car body throughout the game, giving you increased speed and strength. When you move through the course without hitting something, you'll get "in the zone" causing you to get on all fours and move even faster.
In typical Cactus fashion, this game is a sight to behold. Not in that it'll blow your mind with its fanciness, but that it'll blow your mind with its oddness. There is an air of Fantastic Planet in its design, but only if you can picture it strained through Microsoft Paint. There are also cut scenes between each race, which flesh out the story with tales of your character giving a man incredibly off-putting CPR, telling a man to ride you as a taxi, conversing with an alien being and more. They're delightfully offbeat.
The music and sound effects are as strange as you'd imagine from the description. The main sound effect is pretty much some guy making driving sounds with his mouth. It all comes together to form one of the most original and weird experiences you'll have this week.
Play it here.
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