Ageless
- July 28, 2020
- One More Dream Studios
- 20h median play time
A challenging platformer with an interesting hook and some frustrating mechanics.
Get on Steam
Get on Epic Games Store"Ageless" is a single-player platformer game with unique ageing mechanics that allow you to control the age of animals and plants. As Kiara, you'll navigate through intricate puzzles and challenging platforming levels in a world full of myths and magic. This emotional journey explores themes of loss, heartache, and inner demons, taking approximately 20 hours to complete.
Nintendo Switch
PC
Steam Deck
Windows
Reviews
- The game features a charming pixel art style and engaging music that enhances the overall experience.
- The core mechanic of aging and de-aging plants and animals leads to creative and interesting puzzles.
- The game offers a variety of challenges, with optional harder puzzles for those seeking additional difficulty.
- Controls can feel imprecise and floaty, making it difficult to execute precise movements required for some puzzles.
- The difficulty spikes can be frustrating, with some puzzles requiring pixel-perfect timing and execution.
- The story feels rushed and underdeveloped, lacking depth and engagement.
- gameplay151 mentions
- 35 % positive mentions
- 60 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Ageless" is characterized by its unique aging and rejuvenation mechanics, which create inventive puzzles and platforming challenges. While the game features charming visuals and a heartfelt narrative, many players find the controls clunky and the difficulty level frustrating, with some mechanics feeling unpolished or overly punishing. Overall, it offers a mix of creative ideas and engaging puzzles, but suffers from technical issues and inconsistent gameplay experiences that may deter some players.
“This game combines platforming with inventive puzzle mechanics centered around aging and rejuvenation.”
“The core mechanics are unique and lead to some very interesting puzzles that offer a good degree of flexibility in how they are solved.”
“Ageless is a charming puzzle platformer crammed full of original platforming mechanics.”
“However, despite its visual appeal and engaging story, Ageless encounters significant hurdles in its gameplay.”
“Regrettably, these gameplay issues overshadow the game's positive aspects.”
“The gameplay progresses way too slowly, and mechanics players can figure out in the first couple of rooms don't get used until much later, instead reusing the same ones until you get sick of them.”
- story103 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 66 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The story of "Ageless" has received mixed reviews, with some players appreciating its heartfelt themes of loss, growth, and self-discovery, while others find it simplistic and lacking depth. Many reviewers note that the narrative feels rushed and at times superficial, failing to fully engage players despite its emotional potential. Overall, while the story adds some charm to the gameplay, it is often overshadowed by gameplay mechanics and pacing issues.
“The game's hand-drawn art style and heartfelt story add emotional weight to the gameplay, exploring themes of loss, growth, and self-discovery.”
“The story, characters, and world-building are also pretty decent, handling the subjects of existentialism and personal disappointment in a believable fashion.”
“Typically I ignore the stories in most games, but this one has a surprisingly deep plot that has a lot of moral ambiguity and highlights the hard choices that we have to make as humans in an imperfect and sometimes brutal world.”
“The story is very linear and the main character constantly reminds you of her life problems.”
“The story feels very rushed, with it going by leaps at a time.”
“The story is a huge letdown so far; it differs from Celeste in that instead of giving the message of all the strength you need being within you, Ageless denies that and says you need outside help from a mythical gate to get superpowers in order to overcome your fears.”
- graphics60 mentions
- 28 % positive mentions
- 67 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are characterized by a charming hand-drawn and pixel art style that evokes emotional depth and complements the gameplay. While many players appreciate the aesthetic and find it visually delightful, some criticize the low-resolution visuals and graphical glitches, suggesting that the art style may not appeal to everyone. Overall, the graphics contribute positively to the game's atmosphere, though opinions on their execution vary significantly.
“Ageless offers a visually delightful experience with its charming graphics and intriguing mechanics.”
“Great puzzles, beautiful story, and retro graphics.”
“It's a cool little game, with smart, original puzzle design and charming visuals.”
“Visuals are pixelated hard, enough to border on ugly in my opinion.”
“There are a lot of graphical glitches along with many game-breaking bugs.”
“They chose to use obsolete retro pixel 'art' as a substitute for contemporary PC graphics.”
- music25 mentions
- 56 % positive mentions
- 32 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with many players appreciating its charm and emotional quality, describing it as beautiful and atmospheric. However, some find it generic or not particularly memorable, noting that while it enhances the overall experience, it doesn't stand out significantly. Overall, the soundtrack is generally considered competent and contributes positively to the game's aesthetic.
“The positive I can say definitely is the interesting uses for animals you find, depending on which age you select for them; it's a highlight and sometimes it felt like puzzles could have more than one solution. The music is also nice to the ear, with pretty competent composition.”
“Puzzles - brilliant; sprites - charming; music/sound design - fantastic; controls - smooth and responsive.”
“This game has great visuals, great music, and overall great gameplay.”
“The music is really generic and annoyingly saccharine, and when objects rotate they don't obey the low-resolution pixel grid of the art style.”
“No, not really, the music and simplistic charm goes a long way in carrying this title, but still, there’s just nothing outstanding to compensate for the annoyances.”
“Love the simple pixel art and pleasing, if not memorable, soundtrack, but there were too many faults that I just couldn't ignore here.”
- stability14 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's stability is a significant concern, with many players reporting numerous glitches and bugs that worsen as the game progresses, including game-breaking issues and graphical errors. While some users have experienced fewer problems, the overall consensus indicates that these stability issues detract from the gameplay experience, suggesting that improvements are needed for a smoother experience.
