AK-xolotl

63%
Game Brain Score Based on 413 reviews
  • gameplay
  • grinding
  • graphics
AK-xolotl Game Cover
AK-xolotl is a difficult yet highly engaging roguelike that will make you fall in love with its charming woodland creatures while laughing at its absurd violence. Seeing my goofy little AK-xolotl with a giant gun made me grin from ear to ear. It’s the roguelike fever dream I’ve always wanted. Once it gets in the hands of players and additional content is added that can smooth out its presentation of information, I’m confident that folks will enjoy this game.
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Update Roadmap About the GameAK-xolotl is the ultimate top-down roguelite shooter starring the most adorable amphibian! You're an axolotl armed with an AK, that embarks on an epic rampage, shooting down anything that stands in your way. Slaughter your way through a variety of biomes and conquer randomly generated rooms, all while collecting delicious food and capturing precious baby Axolotls. …

  • Mac OS
  • PC
  • Windows
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

63%
Audience ScoreBased on 413 reviews
gameplay21 positive mentions
grinding37 negative mentions
  • The game features a charming art style and cute axolotl characters, making it visually appealing.
  • Gameplay is engaging with fun mechanics, including a variety of guns and upgrades that enhance replayability.
  • The developers are actively updating the game, addressing bugs, and adding new content based on community feedback.
  • The game suffers from a lack of variety in weapons, items, and enemies, leading to repetitive gameplay.
  • Many mechanics feel unpolished, with issues such as hitbox problems, bugs, and frustrating enemy behaviors.
  • Progression can be slow and grindy, with meta-progression systems that feel tedious and not rewarding enough.
  • gameplay75 mentions

    The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with many players noting improvements in mechanics but also expressing concerns about repetitiveness and a lack of depth. While some enjoy the charming art and humor, others find the core gameplay loop shallow and plagued by bugs, unbalanced mechanics, and limited variety in weapons and enemies. Overall, the game offers a fun experience for short sessions, but many feel it lacks the polish and engagement needed for long-term enjoyment.

    • “Cute art, good gameplay, good mechanics, good meta-progression, lots of things to unlock!”
    • “Highly addictive gameplay, surprising amount of pre-run customization for a roguelike, amazing humor, 8/10 would recommend.”
    • “The gameplay is solid: the guns feel good to shoot, the movement is precise and satisfying to weave through the several bullet hells you’re faced with, it’s a game where any veteran of twin-stick shooters will feel right at home.”
    • “I do enjoy the game, but only for a run or two as even with the different character mechanics, runs tend to all feel very similar.”
    • “Very repetitive gameplay.”
    • “The same repetitive weapon drops, to be used against the same predictable sets of enemies, whilst being limited to what feels like the same handful of power-ups (most of which are just stat-sticks that don't change gameplay whatsoever)...”
  • grinding37 mentions

    Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be excessively tedious and unbalanced, particularly in the early stages where unlocking weapons and upgrades requires significant time investment. Many reviews highlight the lack of incentive to pursue harder routes, leading to repetitive gameplay focused on farming resources like gems and axolotls. While some appreciate the potential for future improvements, the current state of grinding detracts from the overall enjoyment and progression of the game.

    • “There is no incentive to go to the harder routes, so you always end up doing the easier ones just to finish grinding for all the gems you'll need to get all the guns and items.”
    • “To add insult to injury, unlocking items is very grindy and expensive, as you will usually have enough currency to unlock between 1-2 items/weapons after each run.”
    • “My main gripe with the game is that it feels the developer took some wrong lessons from other games of this sort and decided to make unlocking new power-ups and weapons exceedingly difficult and grindy, where unless a player is good enough at the game to beat it consistently, they will soon find themselves struggling to gather the currency required to purchase new things.”
  • graphics28 mentions

    The graphics of the game are widely praised for their charming pixel art style and overall aesthetic, which many players find cute and well-executed. However, while the visuals are appealing and evoke a strong sense of atmosphere, some reviewers feel that they do not compensate for the game's lack of content and poor gameplay mechanics. Overall, the art style is seen as a highlight, but it is often overshadowed by gameplay issues that detract from the overall experience.

    • “I really like this game... the art style, the atmosphere... everything's flawless.”
    • “The most apparent of these is the art style -- the pixel art is gorgeous and full of personality.”
    • “The art style is amazing and it just makes me feel good.”
    • “There are almost no settings; you cannot change much graphics-wise or key binds as far as I could tell.”
    • “The visuals have clearly been made with love; however, the gameplay and game design feel very unpolished and unfinished.”
    • “I think the aesthetic of this world is cute, but it's very hard to force myself to play longer when things feel so sluggish.”
  • humor28 mentions

    The humor in the game is characterized by its charming and goofy elements, particularly through the use of an axolotl as the main character, which many players find funny and creative. However, opinions vary on its effectiveness; while some appreciate the lightheartedness and meme references, others feel the humor can be forced or reminiscent of outdated styles, detracting from the overall gameplay experience. Overall, the game successfully combines cute visuals with a humorous atmosphere, though it may not appeal to everyone due to its comedic execution.

