History VideoGame / Hylics

** The Sage's Labyrinth in the sequel can be pretty annoying to traverse due to the first-person perspective. Finding every treasure, though? It can be a nightmare, thanks to the fact that everything is behind false walls (and lots of them don't have any hint to their presence). In fact, a paper cup and an entire BonusBoss can be missed within it.

Its world, from the environments to the battle sprites, is made entirely from pastel claymation.
You play mainly as Wayne, a man with a waning moon for a head, on a vague quest to meet Gibby, the King of the Moon. The plot, if there can be said to be one, is heavily buried under symbolism and the general surrealism of the world.

** The second game gives more details about it. There was once an advanced worldwide civilization built by a race known as the Sages, but the world was devastated by a flying fortress known as Hylemxylem, an event known as "The Accretion." [[spoiler:The revived Gibby rediscovered Hylemxylem and is trying to use it to recreate the old world and a new Moon]].

* DeathAsGameMechanic: Instead of a standard game over, after dying you get sent to the Afterlife, which serves both as the fast travel hub and the way you level up (the game's equivalent of experience points must be manually redeemed here). Not only is player death [[DeathIsASlapOnTheWrist fairly unpunishing]], it's a ''core game mechanic.''

** [[spoiler:Also, the money machine in the first game, processing 3 subjects into 250K bucks each]].

*** Gibby is a double-layered pun. Gibby also beings to mind the word ''gibberish''. [[spoiler:The second game fully reveals that it's his influence that caused all the characters in the first game to speak nonsense, as he does the same when he's revived.]]

* ArtGame: A TrueArtIsIncomprehensible Game, even.

!! Hylics contains examples of:

* ClimaxBoss: [[spoiler:Gibby.]]

* DaylightHorror: Even the scarier parts of the game are still in pastel claymation.

* GreekChorus: Dracula, the Narrator.

* AerithAndBob: Pongorma, Somsnosa and Dedusmuln compared to Wayne, Gibby and Dracula.

** Odozeir, a loyal minion of Gibby, acts as the primary antagonistic force of ''Hylics 2'' in his attempts to resurrect his master. [[spoiler:He dies after his fight, and he's [[HijackedByGanon upstaged as the antagonist]] by the newly revived Gibby]].
* BigGood: The Sages who give, Wayne and Co. various powers or clues to help in their quest.

* ClimaxBoss: [[spoiler:Gibby]].
* DancePartyEnding: [[spoiler: After defeating Gibby in Hylics 2, Wayne and co. land on a concert stage where you can play the instruments for a cheering crowd]].

* DidYouGetANewHaircut: Wayne asks this of Dedusmuln in Hylics 2 while on the airship. Dedusmuln replies that it's actually a "seasonally occurring lamellar structure".

** Hylics 2 doesn't have randomly generated text [[spoiler:until the final act]], and even then, the pause menu [[WhereWasIGoingAgain has a reminder of what your next objective is]].

** The Waynes play this straight in the second game. In the first, aside from various cats that look like him, Wayne seems to just be a man with a strangely-shaped head. In the sequel, the Wayne "lineage" is revealed to vary in body type depending on age - Old Wayne is now a slug-like creature, whose only resemblance to the first game's Wayne is his yellow color and headshape.

* PreAsskickingOneLiner: "You dare approach me? My feelings will embrace your memories until you beg me to hark! Now pardon thine little spirit. It is the last time you will." [[spoiler:Spoken when you challenge Gibby]]. Somewhat downplayed, since it's just as subject to random word replacement as any other dialogue.
* ResurrectTheVillain: In the sequel, preventing this is your main goal. [[spoiler:You fail, and Gibby Redivivus must be defeated]].
* Really700YearsOld: [[spoiler:Pongorma and Gibby are old enough to have lived in the pre-accretion world and witnessed the Empire of the Sages in its full glory]].

*** Gibby is a double-layered pun. Gibby also beings to mind the word ''gibberish''. [[spoiler:The second game fully reveals that it's his influence that caused all the characters in the first game to speak nonsense, as he does the same when he's revived]].

** The first game could be considered a ''very'' loose one to VideoGame/FinalFantasyIV. There's a progression from boat to airship to [[spoiler: spaceship]], a knight in a spiky helmet that switches sides, a tower level, a lab full of secret experiments, sages, crystals, and, most notably, [[spoiler: a final battle with a powerful magic user on the moon.]]
** Similarly, the plot of ''Hylics 2'' includes a FloatingContinent, a deranged godlike antagonist, an explorable airship you can pilot, and [[spoiler: a final act that takes place after a cataclysmic event]], all possible references to VideoGame/FinalFantasyVI. The Accretion is also reminiscent of the War of the Magi, both of which take place before their respective games' main stories begin.

