Anna: The Magic of Words - challenging pixel perfect platformer for NES
A downloadable game by EASTPIXEL
A challenging pixel-perfect platformer with a serious story. For the Nintendo Entertainment System® and Famicom.
Game in active development. Demo download below.
THE GAME AND DEMO
The game is a precise, mostly pixel-perfect, platformer in the style of old arcade games.
The game is initially beginner-friendly with a nice learning curve and will always be fair but challenging.
A little sad and disappointed, you make your way through a dangerous world. Embark on a difficult journey through deep forests, ice, water and dangerous caves.
Collect scrolls and combine their words, face your fear in this precise platforming game.
Your main goal is to collect scrolls.
There are four per level and 16 per world. If you have collected at least 12 scrolls at the end of a world, you will receive a password as a reward to continue playing from that point at any time.
Level skip passwords (from demo 0.1.5 and later)
To dive a bit deeper into the dungeons, use one of these passwords to skip some levels:
- 9170 (skip level Dungeons 1/4)
- 8921 (skip level Dungeons 2/4)
- 7136 (skip level Dungeons 3/4)
PRE-DEFINED KEYBOARD LAYOUT
If you start Anna on Windows or macOS, you'll find a pre-defined button layout:
You can configure your keyboard or gamepad directly via Settings > Controls menu.
THE STORY IN DETAIL
The magic of words gave you everything and suddenly took everything from you.
A little sad and disappointed, you make your way through a dangerous world. Embark on a difficult journey through deep forests, ice, water and dangerous caves. Collect scrolls and combine their words, face your fear in this precise platforming game.
The game itself is a shell. The shell for a process of self-discovery, healing, motivation and the strong will to not give up. Together with the character, you embark on an arduous journey in search for Anna.
Anna is not necessarily a person or an animal. Anna can just as well stand for a favourite place, a feeling, a family, a home, an arrival or for satisfaction with a completed task or with oneself, but of course also for a single person. There is no right or wrong answer. You decide.
You are welcome to simply ignore the psychological aspect and concentrate fully on playing this challenging platforming title. Just pay attention to your steps and little hearts then.
THE GREEN RIBBON
EASTPIXEL supports the Green Ribbon and projects that support people and integration. The author of the video game Anna: The Magic of Words is one of these people himself. A long time ago, he set out on his own search for contentment and his own well-being. The project development helps him to focus on his goals and the motivation to keep going should also help other people. The author has already found his Anna.
The green ribbon is the international symbol of mental health awareness.
https://www.seelischegesundheit.net/
https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/
P.S. The game starts with a quote of Rosa Parks and it will contain many more quotes from people who have fought for human rights and equality.
Stay updated on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@eastpixel or Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/eastpixel.de
Anna: The Magic of Words is a game by EASTPIXEL. Coding and design by Christian Dinse.
Developed to run on the Nintendo® Family Computer/Nintendo® Entertainment System. Nintendo®, Nintendo Entertainment System® and NES® are trademarks of Nintendo® of America Inc. EASTPIXEL is not affiliated to Nintendo®.
The title, game, concept, coding and art are © 2025 EASTPIXEL, www.eastpixel.de
Download
Install instructions
NES-ROM
Download NES (.nes ROM, UNROM512, Mapper 30), Region-free NTSC/PAL, 512 KB (file is .zipped)
- Emulators: You can play it with a software emulator on Linux, macOS, Windows etc.: Please use FCEUX or Mesen for best results.
- Real Hardware: You can play the game on your original NES or FAMICOM console with no problems.
- Other: You can use your random gaming handheld with RetroPie, Lakka, Recalbox, Batocera and so or you can use hardware flashcards like Krikzz EverDrive N8 (Pro) or nearly all other models available.
