The Games Behind Portal

The first person puzzle game, Portal became instantly popular due to its unique gameplay and humorous script. It was a fresh new addition to the video game industry and it left gamers yearning for more after completing the brilliant but short game. The release of Portal 2 was well recieved by gamers and critics alike because it brought back the unique gameplay of portal with additional elements in a full-length gaming package. The custom map editor of portal 2 brought about more opportunities for fans to immerse themselves in the puzzle riddled portal universe.

After completing both Portal games and additional maps, if you are still looking forward to a gaming experience similar to it, then the best place to look for it is, the birthplace of the concepts of these games - DigiPen Institute of Technology. DigiPen Institute is a leading game developing institute that has produced prolific game developers over the past few years.

The game that Portal is based upon is, Narbacular Drop. The idea of solving puzzles by manipulating objects through a system of portals was introduced in Narbcular Drop. Unlike in Portal though, it has a fantasy background and it's possible to create portals through an existing portal. The entire development team of Narbacular Drop was hired by Valve corporation to work on Portal. Being the predecessor to Portal, this game is definitely worth checking out. This game can be downloaded through the link at he end of this post.

The concept of propulsion and repulsion gels in portal 2 is also taken from a game called "Tag - the power of paint" which was also developed by students at DigiPen institute and just like before, hired by Valve to work on Portal 2. In Tag, the player is equipped with a paint gun that can spray different colours of paint onto surfaces that will give the player special abilities which are to be used to solve puzzles. Follow the link below to download.

 To download these games,

Narbacular Drop

Tag - The Power of Paint

Little Chell in Portal 2

We are introduced to the Silent but active test subject known only as Chell in Portal, and the game ends when Chell destroys Glados and the Aperture science lab. We meet Chell again in Portal 2. This game though has a clue about Chell's past and her previous involvement with the Aperture science lab. It turns out Chell was a daughter of a Aperture science lab employee because Chells name can be seen in one of the children's projects showcased at "Bring your Daughter to work day" held sometime in the past at the science lab. The potato in little Chells potato battery, has grown through the roof leaving a distinct mark on the Aperture science lab, showing a similarity to the impact Chell has on the Aperture science laboratory.

notice Chell's name on the bottom right corner..