i feel like everyone is allowed a good handful of things that they like almost solely because they have a certain "whimsy" to them. as much as it feels like a cop-out or catch-all term used to stifle discussion in my eyes, i wont deny that its valid argument in favor of some levels. in the few things i hold in my handful that could be considered whimsical, pixel thingy might be the one i hold dearest. its not my favorite level of all time, far from it, but it has a certain "unapologeticness" to it that i have to appreciate, especially in an age where it feels like everyone is trying to pander to me, impress me, and/or jingle keys in my face.

i was never the biggest hinds fan (im still not rofl). i dont dislike any of their levels per se, but i was never quick to call any of them outstanding. their levels were consistent, agreeable, and generally aesthetically pleasing without being totally remarkable or groundbreaking. ive actually grown to dislike their style a little bit due to how safe it is and how oversaturated its gotten, especially with all of the levels that are "totally inspired by hinds and totally not swagbiting his whole schtick for an easy rate". in all of this, i find it interesting, but also not that surprising, that my favorite level of theirs is the one that strays the furthest from their tried and true style; a level that ultimately feels like a joke, a level that was probably thrown on to the servers for the hell of it, a level that, unlike most of their other projects, doesnt take itself very seriously at all (or at least doesnt feel like it rofl).

pixel thingy is a very simple level at its core. the gameplay treads a fine line between being boring and uninspired and being interesting and unique without being totally gimmicky and the decoration is almost the bare minimum while still being at least a little engaging to look at. not to mention its genuinely fun to play and learn. also the gall to put a totally blind, pure memory block maze in the last 10% of ur level is ridiculous i love it LOL. it wouldve been very easy to just make another 15 ball corridors, another 30 shitty ship transitions, and another 20 spammy waves, but they didnt. hinds experimented, made something silly, relatively unconventional for its time, and then never did anything else like it ever again. a shame really.

this levels good, great even. its not fantastic, its not for everyone, and ur not a freak if u hate it and you think its his worst level, but i like it. despite silly little levels that sort of fit the same niche as pixel thingy being a dime a dozen today (some creators getting a whole career off of them ROFL), pixel thingy feels genuine in a way that most other levels dont, which is massively important to me, and a quality that feels gets harder and harder to find in levels every year as creators vie for more and more attention and views on youtube. art isnt supposed to made for anyone except the artist, and this level embodies that.

too bad hes a fkn pedo or whatever

8/10

Simple aesthetic in tandem with the flowy icon movements keeps this engaging throughout. Would be a 10, but the end being blind kinda ruins the fun in beating this.

unable to put my finger on as to why but it feels like an ode to the levels hinds made in the past. within the gameplay i sense a couple nods to their previous levels while being its own thing