    • “It is a classic concept with a funny touch using an axolotl as the main figure.”
    • “The humor is a little bit forced, I sort of wish they would let the absurdity of the whole thing speak for itself, but this is mostly a matter of taste.”
    • “Ak-xolotl’s humor never fails to crack me up and keeps things light and refreshing.”
  • music24 mentions

    The music in the game has received overwhelmingly positive feedback, with many users praising the soundtrack as "kick-ass," "amazing," and "hype." While some critiques mention a disconnect between the music and the game's aesthetic, the overall consensus highlights the soundtrack as a standout feature that enhances the gaming experience.

    • “The music is absolutely kick-ass, though.”
    • “Love the soundtrack and the innovative gameplay; heaps of fun all around.”
    • “The game is very smooth, combat feels very pleasant and the OST is hype.”
    • “In my opinion, the visual style and soundtrack aren't that good, too.”
    • “Which is real unfortunate, because I love the art and music.”
    • “Wich feels even worse, because the music is dramatically fast, especially in the first area.”
  • replayability10 mentions

    Overall, reviews indicate a mixed perception of replayability in the game. While some players appreciate the variety of guns and upgrades that enhance replay value, many criticize the lack of meaningful content and challenges, suggesting that the game fails to offer enough incentive for repeated playthroughs. The introduction of a heat system aimed at increasing replayability has been met with disappointment, as the modifiers are seen as uninteresting and merely extend run lengths without adding depth.

    • “Movement is great, huge varieties of guns and upgrades, and it's very replayable.”
    • “The main replayability comes from getting all the unlockables, which do have a significant impact on your survivability during the run.”
    • “I think I'm barely scratching the surface as I've only reached the end biome thrice after 4 hours, but for replay value they could/should squeeze in a few easter eggs here and there, and also introduce perks/weapons that you can find solely by going further in.”
    • “To start, there is absolutely no replayability.”
    • “For a roguelike/rougelite, I would expect a game that has a lot of replay value, or a grand challenge that takes a lot of effort, but I didn't find much of either.”
    • “It has loads of potential, but the lack of content and replayability is holding it back.”
  • story7 mentions

    The game's story is minimal and lacks depth, with some players noting it feels more like a gameplay-focused experience reminiscent of "Turnip Boy Robs a Bank." While it features a charming and humorous presentation, including a cute storyboard animation, many reviewers feel that the narrative could have been more developed. Overall, the emphasis seems to be on gameplay rather than a compelling story.

    • “The game opens with a rather cute story-board style animation complete with a faux 'nature documentary' narration.”
    • “They really should've focused more on the story, but the implementation of the Hades heat system and the heart farming shows promise.”
    • “In my opinion, the game has a lot to offer, but apart from being goofy, charming, and humorous, with all of the freeze-frame boss kills and missions and achievements, it is not all that truly entertaining to sit down and play.”
    • “---{ story }---”
  • stability4 mentions

    Overall, the game's stability is marked by a range of bugs and glitches, some of which have persisted since launch. While players acknowledge the presence of these issues, many hope for future patches to address the more significant problems.

    • “Pretty buggy too, but hopefully the more glaring issues will be patched out soon.”
    • “It's buggy; there are problematic bugs that have been around since launch that have not yet been fixed.”
    • “There are a few glitches, but nothing major.”
  • emotional3 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is mixed; while some players feel a lack of significant progression and frustration with the gameplay mechanics, others experience a profound sense of guilt tied to the game's moral choices, particularly regarding the well-being of characters. This duality highlights a struggle between the desire for power and the emotional weight of decisions made within the game.

    • “It’s amazing how guilty this game made me feel for thinking about sacrificing my baby's happiness to power my character up!”
  • optimization2 mentions

    The game's optimization has been criticized for causing character stuttering and unresponsive controls during gameplay, particularly after dying, which disrupts the experience and may unintentionally influence speedrunning strategies.

    • “The optimization in this game allows for a seamless experience, making it easy to fine-tune your strategy for maximum efficiency.”
    • “I love how the game encourages players to experiment with different builds, leading to unique optimization opportunities that keep the gameplay fresh.”
    • “The balance between resource management and character upgrades is expertly designed, making optimization a rewarding challenge.”
    • “I got this to play couch co-op, but partway through every single run, my character experiences stuttering animations and sound, making it impossible to move or shoot at random intervals.”
    • “It has nothing to do with run performance and everything to do with just dying, so if dying fast becomes a strategy to speedrun those upgrades, this is why.”
  • atmosphere2 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is highly praised, with users highlighting its flawless art style and overall charm. The combination of a lovely ambiance and humor contributes to an engaging experience.

    • “I wanted to say I really like this game... the art style, the atmosphere... everything's flawless.”
    • “Lovely atmosphere, funny game, great style.”
  • monetization1 mentions

    The monetization aspect of the game appears to be well-balanced, as players find that powerful weapons like shotguns and rayguns effectively handle both bosses and ads, suggesting that gameplay is rewarding without excessive reliance on in-game purchases.

Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

74% average critic score

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Play time

18hMedian play time
17hAverage play time
10-25hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 4 analyzed playthroughs

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