Jones on Fire

Jones on Fire is a 2.5D auto-run platformer where you play as firefighter Emma Jones. The goal is to automatically run through ten levels, outrunning a pursuing wall of fire while rescuing cats. Using only jump and charge actions, players must navigate past obstacles like logs and flames. The game features a progression system where players can use collected currency from regular and golden cats to purchase permanent abilities, temporary pick-ups, and super boosters to aid their escape.

Jones on Fire: A Phoenix Forged in Failure, A Legacy of Charm

In the annals of independent game development, few stories are as instructive, or as ultimately triumphant, as that of Jones on Fire. To review this 2013 auto-runner is not merely to analyze its mechanics and aesthetics, but to chronicle the very genesis of a studio. It is a tale of a game that cratered commercially upon launch, yet whose embers provided the necessary heat to forge a future. Jones on Fire is a fascinating case study: a project born from panic, refined in a charity game jam, and ultimately redeemed not by sales figures, but by its undeniable heart and the foundation it laid for its creators.

Development History & Context: A Studio’s “Hello World”

In the spring of 2012, Megan Fox, a senior graphics programmer recently laid off after the cancellation of LEGO Universe, found herself at a crossroads. Her fledgling studio, Glass Bottom Games, had weathered a series of false starts: an overly ambitious Metroidvania prototype, a failed Kickstarter for a racer called Gravitaz, and a casual Facebook game that never congealed. With funds depleted, she had to let her artist go, leaving her essentially a solo programmer with no clear path forward. The indie mobile market seemed like a potential lifeline—a space with lower barriers to entry.

As Fox recounted in a poignant 2013 postmortem, the initial, fateful decision was born of this desperation: “I’d like to do a platformer of some kind, but that would be too big, too risky… so what about a runner! It’s like a platformer, but faster to make, and one would probably do pretty well! They’re popular!” This choice to play it safe, to follow a trend rather than set one, would come to define the game’s initial commercial fate.

The project’s creative soul was discovered during “Blaze Jam,” a charity game jam organized to benefit victims of Colorado’s devastating 2013 wildfire season. Within this constrained, purpose-driven environment, the core elements clicked. Fox, experimenting with a blocky, LEGO-inspired art style she could execute herself, drew a firefighter on a whiteboard. She followed it with a cat. The style worked. More crucially, “The second I added meow effects that played when kitties were rescued, I knew I had something special.” The game’s identity was forged in this moment: a quirky, charming auto-runner about a firefighter named Emma Jones saving kittens from a fiery apocalypse.

Over an eight-month development cycle (longer than the initial six-month estimate), the small team coalesced. Fox handled code, 3D art, and design; Michael Nielsen, who contributed music during the jam, stayed on; Nathan Madsen was brought in to round out the soundtrack and handle sound effects; and Folmer Kelly joined later to create promotional art and icons. Built in the versatile Unity engine, Jones on Fire was a product of its time—a mobile-first auto-runner designed for short, addictive play sessions, released into an App Store that was becoming increasingly crowded and competitive.

Narrative & Thematic Deep Dive: Quirk and Sardonicism in the Face of Armageddon

Jones on Fire is not a narrative-heavy experience, but its story is woven into every fiber of its presentation. The premise is delightfully absurd: the world is inexplicably burning, and volunteer firefighter Emma Jones has one mission—to save every single kitten. There are no grand explanations, no sinister villains revealed; the apocalypse is merely a backdrop for a story about determination, compassion, and a healthy dose of sarcasm.

Fox, hailing from a family of writers, infused the game with a “quirky, sardonic” sensibility. The writing, found in mission descriptions and character asides, gives Jones a personality far beyond her blocky visage. She’s a “tough cookie,” a professional doing an impossible job with weary competence. The kittens themselves are not just collectibles; they are characters, their joyful meows upon rescue providing a powerful audio-visual reward that reinforces the game’s core emotional loop. The central theme is one of heroic persistence in a chaotic world, a metaphor that would eerily mirror the game’s own journey. The act of saving kittens—of creating small pockets of order and safety amidst relentless, consuming fire—resonates deeply, even if it’s never explicitly stated.

Gameplay Mechanics & Systems: The Two-Button Sprint

At its heart, Jones on Fire is a masterclass in streamlined design. It is a “2.5D auto-runner,” meaning the character moves forward automatically on a 2D plane within a 3D environment, and the player’s input is distilled to just two actions: jump (to avoid logs) and charge (a sliding dash to pass through flames).

This simplicity belies a surprisingly deep and punishing progression system. The game consists of ten distinct levels. To unlock the next, a player must complete a run without being caught by the pursuing wall of fire. A single mistake—hitting a log or fire—summons this wall. A second mistake while it’s active results in death and the loss of one of three initial lives. This creates a tense, high-stakes environment where a single error can spell doom for an entire run.

