“And yet it moves!” is the translation of the famous line purportedly spoken by Galileo in his trial by the Roman Inquisition, “E pur si muove!” Although it’s doubtful that he actually spoke this line, the point remains – the Earth moves around the Sun. It’s no surprise then that this is also the title of a game that requires taking advantage of the laws of physics.

And Yet It Moves is a PC/Mac/Linux/WiiWare title that may seem like a typical platformer at first, until you accidentally press the wrong button and it changes the orientation of the screen, sending you flying into a pointy tree branch, smashing into another platform, or careening through a black void into nothingness. Because of this, a strict adherence to the laws of physics will serve you well. For example, because of gravity, if you fall too far you’re going to die. Then there’s Newton’s First Law of Motion – an object in motion will stay in motion unless acted upon by an external force. This means that you can jump a small distance into the air, rotate the screen a few times to build up momentum, and then land right back where you started and die. Momentum carries, and that is one reason that this game can be mildly frustrating. One little slip up and you’re dead.

This ability to rotate the screen means that the level design isn’t limited to left and right. It allowed the developers, Broken Rules, to get really creative with the maps and direct you every-which-way until you get to the next checkpoint or your destination. The levels are very maze-like. There are times when you’ll have to go upside-down, spin the screen mid-jump to reach an angled platform, turn to fit through a small gap, or rotate the screen with perfect timing to get an item to reach a certain spot. This is most often used when there’s an “enemy” in the game, like a monkey that throws rocks at you or a lizard that eats you if you get too close.

The art style is pretty neat, too. It’s made to look like each element of the game is a ripped piece of paper, slightly crumpled, so everything has a cool look and texture. The player himself is basically a paper cutout. The environments vary from forest-y tree-based levels to colorful caverns, weaving you through tree tops, over huge rocks, and through underground tunnels. The layered backgrounds create a neat 3D effect as you progress through the levels, too. And Yet It Moves certainly has a unique aesthetic.

Overall, this is a great game. I’ve come back to it many times, and even after you’ve finished there are time trials. It’ll make you stop and think a few times, and it’s really fun to get to play with physics the way this game allows you to. Yes it’s kinda easy to die, but the aesthetic, the unique physics, and the feeling of accomplishment you get from nailing a complex puzzle while flying through the air make it worth it.