Almost There: The Platformer

When you think platformers, chances are you think iconic characters and useful power-ups. Almost There: The Platformer proves that you don’t need either of them.

63%Game Brain Score

gameplay, graphics

story, grinding

57% User Score Based on 289 reviews

Critic Score 73%Based on 5 reviews

Platforms

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About

Almost There: The Platformer is a single player casual platformer game. It was developed by Bony Yousuf and was released on February 19, 2019. It received mostly positive reviews from critics and neutral reviews from players.

"Almost There: The Platformer" is a challenging precision-platformer where players navigate through dangerous obstacles and deadly traps. With minimalist art style and tight controls, the game tests your reflexes and strategic thinking across 150 levels. The goal is to reach the end of each level with maximum efficiency and speed, unlocking new characters and customizations along the way. However, 'almost there' might not be good enough.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

57%

Audience ScoreBased on 289 reviews

gameplay17 positive mentions

story4 negative mentions

The game features a minimalist aesthetic that is visually appealing and easy to understand.
It offers a challenging experience with 155 levels that gradually increase in difficulty, making it engaging for fans of precision platformers.
The controls are tight and responsive, allowing for precise movements that are essential for mastering the game's mechanics.

The wall-jumping mechanic can feel awkward and unintuitive, leading to frustration during gameplay.
Many levels rely on tedious waiting for moving platforms, which disrupts the fast-paced nature of the game.
The time requirements for achieving 3 stars on levels can be excessively tight, making it feel unfair and discouraging for players.

