#53: Oh No! More Lemmings (Psygnosis, Amiga, 1991)

Oh no. An extension of the warning on the Lemmings box that said “We are not responsible for: Loss of sanity, loss of hair, loss of sleep.” A continuation of the idea that the appeal to the player lies in their own frustration, or at least in building that frustration to the point where the relief of release from it is ecstatic. The ideal Lemmings level, perhaps, should appear initially impossible until a sudden mental breakthrough that reveals it’s really easy, followed by the realisation of a complication that renders it impossible again. And so on, perception swinging wildly but settling in on a mid-point final realisation that yes, everything is accounted for and it’s just about doable. It’s that feeling that Oh No! More Lemmings works out new ways to provide to players who have built up a resistance.