** The first game could be considered a ''very'' loose one to VideoGame/FinalFantasyIV. There's a progression from boat to airship to [[spoiler: spaceship]], a knight in a spiky helmet that switches sides, a tower level, a lab full of secret experiments, sages, crystals, and, most notably, [[spoiler: a final battle with a powerful magic wizard on the moon.]]

** It's even looser, but the plot of ''Hylics 2'' includes a FloatingContinent, a godlike antagonist, and an explorable airship you can pilot, all possible references to VideoGame/FinalFantasyVI.

* GeniusBonus: The second game reveals that the WordSalad speech of the first came is [[spoiler: caused by Gibby the Moon Wizard.]] This makes a lot of sense given that [[spoiler: the moon is often associated with madness. The word "lunacy" derives from the Latin word for "moon," and in the Tarot, the Moon can represent illusions and mental illness.]]

** It's even looser, but the plot of '''Hylics 2''' includes a FloatingContinent, a godlike antagonist, and an explorable airship you can pilot, all possible references to VideoGame/FinalFantasyVI.

* WholePlotReference: The first game could be considered a ''very'' loose one to VideoGame/FinalFantasyIV. There's a progression from boat to airship to [[spoiler: spaceship]], a knight in a spiky helmet that switches sides, a tower level, a lab full of secret experiments, sages, crystals, and, most notably, [[spoiler: a final battle with a powerful magic wizard on the moon.]]

* ShoutOut: Somewhere on the world map is a house that is a recreation of Crono's house from ''VideoGame/ChronoTrigger'', complete with a woman and a cat on the first floor.

* TheBeforetimes: The Empire of the Sages which had airships, computers and other tech that is now found only in sparse locations.

* MeaningfulName: Gibby and Wayne as mentioned below, but the title of the game, Hylics, is a reference to Gnosticism. A hylic is a body that’s completely material -- fitting for a world made of clay.

* PreAssKickingOneLiner: "You dare approach me? My feelings will embrace your memories until you beg me to hark! Now pardon thine little spirit. It is the last time you will." [[spoiler:Spoken when you challenge Gibby]]. Somewhat downplayed, since it's just as subject to random word replacement as any other dialogue.

* DeflectorShields: Seen in the sequel and powered by... worms

* GoodBadBugs: Paper cups are a rare artifact of an ancient civilization capable of massively increasing your maximum [[{{Mana}} Will]] when used on a water cooler. As such, there are only six of both in the game. Well, allegedly. In Dedusmuln's tent, where a paper cup can be found, the event to pick up the item is bugged, and you can obtain infinite paper cups by interacting with it repeatedly. Luckily for the developer, the scarcity of water coolers keeps the player from ''completely'' breaking the game - one might, if not for that, be able to increase their Will ''infinitely''. As it stands, though, this bug still allows players to entirely bypass searching across the game world for paper cups, and obtain all six necessary in one place.

** With the plot left to the player’s speculation and most dialogue being randomly generated, figuring out what you’re supposed to do can be difficult.

* AerithAndBob: Pongorma, Somsnosa, and Dedusmuln compared to Wayne, Gibby, and Dracula.

* MeaningfulEcho: One of the first trash cans[[note]]The game's version of treasure chests[[/note]] you can find in the game gives you nothing, but instead collapses, with the message "You accidentally crushed it." You'll find trash cans like this several times throughout the game. In the final steps of the game as you make your way towards Gibby, Wayne is faced with an onslaught of enemies marching towards him. But when you touch one, instead of a battle... "You accidentally crushed it", and it collapses. Cue massive ConservationOfNinjutsu as the party simply walks through Gibby's entire last line of defense, making the final boss himself seem all the more powerful in comparison.

** Most of the first game's dialogue randomly replaces certain words and phrases, often causing non-sequiturs, strange grammar, and misspellings.

** Odozier, a loyal minion of Gibby, acts as the primary antagonistic force of ''Hylics 2'' in his attempts to resurrect his master. [[spoiler:He dies after his fight, and he's [[HijackedByGanon upstaged as the antagonist]] by the newly revived Gibby]].

''Hylics'' is a video game created by Mason Lindroth in 2015, described as "a recreational program with light JRPG elements".

A sequel, ''Hylics 2'', was released in 2020. Described as a "recreational program with a unique graphic style and droll scenario", it follows Wayne and company as they seek to prevent Gibby's resurrection.

