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Title: Portal
Released: October 2007
Official Website
Update History
Steam Game Page
Portal Walkthrough
Portal Achievements

Portal was created after Valve saw a senior game project from students attending the DigiPen Institute of Technology. Their project, known as Narbacular Drop, was a simple game, which allowed players to create interconnected portals on any non-metallic surface.

They expanded on this idea with Portal, creating unique First Person Shooter game where the player is equipped not with a gun, but with a device that can open up connecting portals, essentially allowing the player to teleport themselves or objects between them, in order to solve puzzles.

The storyline begins with the protagonist, named Chell, waking up from a stasis bed and being given instructions by GLaDOS, an Artificial Intelligence who conducts the experiments that she's meant to undergo. Over the course of the game, the puzzles become more complex and challenging, forcing players to think in different ways than they ordinarily would, moving themselves and objects in ways that would otherwise be impossible. As you progress, it becomes clear that something is very wrong within the Aperture Science facility, and that GLaDOS's promises of rewards at the end of the testing process may be somewhat insincere.

In addition to the single player Storyline, Portal also features two unlockable game modes: Challenge mode, which has the players getting through a test in either as little time possible, with as few footsteps as possible, or by using as few portals as possible. There is also an Advanced mode, which makes the most difficult levels of the game even more difficult by adding more obstacles and hazards.

Portal's only criticisms came for its sparse environments and relatively short length. At the 2008 Game Developers Choice Awards, Portal won not only Game of the Year, but also the Innovation Award, and Best Game Design Award. GameSpot gave it a variety of Awards in its Best of 2007, including Best Puzzle Game, Best New Characters, Funniest Game, and Best Original Game Mechanic. It was awarded Game of The Year Awards by 1UP.com, Joystiq, Good Game, and Shack News.

A sequel, known as Portal 2 (2011), addressed the few criticisms Portal had as well as adding a cooperative multiplayer game mode.