Windows version
- the Windows version requires Windows 10/11 (64bit)
- Windows: Just download the .zip file, extract it an run "Anna.exe"
Changelog
Demo Version 0.1.5 - January 17, 2025
- Changed after players feedback: slightly modified some parts of the level architecture (level Dungeon 1/4)
- Changed after players feedback: in all Dungeon levels - replaced some spiky plants to make it easier to see that there is a risk of injury in these places
- Added: Passwords to skip level Dungeon 1/4, 2/4 and 3/4 (just in demo version)
Demo Version 0.1.4 - January 13, 2025
- Changed: Physics and performance update #4
- Changed: Game Structure, Menu Navigation
- Changed: Ability to play a tutorial after starting a new game
- Changed: Graphics
- Added: New Sound Effects (Trampoline)
Demo Version 0.1.3 - January 09, 2025
- Changed: Animated collectables (scrolls, hearts)
- Changed: Timer Logic inside levels / timer now always shows the correct remaining time
Demo Version 0.1.2 - January 06, 2025
- Changed: Physics - Jumping possible while standing on edges
- Changed: Physics - Jumping right after falling from a platform
- Changed: Small graphic animation added for collectable hearts
- Changed: Bonus stages show collected hearts now
- Added: Options menu (first option: Mute Music in Game)
Demo Version 0.1.0 - December 22, 2024
- Physics and performance update #3
- Changed: Gameplay logic update
- Changed: small audio and graphic bugfixes
- Changed: The password system has been revised - if you collect at least 12 scrolls in the world “Dungeons”, you get a password at the end of the world, with which you can resume the game later from this point
- Added: a first brand new overworld map
- Added: one complete world "Dungeons" with 4 levels and 2 bonus stages is playable now
Changelogs for older versions are published on our website.
Development log
- Developer update #009 | Anna: The Magic of Words (There will be water levels)54 days ago
- Windows + macOS version now with controller support, image shaders and great per...Feb 20, 2025
- Anna: Update 0.1.5 available – Level skip passwords and some small level archi...Jan 17, 2025
- Anna: Update 0.1.4 available – Performance, new graphics and soundJan 13, 2025
- Demo Version 0.1.3 public nowJan 09, 2025
- New version 0.1.2 availableJan 06, 2025
- Version 0.1.0 online - play one complete game world (4 levels + 2 bonus stages)Dec 22, 2024
- Physics and Gameplay Update, Version 0.0.7Dec 08, 2024
Comments
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That was excellent. Thanks for hanging in the stream and to the IRL Anna too :)
Great game so far, hard? Yes! Learnable, very much yes! Great gameplay, very very fun to play despite the accuracy, or maybe because of it? You saw me laughing so genuine compliment.
Looks great, feels great and wicked sound and music.
Cannot wait for full release and me trying to finish it... *sigh*
Keep up the great work Chris and Co.
Thanks mate! It was a cool experience today with you and your community. I'm pleased that the game was well received in its current form (demo 0.1.4). Keep working motivated. :-)
I also want to add. The chat we had about difficulty, timers, etc etc. I personally say stick to your vision and dont change a thing, maybe tweak but don't change.
Yeah sure some people will not enjoy it and thats OK. Dumbing down a vision is not a thing that should be entertained IMO just to satisfy that small section of people that dislike the gameplay.
Your game is 110% learnable even when doing it talking to people and streaming! If it was easier, or if there is an easier option like taking out the timer or making it longer it loses something vital in my opinion.
All of this is just my view of course :)
Thanks for saying that again.
I struggled a bit over the last 2,5 years while coding but to see how you were able to improve you skill in the first level over half an hour was eye opening that everything is on a good way. Some fine-tuning after finish all worlds will be follow anyway. 😃☕
This was really fun! It was frustrating AF for all the right reasons. The challenge is brutal at times, but the controls and collision detection are on point.
Hey abraxas, thank you really much for testing the demo. Good to hear, that you liked it. :-)
This is fun! I love precision platformers.
But a lives system?
Please give me infinite lives! And shorter respawn times! Let me die over and over again until I get the precision platforming right!
Thanks Jordi, cool that you like it. Since the demo update from two days ago, the respawn has a short animation and time of 2 seconds (until then it was instant restart - if you like watch an older video on YouTube) because of the feedback from people with epilepsy and other conditions with sensitivity to light because this would a breaker.
But you know what, it's a development process and I'm not finally sure about a (let's name it) "speedrun" mode without lives but with a counter of "deads" and a timer from 0 to >.
Really appreciate your feedback and download. :-)
Hello!
So glad to see this coming along nicely. Keep me posted when the physical version is ready for preorder.