gameplay
88 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
72%
9%
The gameplay of "Almost There: The Platformer" is characterized by a mix of basic mechanics, primarily focused on wall jumping and air jumps, which many players find frustrating and inconsistent. While some appreciate the nostalgic feel reminiscent of titles like Super Meat Boy, the clunky controls and repetitive level design detract from the overall experience, making it feel more tedious than enjoyable. Despite its potential, the game suffers from overly tight timing requirements and mechanics that often feel unrefined, leading to a gameplay experience that can be more frustrating than rewarding.
- “The other mechanic is wall jumping, which also allows you to perform an air jump right after.”
- “Interesting gameplay, easy to learn controls.”
- “The levels introduce new mechanics in smart ways so you never feel overwhelmed or stuck.”
- “The spammy wall jump mechanic in particular is practically begging players to develop RSI.”
- “The physics feels really awful, the wall jump mechanics are probably the worst I've ever seen, and a large portion of the level design is just uninteresting or annoying.”
- “The wall sliding and jumping mechanics are what a lot of the game is built on, and they drag down the pace of the game greatly and just don't feel very fun.”
graphics
43 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
72%
9%
The graphics of the game are predominantly minimalistic, featuring simple geometric shapes and a clean aesthetic that some players find charming, while others criticize it as bland and lacking character. While the visuals are functional and aid in gameplay clarity, they often fall short compared to more visually engaging contemporaries, leading to mixed feelings about their overall quality. Despite the simplicity, the graphics do not detract significantly from the gameplay experience, as they maintain readability and support the game's focus on precision and mechanics.
- “The graphics are minimalistic but beautiful.”
- “The graphics are simple and clean, the music is decent and the controls are pretty straightforward.”
- “The controls are great, the graphics are clear and easy to understand, and the difficulty ramps up right as you start to feel like you've got the hang of it.”
- “As you can see in the trailer, the visuals are as basic as you can get, and the gameplay itself isn’t much more inspired.”
- “The minimalist graphics are just way beneath the minimum level of quality and content for a real game that people would seriously devote time to.”
- “The graphics are nothing but flat geometric shapes with flat colors, the soundtrack is repetitive, the menus are basic rectangles straight out of Illustrator.”
music
43 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
28%
60%
12%
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players praising its energetic and enjoyable qualities, particularly in specific levels, while others criticize it for being repetitive and lacking variety, with only a few tracks available. Although the soundtrack is generally considered decent and fitting for the game's style, many reviewers feel it falls short compared to other titles in the genre, leading to a sense of monotony over time. Overall, while the music enhances the experience for some, it is often viewed as a weak point due to its limited scope and repetitiveness.
- “The music is energetic and suits the style of the game well.”
- “Great music and fantastic controls.”
- “I really enjoyed this game for its catering to the casual player as well as the not-so-casual, it's art style that didn't blend obstacles to make them hard to see or hide them behind some background elements, the controls that felt tight and well executed, and the awesome music used in each tier.”
- “Unfortunately, almost everything has very simple and repetitive visuals and music, especially compared to its contemporaries (Super Meat Boy and Celeste come to mind).”
- “The soundtrack is boring and lazy.”
- “The graphics are nothing but flat geometric shapes with flat colors, the soundtrack is repetitive, and the menus are basic rectangles straight out of Illustrator.”
story
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
21%
50%
29%
The game's story aspect is largely criticized for its absence, with many reviewers noting that it lacks any narrative or character development, reducing the experience to simple gameplay mechanics. While some appreciate the focus on movement over story, others feel that even a minimal plot would have enhanced the overall experience. Overall, the consensus is that the game is straightforward and lacks engaging storytelling elements.
- “Moral of the story: you never know what life has in store for you, and if I had given up when all odds were against me, I wouldn't be where I am today.”
- “While I know story for a game like this isn't really a must, I would've appreciated even a simple story because the game does not reward you for finishing it.”
- “Sometimes elaborate themes and story can be distracting, you know?”
- “There is no story at all.”
- “It doesn't have a story; it is just a simple straightforward platformer.”
- “Its main problem is that the game has mostly no character to speak of, the graphics are android-like bland, soundtrack is average and, naturally, there's no plot or big rewards for completing levels, except unlocking more levels.”
grinding
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The grinding aspect of the game is widely criticized for being tedious and frustrating, with many levels requiring repetitive actions that can be physically uncomfortable. Players note that achieving high scores often involves time-consuming and janky mechanics, leading to a lack of enjoyment. Overall, the game is recommended only for those who specifically enjoy challenging yet monotonous platformers.
- “Most levels in this game are just annoying, frustratingly tedious, or just bullshit.”
- “Not to mention, getting the 3 stars in this game (which is beating the required time in each level) has proven to be quite tedious mainly because you have to spam left and right on the wall quite fast; it felt quite janky and might hurt your fingers too.”
- “There are a great number of levels that are simply time-locked, where you have to wait for platforms to move tediously, some levels even taking over a minute due to this.”
humor
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is generally well-received, with players finding it funny and engaging, particularly in comparison to challenging platformers like Super Meat Boy. However, some users feel that certain repetitive mechanics detract from the overall comedic experience. Overall, the game is praised for its humorous elements and appealing design.
- “Almost There is a very funny and challenging platformer, comparable to Super Meat Boy but more forgiving.”
- “Very good and funny platformer game with nice design.”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users generally feel that the game lacks significant replayability, with many stating that there isn't enough incentive to continue playing after the initial experience.
- “Though nothing huge, I don't see the replayability.”
- “The game lacks the depth needed to make me want to replay it.”
- “Once you've completed it, there's little incentive to go back.”
monetization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization model is straightforward, resembling a mobile game without any advertisements, which contributes to a simple and user-friendly experience.
- “Basically a mobile game but with no ads, simple.”
- “The monetization is fair and doesn't feel intrusive.”
- “I appreciate that I can enjoy the game without being bombarded by in-app purchases.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's optimization is generally stable, with no stuttering reported, despite its basic graphics and environment. However, the gameplay experience can feel lacking due to minimal challenges and an overemphasis on timing for performance evaluation.
- “The graphics and environment were very basic, but there was no stuttering, at least.”
- “You effectively spend 20 seconds riding a platform with minimal challenge, only for your performance to be judged by how well you time the final jump to the goal.”
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players express frustration with the game's mechanics, noting that minor missteps can lead to repeated failures, which can evoke feelings of anger and disappointment. This emotional response is heightened during intense moments, such as dodging obstacles, where the game's controls can feel punishing.