Rage 2

Rage 2 was one of those stick figure brawlers that felt like a staple of the Flash gaming era. It came out in 2005, made by a developer known as Maf. You would find it on sites like Newgrounds, a simple, direct game in a browser window.

You control a red stick figure in a flat, monochrome arena. The moment to moment play is about movement and timing. You use the arrow keys to run and jump, the A key to perform a quick roll, and S to throw a punch or a kick. Your main objective is to survive waves of blue stick figure enemies, knocking them off the platform. The mechanics are straightforward: you learn to dodge with the roll, chain basic attacks, and use the environment to your advantage. The pacing is fast, and the difficulty ramps up quickly as more enemies swarm the screen. It feels frantic and physical, a test of reflexes more than strategy.