Aestik

About

Aestik is a single player action adventure game. It was developed by Hooded Traveler Games and was released on August 25, 2024. It received positive reviews from players.

Aestik is a hand-drawn action Metroidvania game featuring branching storylines that change based on your choices. Explore a vast, interconnected world filled with unique environments and secrets while overcoming challenging platforming obstacles. Customize your playstyle with ability runes as you unravel the mysterious corruption affecting the realm.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

82%

Audience ScoreBased on 61 reviews

gameplay8 positive mentions

stability2 negative mentions

Aestik features stunning hand-drawn visuals and a richly woven narrative that immerses players in its atmospheric world.
The gameplay combines exploration, challenging platforming, and engaging combat, with meaningful choices that affect the story and encourage replayability.
The developer actively listens to player feedback, implementing quality-of-life improvements and accessibility options that enhance the overall experience.

Some players have reported frustrating control responsiveness and hitbox issues, particularly during precision platforming sections.
The map system lacks clarity, making navigation cumbersome and leading to aimless wandering without clear guidance.
The game can feel short and may not provide enough depth in player progression or collectibles, leaving some players wanting more content.

gameplay
26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
31%
57%
12%
Gameplay in Aestik is characterized by its engaging exploration, challenging combat, and the acquisition of ability runes that unlock new areas, typical of the metroidvania genre. While the hand-drawn art and narrative enhance the experience, some players have noted issues with control responsiveness and precision in platforming, particularly in later stages. Overall, the game offers a well-rounded experience with varied mechanics and environments, though certain segments, like fishing, have been criticized for detracting from the gameplay flow.
- “Aestik, developed and published by Hooded Traveler Games, is a beautifully crafted 2D metroidvania that offers a deep and immersive experience through its blend of hand-drawn art, challenging gameplay, and a richly woven narrative.”
- “Gameplay in Aestik revolves around exploration, combat, and progression through the acquisition of ability runes. These runes unlock new powers, allowing access to previously unreachable areas, a staple mechanic in the metroidvania genre that encourages players to backtrack and thoroughly explore the world.”
- “The combination of exploration, puzzle-solving, and combat creates a well-rounded gameplay experience that maintains player interest throughout the adventure.”
- “Some players have noted issues with the control responsiveness and platforming mechanics, especially in later stages where precision becomes critical.”
- “This kind of oversight makes moment-to-moment gameplay feel clunky.”
- “The precision required felt out of place and wasn’t the kind of gameplay I signed up for.”
story
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
66%
17%
The story in "aestik" is characterized by a nuanced narrative structure that emphasizes player choices and moral dilemmas, significantly impacting character interactions and world evolution. While some players find the multiple story paths frustrating due to the time they require, others appreciate the depth and replayability they offer, leading to varied outcomes and boss encounters. Overall, the game's intriguing lore and engaging characters contribute to a rich storytelling experience, despite some critiques regarding its execution and pacing.
- “One of the more compelling elements of Aestik is its narrative structure, which unfolds through player choices and moral dilemmas that influence the story’s direction and outcomes.”
- “The choices players make resonate beyond simple dialogue changes, impacting how the world evolves and how characters react, which enriches the immersion and emotional engagement with the story.”
- “Throughout your journey, you will come across certain situations where you’ll have to make a tough choice, which is often related to deciding someone’s fate. This decision causes a ripple effect, making certain characters trust you and others want you dead, leading to different story threads and boss fights, adding an interesting element of replayability to the game.”
- “The game offers multiple story choices, which I found frustrating as they take time away from playing and force more reading.”
- “While these choices lead to different boss battles and story segments, I think it's a missed opportunity not to include all the content in a single playthrough, especially given the game's short runtime.”
- “There's some type of story going on, but it's meh to me.”
graphics
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
39%
44%
17%
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their charming hand-drawn art style, which evokes a dark fairytale atmosphere and features pleasing aesthetics and attention to detail. While some reviewers noted a lack of notable vistas and a repetitive soundtrack, the overall visuals are considered beautiful and well-integrated with the gameplay, enhancing the experience with fluid movement and character design.
- “Stunning visuals, satisfying movement, and great writing!”
- “The hand-drawn art style is beautiful (Gourd Glades gets a special shoutout) and the movement of the protagonist (who is an adorable mixture of an owl and cat) feels very much at home to me and likely will to any veterans of Hollow Knight.”
- “I'm loving the attention to detail and the art style, which has a lot of personality.”
- “There was a general lack of notable vistas or set pieces, but the overall art style was still well made.”
- “Unfortunately, the repetitive soundtrack did not complement these visuals, but again, for a solo project, it's acceptable.”
- “The visuals are clear, and the rooms aren't very big, so there's no point in a precise map marker.”
music
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
63%
12%
25%
The music in the game is generally praised for its quality and ability to enhance the experience, with some standout tracks that players enjoyed. However, there are mentions of a repetitive soundtrack that detracts from the overall visuals, though it remains acceptable for a solo project. Overall, the music contributes positively to the game's atmosphere and is appreciated alongside its beautiful environmental design.
- “The music also slaps.”
