10mg: Always Down
- October 16, 2020
- Beethoven
Get on Steam
Get on itch.io Store"10mg: Always Down" is a short, 10-minute game that takes you on a journey through a cave as you solve easy puzzles and overcome light platforming challenges. As you progress deeper into the cave, you'll experience changes within yourself, unlocking new abilities and questioning their worth. This introspective game serves as a meditation on change and its impact on us, leaving a lasting impression. The game's captivating artwork is by the talented @_cobywin.
Reviews
- The game offers a charming and minimalist experience that is enjoyable and easy to grasp.
- The orchestral music enhances the gameplay, making the journey feel epic and engaging.
- It effectively delivers a thought-provoking narrative within a concise ten-minute playtime.
- The controls are limited to arrow keys only, which can feel clunky for players accustomed to WASD controls.
- The tilt/warp shader effect may cause motion sickness for some players, detracting from the experience.
- The payoff for reaching the end may not meet expectations, leaving some players wanting more.
- gameplay3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The gameplay is praised for its subtle mechanics and attention to detail, providing a polished experience with an engaging story. Players appreciate the interesting experimentation with movement dynamics and forgiving respawn mechanics, making challenges easy to identify and navigate.
“I made it to the end in seven minutes, and it was a great experience with subtle game mechanics.”
“There's clear attention to detail here, a nice little story, good polish, and some interesting experimentation with mechanics you'll notice towards the end. For example, ground movement friction slowly builds as you go lower, and I found myself subconsciously jumping more as a result.”
“The challenges are easy to spot after the first one, and the respawn mechanics are relatively forgiving.”
“The challenges become predictable after the first one, and the respawn mechanics are overly forgiving.”
“The gameplay lacks depth and quickly becomes repetitive.”
“The controls feel clunky and unresponsive, making it frustrating to navigate through levels.”
- music3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The orchestral music in the game is highly praised for its perfect fit with the theme, enhancing the overall experience. The inclusion of Beethoven's compositions adds a unique personality, while fun sound effects and dialogue complement the musical backdrop effectively.
“The orchestral music fits the game perfectly.”
“There are some fun sound effects and dialogue, but it is the inclusion of some Beethoven as the background music that really injects personality into the game.”
“The music for this is perfect and fits brilliantly with the theme.”
- story2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The story is praised for its attention to detail and polish, offering a compelling narrative experience without dialogue. Players appreciate the interesting mechanical experimentation that enhances the storytelling, particularly through environmental interactions that subtly influence gameplay.
“There's clear attention to detail here, a nice little story, good polish, and some interesting experimentation with mechanics you'll notice towards the end. Ground movement friction slowly builds as you go lower; I found myself subconsciously jumping more as a result.”
“This is a perfect little story without words.”
- graphics2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The graphics are characterized by their simplicity, featuring a large cavernous play area enhanced by effective 2D light and shadow effects. Overall, the visuals draw comparisons to similar titles, emphasizing a straightforward yet appealing aesthetic.
“In fact, the visuals are quite similar to that title, with a large cavernous play area and nice use of 2D light and shadow effects.”
“Graphics are as simple as can be.”
“The visuals are quite similar to that title, with a large cavernous play area and nice use of 2D light and shadow effects.”
- humor1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is described as intriguing and oddly amusing, though some players feel it could benefit from being more concise.
“Very interesting and strangely funny, but ideally it would have been a bit shorter.”
