Icycle: On Thin Ice is a Beautiful and Tragic Tale of Nudity and Loneliness

Take note, everybody: Icycle: On Thin Ice is a game to watch out for.

I was able to get some hands-on time with Chillingo's new bicycling platformer recently, and wow is it gorgeous. Icycle is a story about a lonely naked man named Dennis as he pedals his bicycle through a frozen world while he searches for love. I'm totally not embellishing that. You'll be guiding Dennis by way of fairly standard touch controls: arrow buttons to move, jump, and tap jump again to glide using an umbrella. Gathered ice cubes from each level can be used to buy new gear for Dennis - some cosmetic like new hats, others more utilitarian such as new bicycles or umbrellas - and most stages have at least one or two secrets to uncover.

What really makes Icycle one to watch, however, is the art style. The game uses a very beautiful and stylized vector look, and features some very impressive animations and designs that really stand out. I mean just look at those screens. Look at them.

Icycle: On Thin Ice should be out in December and will sell for $0.99. The initial release will feature 24 levels (each with challenges to complete and secrets to uncover), with more content planned for future updates.