Level editing tools used to create mods for Portal 2.
There exists many dedicated communities to video game modifications, an “edit” made to a video game to add new content, features, or story elements. Here are my personal top 5, in no particular order:
- Portal: Revolution
- Portal: Revolution is a modification of “Portal 2”, built on an improved engine and including 8 full chapters of gameplay and a new story campaign. The visuals are massively upgraded from the initial game, and the storyline is made to fit inside of the Portal/Half Life universe while still being an original and funny experience. The most impressive part of this mod in my opinion is the small team of developers–the team was only about 4 main people, and the mod was under development for over 8 years. The mod is free if you own Portal 2 and is my top choice for Portal 2 mods.
- Celeste: Strawberry Jam
- Celeste’s Strawberry Jam is the biggest collaboration in Celeste modding, featuring over 100 unique levels ranging from beginner to grandmaster difficulty. It’s amazing for both new and experienced players, and has attracted the attention of many who aren’t familiar with Celeste modding in general. It has useful gyms for practicing tricks which aren’t normally taught to you. I recommend playing it for a good introductory experience to Celeste mods.
- MyHouse.wad and Celeste’s “The House on Ash Tree Lane”
- These two are grouped together because they are both based on the same source material and have very similar aspects. They are based on Mark Z. Danielewski’s “House of Leaves”, a metafiction work which follows the story of a house with a seemingly endless dark labyrinth mysteriously appearing inside. Both MyHouse and Ash Tree Lane build into the concept of metafiction; MyHouse poses as a recreation of a deceased friend’s house, while Ash Tree Lane is part of the “Secret Santa Collab 2024” collab, and messages are provided that show the creator’s struggles with the prompt they were given. The original House of Leaves as well as these mods taking inspiration are both works of art, and I recommend you play them.
- Kaizo Mario World
- Kaizo Mario World is a modification/ROM hack of Super Mario World for the SNES. Although it’s quite old, it’s my favorite because of how influential it was, as well as how it isn’t afraid to break all the rules of general game design to make something difficult. The infamous kaizo block, difficult but rewarding tricks and precise platforming make this an amazing mod, worth playing if you’re up for the challenge and worth watching someone else struggle if you aren’t.
- Portal: Reloaded
- Not to be confused with “Portal: Revolution” above, this mod is centered around a mechanic allowing the player to gain a third portal: the time portal. This gimmick is confusing, but essentially allows the player to travel between the “past” and “future” versions of the puzzles. Throughout 25 chambers, the player learns the many ways that this portal can be used, while partaking in a simple but charming story with multiple endings. Although not nearly as extravagant as Revolution, this mod adds a new feature to the game and makes quite good use of it.