** The second game gives more details about it. There was once an advanced worldwide civilization built by a race known as the Sages, but the world was devastated by a flying fortress known as Hylemxylem, an event known as "The Accretion". [[spoiler:The revived Gibby rediscovered Hylemxylem and is trying to use it to recreate the old world and a new Moon.]]
* AllThereInTheManual: The narrator’s name, Dracula, is found in the game’s files.[[note]]Interestingly enough, there are unused sprite sheets of distinct characters that are also labeled Dracula. Whether they are prototypes of the Dracula seen in the game or characters simply cut out from the game due to certain constraints is anybody's guess.[[/note]]

** Odozier, a loyal minion of Gibby, acts as the primary antagonistic force of ''Hylics 2'' in his attempts to resurrect his master. [[spoiler: He dies after his fight, and he's [[HijackedByGanon upstaged as the antagonist]] by the newly revived Gibby.]]
* BigGood: The Sages who give, Wayne and co. various powers or clues to help in their quest.

* ClimaxBoss: [[spoiler:Gibby.]]
* DancePartyEnding: [[spoiler: After defeating Gibby in Hylics 2, Wayne and co. land on a concert stage where you can play the instruments for a cheering crowd.]]

* DeflectorShields: Seen in the sequel and powered by...worms

** Hylics 2 doesn't have randomly generated text [[spoiler: until the final act]], and even then the pause menu [[WhereWasIGoingAgain has a reminder of what your next objective is]].

* MeaningfulEcho: One of the first trash cans[[note]]The game's version of treasure chests[[/note]] you can find in the game gives you nothing, but instead collapses, with the message "You accidentally crushed it". You'll find trash cans like this several times throughout the game. In the final steps of the game as you make your way towards Gibby, Wayne is faced with an onslaught of enemies marching towards him. But when you touch one, instead of a battle... "You accidentally crushed it", and it collapses. Cue massive ConservationOfNinjutsu as the party simply walks through Gibby's entire last line of defense, making the final boss himself seem all the more powerful in comparison.

* PreAssKickingOneLiner: “You dare approach me? My feelings will embrace your memories until you beg me to hark! Now pardon thine little spirit. It is the last time you will.” [[spoiler:Spoken when you challenge Gibby.]] Somewhat downplayed, since it's just as subject to random word replacement as any other dialogue.
* ResurrectTheVillain: In the sequel, preventing this is your main goal. [[spoiler:You fail, and Gibby Redivivus must be defeated.]]
* Really700YearsOld: [[spoiler: Pongorma and Gibby are old enough to have lived in the pre-accretion world and witnessed the Empire of the Sages in its full glory.]]

*** Gibby is a double-layered pun. Gibby also beings to mind the word ''gibberish''. [[spoiler: The second game fully reveals that it's his influence that caused all the characters in the first game to speak nonsense, as he does the same when he's revived.]]

* TempleOfDoom: Wayne's crew needs to infiltrate one mid-game to prevent [[spoiler: Gibby's resurrection]].

* UnreliableNarrator: Save for a few phrases, Dracula’s narration is as randomly generated as the other {{Non Player Character}}s.
* UselessUsefulSpell: Played straight in the first game, then averted HARD in the sequel. While the first game fell on the 'more effective to just beat the enemies then move on' camp, but the sequel makes charging up your attacks a major mechanic in combat to hammer it in.

* DifficultySpike: Inverted. At the start of the game, enemies are incredibly powerful compared to squishy little Wayne, and the first level's enemies will trounce you easily, probably multiple times. Standard fare for a game that forces you to die in order to level up and warp. Once you get over that hump, however, the game becomes much easier. As you progress and increase in strength, the enemies do not keep pace with you, and combat quickly turns into a walk in the park. And that's just in regular gameplay. If you start ''intentionally'' seeking out and making use of the best items, abilities, and stat boosts, it gets ludicrous. Players at the endgame may even find themselves ''struggling to die'' in order to increase their health via the Afterlife, as there is a finite number of enemies to fight in the game and very few things that can instakill you[[note]]especially once you recruit Pongorma, who grants you immunity to a large majority of them[[/note]].

* GainaxEnding: The original game ends with one.

* MeaningfulEcho: One of the first trash cans[[note]]The game's version of treasure chests[[/note]] you can find in the game gives you nothing, but instead collapses, with the message "You accidentally crushed it". In the final steps of the game as you make your way towards Gibby, Wayne is faced with an onslaught of enemies marching towards him. But when you touch one, instead of a battle... "You accidentally crushed it", and it collapses. Cue massive ConservationOfNinjutsu as the party simply walks through Gibby's entire last line of defense, making the final boss himself seem all the more powerful in comparison.