- “Beating the game only takes a few hours, and completing a few more, but there is so much content in this game, the beautiful environmental assets, the amazing music I wish was on YouTube, and the detailed interesting lore and worldbuilding.”
- “I liked the music, the visuals, and the feel of the player character.”
- “Unfortunately, the repetitive soundtrack did not complement these visuals, but again, for a solo project, it's acceptable.”
- “The final thing I want to talk about is the aesthetic and music of the area.”
emotional
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the emotional aspect of the game deeply engaging, as their choices significantly influence character interactions and the world’s evolution, enhancing immersion. However, some feel that the platforming mechanics, while challenging and well-implemented, detract from the overall emotional experience, as they can lead to frustration and repetition.
- “The choices players make resonate beyond simple dialogue changes, impacting how the world evolves and how characters react, which enriches the immersion and emotional engagement with the story.”
humor
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
80%
20%
The humor in the game is polarizing; while some players appreciate its whimsical and charming elements, including quirky characters and a playful vibe, others find it juvenile and at odds with the game's darker themes. Overall, the humor can enhance the experience for those who enjoy lightheartedness, but it may detract for players seeking a more serious tone.
- “This game has a lot of charming humor, pleasing artwork, and interesting characters!”
- “Definitely pick this up if you're looking for a whimsical, funny, and sometimes dark little adventure!”
- “A great metroidvania with a lot of charm, humor, and its own meaningful but also playful vibe.”
- “Honestly, if it wasn't for the very random input delay every time I made a double and/or triple jump, really bad random hitboxes in some parts, and some poorly explained events that happen at unrelated times, I would have surely recommended the game. However, the technical errors are not added difficulty; they only lead to unfunny, senseless failures.”
replayability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game offers high replayability, primarily due to the impactful choices players make that influence character relationships and story outcomes. These decisions create varied experiences in each playthrough, encouraging players to explore different paths and scenarios, often leading to at least two playthroughs for a fuller experience.
- “High replayability, encouraging different choices in each playthrough.”
- “Throughout your journey, you will come across certain situations where you’ll have to make a tough choice, often related to deciding someone’s fate. This decision causes a ripple effect, making certain characters trust you while others want you dead, leading to different story threads and boss fights—an interesting element of replayability that encourages multiple playthroughs.”
- “But there is replayability due to the choices you make during the game.”
- “The choices you make in the game add to the replayability, and I imagine I will play it at least twice.”
atmosphere
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game effectively creates a vibrant yet foreboding atmosphere that immerses players from the start, enhancing the experience of deep exploration and moral complexity. Despite some technical and interface shortcomings, its strong storytelling and engaging gameplay elements contribute to a rewarding journey.
- “From the very beginning, the game establishes an atmospheric tone, pulling players into a world that feels both vibrant and foreboding.”
- “While it could benefit from some technical polish and interface improvements, the game’s core qualities make it a rewarding journey for fans who appreciate deep exploration, moral complexity, and atmospheric storytelling.”
- “Great controls, boss fights, atmosphere, and accessibility options.”
optimization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
100%
Players have noted that the game experiences slight freezes during significant events, such as enemy spawns and major attacks, indicating that optimization could be improved in these areas.
- “The game runs smoothly most of the time, but there are slight freezes when significant events occur, like enemy spawns in challenge rooms or during star attacks. These moments could benefit from better optimization.”
- “Overall, the optimization is decent, but there are occasional hiccups that disrupt the flow, especially during intense action sequences.”
- “While the gameplay is engaging, the optimization could be improved to eliminate the minor lag experienced during critical moments.”
- “Aside from that, there are slight freezes when something 'big' happens on the screen, e.g. enemies spawn in challenge rooms or during some of the star attacks or game saving progress. These could be better optimized.”
- “The game suffers from noticeable lag during intense moments, which disrupts the overall experience and makes it feel unpolished.”
- “I frequently encounter frame drops, especially in crowded areas or during special effects, indicating that the optimization needs significant improvement.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Overall, players report occasional stability issues, including slight freezes during significant in-game events and the presence of bugs and glitches. However, the developers are actively addressing these problems, indicating a commitment to improving the game's performance.
- “Aside from that, there are slight freezes when something 'big' happens on the screen, e.g., enemies spawn in challenge rooms or some of the star attacks or game saving progress. These could be better optimized.”
- “There are some bugs and glitches, but the devs are constantly working to fix them!”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, particularly due to a cumbersome save system that requires loading multiple screens, making the overall experience feel more laborious compared to similar titles.
- “The issue for me is that it feels a bit too tedious to play compared to some of its peers.”
- “The save system is tedious as it loads to a new screen and then has to load back to where you were.”
character development
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's character development is enhanced by its visually stunning environments and meticulously crafted character designs, which create an immersive experience that elevates exploration beyond mere platforming challenges.
- “The visual style is one of the game’s strongest aspects, with painstakingly detailed environments and character designs that breathe life into the world, making exploration an evocative journey rather than just a series of platforming challenges.”