In any form of entertainment one of the biggest problems the creative minds stumble upon is how much is too much.
An overcrowded video game offers a huge amount of content but at the cost of pace and enjoyment, so some cuts have to be made to make a product better even if it means removing things and details that are great on their own but not as a part of the whole.

It is true what they say, sometimes less is more, or in other words, simplifying things to make them less crowded and more focused. In terms of video games, we could have a character with a detailed story taking him on a lengthy quest with a plethora of side-quests and a whole ton of items to collect.
However, one does have to ask, is all of that needed for a game to be enjoyed? Does every game need coins to collect to up the high score? Is it necessary to have power-ups that can help you beat the level? It all depends on where the focus lies.
In the case of Ape Out, the focus is on pure, frantic gameplay.

Developed by Gabe Cuzzillo and published by Devolver Digital, Ape Out stars an ape (go figure) in a quest to escape the clutches of the most horrible creatures to ever roam the earth - men! *thunder strikes*
You control the orange gorilla trying to escape the facility you’ve been kept in for purposes unknown. Your only weapon is your fists that can be used in two ways - punch an enemy into a wall, making them explode in a bloody fashion, or grab the enemy and use them and their weapons to give you an extra edge in reaching the goal, and then throw them into a wall.
That is pretty much what the game is about, all explained in one paragraph.

The simple gameplay is complemented with minimal visuals.
Cuzzillo joined forces with Bennett Foddy (a familiar name for those who played Getting Over It) to give the game a very specific minimal look. There are hardly any details on the main character. Essentially it is a big orange blob, seen from above, but the movement clearly gives away that the character in question is a gorilla. Enemies are slightly more detailed but very much in visual tone with the rest of the game.
The whole setting is no different, essentially being a giant maze to navigate through without distracting details.
Speaking of distracting details, there is no character hub of any sorts - you have three hit points but that stat is not shown on the screen but is cleverly presented with your character bleeding once it is shot and bleeding some more after the second shot.
The levels are procedurally generated, so if you thought you can learn the stage layout and just speedrun the game, think again. While a couple of first levels can be beaten without much thought, the rest require careful planning and quick reflexes once the guards inevitably notice you running around and the whole hell breaks loose.

Minimalism works better when there is at least one thing that is detailed, and that is the music. Composer Matt Boch brought a jazzy soundtrack to the game that delivers on every aspect, fueling the game with energy. As if that wasn’t enough the game gives you a way to enrich the music through the gameplay. With every enemy hurled into the wall, a cymbal is heard crashing and it fits beautifully with the music playing in the background. It gives every single action you make in the game a reason to exist. Even the stage select screen is presented with vinyl records hinting at the importance of music even before playing the game.

There has been a lot of killing and blood-related stuff in this article and in the game, but that is not to say the game is violent. I understand that statement doesn't make much sense but the minimalistic approach and arguably silly premise make the violence feel like a passing thing, and with such hectic gameplay you won’t even have time to notice the violence. It is not about killing, it is about surviving.

Ape Out is one of those “Just one more try.” games. Once you die you are shown how much you had left to beat the stage, not unlike Cuphead. It is focused, balanced and revels in its simplicity, as you will too. If anyone asks are video games art, just show them Ape Out.