This is a CSSCGC2026 game by Equinox
Spoilers from the start. Play it yourself first if you want the surprises.
Alex Green has lost six jobs. Alex has decided to become a mechanic. It seems easy. First he must collect all his spanners, avoiding Nasty Nail and Wicked Washer.
EQUINOX (Paul Collins) describes it as a resurrected childhood game, which explains both its charm and its rough edges. It is written in Sinclair BASIC for the 128K Spectrum.
Alex the Mechanic reveals itself as a surprisingly entertaining platform and puzzle game across seven levels. Alex is a two-character-tall sprite that moves across the screen without stopping blinking. The game has the same annoying jump controls as Alex in Town (CGC 2001). The player cannot move and jump at the same time, which is what makes it fun in my opinion.
The spanners are not mere collectible objects. They are platforms. Touch them from one side to collect them; land on top of them and they will support your weight. The core idea of using collectibles as platforms gives the later levels a satisfying twist.
Equinox constantly and cheerfully punishes the players for collecting spanners in the wrong order throughout the entire game.
The game ends without a congratulations screen with a single STOP. The most anticlimactic command in Sinclair BASIC. Alex collects his last spanner and the universe shrugs its shoulders.
Paul mentions that there are two other unpublished Alex games. After this one, we would quite like to see them.
Download, here
