Who Made Slope? The Game's History From 2014 to 2018
Published · Updated · 2 min read
Slope is often passed around under many names, including the "Slope 3" in this site's domain. The game files themselves are clear about where it came from. The credits screen and a changelog are built into the Y8 version that runs here, and this post goes through what they say.
The credits
The in-game credits screen lists three lines:
- Game by @RobKaySF, the developer Rob Kay.
- Music by @SynthR.
- Published by Y8.com. The game also carries the note "2014, Y8.com, All Rights Reserved" and states that "Slope" is released by Y8.com.
Y8 lists the game on its own site, and you can find the official page at y8.com/games/slope.
The changelog, version by version
The build includes a short version history. In order:
| Version | What changed |
|---|---|
| 0.9 | Released as a web player game, September 2014. |
| 1.0 | Released as a WebGL game with a high score system, April 2015. |
| 1.1 | Bug fixes for the WebGL port, browser control navigation and sound. |
| 1.2 | Fixed getting stuck in a tunnel and a rare stuck-at-start bug; updated the high score system. |
| 1.3 | Released as an Android game, April 2018. Fixed a random jump bug and the links in the credits, added a feedback option, a sound on/off button, and the A/D and Q/D controls. |
So the alternative keys came late. For its first years Slope was steered with the arrow keys only. Version 1.3 added A and D, plus Q and D for keyboard layouts where A is in a different place.
What is in the main menu
The menu built into the game has more than a Play button. The build contains a leaderboard tied to a Y8 account login, a credits screen, a feedback screen that opens a bug report form, a sound toggle, and a "Download game" button that links to the Android version on Google Play. Between runs the original build also asks Y8 to show an ad.
What works on this site
This copy loads the game from our own server. The Y8 account service is not loaded here, so login and the online leaderboard are not expected to work. The ad request between runs is answered straight away so the game carries on without one. The game itself, the controls, the credits and the sound toggle are the same as in the original build.
About the name
There is no "Slope 3" in the files. The build calls itself "Slope" and names Y8 as the company. Other ball runners have taken the Slope name since, but the game in our player is Rob Kay's original, the one this site's name points back to.
More from the blog
- How Speed-Ups Work in Slope and How to Steer Through Them
Slope does not speed up on a timer. Arrow strips on the track push the ball faster and make steering stronger. Here is what that means for your runs.
- Slope Track Sections Explained: Tunnels, Tilts and Red Blocks
A tour of the track pieces in Slope, from tilted slopes and tunnels to moving red obstacles, and how the game groups them into easy, medium and hard runs.