The meta-game is where Jones on Fire finds its longevity. Rescued kittens are converted into two currencies: k (from common kitties) and the more valuable GK (from rare golden kitties). At the fire station hub, these currencies fuel a robust upgrade economy split into three categories:

• Abilities: Permanent perks that fundamentally alter gameplay. These include Fire Proofing (increasing hit points), Outrun the Fire (allowing the player to escape the wall of fire after a period of flawless running), Charge Jump, and Mid-air Charge. These are essential for surviving the higher hazard levels.
• Pick-ups: Items that appear within levels, such as Catnip (magnet for nearby kitties), First Aid Kits, and Kitty’s Blessing (temporary invincibility).
• Superboosters: One-use power-ups activated at the start of a level.

This system creates a compelling “just one more run” loop. Failure is not entirely punitive, as any currency collected is kept, allowing for gradual, meaningful progression. However, this system also drew criticism. Later upgrades require vast amounts of GK, which can turn the end-game into a grind. Furthermore, as one reviewer noted, the highest “Hazard Level 10” feels “unbeatable,” with obstacles seemingly placed to guarantee failure, potentially frustrating players who have invested heavily in the grind.

World-Building, Art & Sound: A Blocky, Meowing Oasis

The aesthetic of Jones on Fire is its most immediate and enduring strength. The “blocky, retro visuals with just a touch of the modern” are a direct result of Fox’s programmer-artist compromise. This LEGO-inspired, low-poly style is consistently charming, making even a burning forest or an overflowing litter box feel endearing. The 2.5D perspective adds a sense of depth and scale to the environments, from the safe confines of the fire station to the treacherous, scrolling mountain paths.

The sound design is arguably the game’s secret weapon. Nathan Madsen and Michael Nielsen’s “rockin’ tunes” provide a energetic, chiptune-infused backdrop that perfectly matches the game’s frenetic pace. But the true masterstroke is the sound of the kittens. The joyful, distinct “meow” that plays with every rescue is an unparalleled positive feedback mechanism. It transforms a simple collection task into an emotionally rewarding act, a key factor in the game’s addictive quality. This audio-visual charm was universally praised by critics, with outlets like Kotaku and TouchArcade highlighting it as the game’s standout feature.

Reception & Legacy: From Commercial Ash to Institutional Cornerstone

Jones on Fire was released on March 6, 2013, into a perfect storm of misfortune. It launched the same week as Sonic Dash, Temple Run OZ, and other high-profile runners. As Fox lamented, “We cratered so hard, the moon felt bad for us.” Despite being featured on the App Store, its placement was weak, rendering it “as good as invisible” to the masses. Initially designed as a Free-to-Play (F2P) title, its monetization metrics were disastrous. In a pivotal, sleepless-weekend decision, Fox pivoted the game to a premium $1.99 model just days after launch, a move that confused some early press but was a necessary survival tactic.

Critically, the game was a success. It earned a 70% aggregate critic score, with glowing reviews praising its charm and polish. TouchArcade called it a “fun runner,” while Gamezebo celebrated its responsive controls, stating that “failing on harder levels still feels like your own fault, not the game’s.” However, the common refrain in reviews was that it was a “derivative runner” in a saturated market; a quirky indie fish in a sea of polished, big-budget sharks.

Financially, it was a failure. Across all mobile platforms, bolstered by featuring promotions on GooglePlay and as an Amazon Free App of the Day, it drove over 200,000 installs but only generated approximately $7,000 against a development cost of around $20,000.

Yet, this is where the legacy of Jones on Fire truly begins. Its critical success and undeniable charm provided Glass Bottom Games with something far more valuable than immediate revenue: visibility and credibility. As Fox put it, “I had quite a few people press-side who knew who we were, and respected the style we put into our games.” This awareness, purchased with “mostly sweat equity,” became the studio’s foundation.

The game was ported to PC, Mac, and even the Wii U, where it found a more receptive audience and eventually turned a profit on platforms like Steam. More importantly, it directly begat its successor. Fox took the characters and style that worked and “threw away the rest,” doubling down on the quirk to create Hot Tin Roof: The Cat That Wore A Fedora. The critical goodwill from Jones on Fire was instrumental in getting colleagues on board and helped the Hot Tin Roof Kickstarter succeed, raising over 125% of its goal and ensuring the studio’s survival. Jones on Fire became the “flawed but charming game, and a strong opening act for a studio” it was always meant to be.

Conclusion: The Verdict of History

Jones on Fire is not a perfect game. Its late-game balance is questionable, its core genre was derivative, and its initial commercial performance was abysmal. As a standalone product, it is a competently executed, exceptionally charming auto-runner that overstays its welcome slightly.

But video games do not exist in a vacuum, and their historical significance is often divorced from their Metacritic score or sales charts. Judged as the foundational pillar of Glass Bottom Games, Jones on Fire is an unqualified success. It is a phoenix story, a testament to the power of charm and persistence in the face of market forces. It demonstrated that a strong, unique identity could carve out a space for a studio even when the game itself couldn’t conquer the charts. For historians and enthusiasts, Jones on Fire is essential playing—not just for its delightful, meow-filled gameplay, but as a permanent monument to the fact that in the indie landscape, sometimes the most important victory is simply getting to make the next game.