“The game is littered with glitches, which become more and more apparent as you go further in the game, and often can mess with the gameplay severely.”
“There are a lot of graphical glitches along with many game-breaking bugs.”
“Save data got deleted halfway through the game, buggy mess.”
- grinding12 mentions
- 8 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding in the game to be a mixed experience, with some aspects feeling tedious and frustrating, particularly due to poor design choices and lack of checkpoints during challenging encounters. While hunting for relics is seen as a rewarding challenge, many feel that the boss battles are more like obstacle courses that require excessive repetition, detracting from the overall enjoyment. Despite these issues, some players appreciate the game's art and story, suggesting that the grinding could have been more engaging.
“I think the game is the best when you are hunting the relics, because they pose a real challenge, and it's not tedious to find at all. The game almost always makes it very clear where the relics are.”
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“Furthermore, end stages for each world have to be completed in a sort of marathon; when you factor in the rough controls, these stages become extremely tedious.”
“The extreme lack of checkpoints in these encounters makes them incredibly tedious to go through.”
- emotional9 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game effectively combines a heartfelt story with a hand-drawn art style, exploring themes of loss, growth, and self-discovery, which resonates emotionally with players. While the gameplay can be frustrating at times, the touching narrative and beautiful music create a strong emotional investment, making it a compelling experience for fans of puzzle-platformers. Overall, the emotional depth may not be profound, but it leaves a lasting impact on players.
“The game's hand-drawn art style and heartfelt story add emotional weight to the gameplay, exploring themes of loss, growth, and self-discovery.”
“It's perfect for fans of puzzle-platformers looking for a game that blends challenging mechanics with a touching narrative.”
“Even with how small the game is and the short nature of the story, I've actually gotten into it and have some emotional investment that I wasn't expecting at all when I started the game.”
- character development3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -67 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is a mixed bag; while some players appreciate its relatable themes, others criticize it for being rushed and simplistic, leading to a disappointing conclusion that undermines earlier story build-up. Additionally, amateurish character designs detract from the overall experience.
“It's a feeling most people can relate to and allows for great character development.”
“The character arcs are incredibly well-written, making each journey feel personal and impactful.”
“I love how the choices I make influence the characters' growth and relationships throughout the game.”
“It's too simplistic; the character development feels terrible and rushed. The ending, while it technically makes sense, feels like they just threw the entire story out the window and axed whatever build-up they had.”
“The amateurish character designs and awful font choice put me off at first.”
- replayability2 mentions
- 150 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
The game is noted for its high replayability, particularly in multiplayer mode, allowing players to enjoy endless sessions and varied experiences.
“The game is infinitely replayable, especially in multiplayer mode.”
“I love how each playthrough feels fresh and exciting, making me want to dive back in again and again.”
“The variety of choices and outcomes keeps me coming back for more, ensuring that no two sessions are ever the same.”
“The game lacks any meaningful choices, making it feel like a one-and-done experience.”
“Once you've completed the main story, there's little incentive to go back and play again.”
“The lack of varied gameplay mechanics means that replaying the game feels tedious rather than enjoyable.”
- atmosphere2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is highlighted by its beautiful, emotional music and charming pixel art, creating a captivating aesthetic. However, some players find the overall experience frustrating, which detracts from the enjoyment of the atmosphere.
“It has beautiful, emotional music and a wonderful aesthetic, atmospheric pixel art in general.”
“Charming music and atmosphere.”
- humor1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players find the humor in the game to be a significant factor in their enjoyment, as it fosters camaraderie and keeps the atmosphere light-hearted, leading to laughter and cheering during gameplay.
“They continue playing, laughing and cheering as they conquer each level, their camaraderie shining through in the world of gaming.”
“The witty dialogue and hilarious character interactions kept me chuckling throughout the entire game.”
“I found myself bursting into laughter at the unexpected puns and clever jokes sprinkled throughout the gameplay.”
Critic Reviews
Ageless
In the end, Ageless has the signs of many great puzzle platformers. It has the colour, the beautiful and stylish pixel art, and it simply is an endearing puzzle platformer. Just like its protagonist, who is trying to give her life something of a meaning, the developers have kept focus on a single gameplay mechanic and fleshed it out to make it meaningful. The game has a solid concept that it sticks to and evolves with new ways to play with its ageing mechanics that some players will be genuinely surprised at how smart the puzzles become. But, I cannot help but feel the game is missing that final polish, that spark that puts it on the same pedestal as Celeste and a few others. There are some irritating issues with the controls, which spoil what would otherwise be a quality puzzle platformer. I can say that fans of the genre will entertain with what Ageless delivers, and anyone who enjoys a challenging game, if sometimes frustrating, will find something to like here.
70%Ageless (Switch) Review
A challenging platformer with an interesting hook and some frustrating mechanics.
70%Ageless Review
Ageless is the sort of game that could best be described as a great concept that almost nails the execution. The sombre narrative, cerebral gameplay, and distinct presentation are all great in their own regard, but each is plagued with enough inconsistencies and caveats to hold back the overall experience from true greatness. We’d give this one a cautious recommendation, as the distinct brand of puzzle-platforming gameplay ultimately proves to be a worthwhile experience, but this is also certainly not the ‘next Celeste’. Still, if you’ve been looking for a decent new indie for your Switch that you can clear in a reasonably short timeframe, it’s tough to go wrong here.
70%
