aMAZE Dark Times

About

"aMAZE Dark Times" is a single-player, grid-based dungeon crawler game. You navigate through maze-like levels, fighting enemies and bosses, while searching for hidden treasures and upgrades. The game features procedurally generated levels, providing a unique experience in each playthrough. However, please note that the game's graphics are relatively simple and may not appeal to everyone.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

66%

Audience ScoreBased on 80 reviews

humor3 positive mentions

story3 negative mentions

The game offers a challenging puzzle experience with increasing difficulty as you progress through the levels.
Players can enjoy a relaxing experience by turning off the timer, making it suitable for casual gameplay.
The game is a good option for achievement hunters, as it features a large number of achievements that can be easily unlocked.

The controls are unresponsive and can lead to frustrating gameplay, especially when navigating tight corners.
The graphics are often dark and unappealing, making it difficult to see paths and locate keys within the mazes.
The timer feature is overly restrictive, making many levels feel impossible to complete without excessive repetition.

music
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
45%
27%
The music in the game has received overwhelmingly negative feedback, with many players finding it repetitive and annoying, often describing it as one of the worst soundtracks in gaming. While some note that it can be catchy at times, the overall consensus is that the limited variety and short loops lead to a frustrating listening experience.
- “Music is pretty catchy as well.”
- “Cool soundtrack.”
- “Slightly different in the mazes are circular and also the music is different, there are also more levels and achievements than the first game.”
- “The music is repetitive and extremely annoying to listen to, probably one of the worst songs I've ever heard in a video game.”
- “Same song loops repeatedly.”
- “- The music is only a few seconds of repeatable notes that quickly gets old and annoying.”
gameplay
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
45%
27%
The gameplay features a new key mechanic that requires players to navigate between multiple points, which can become monotonous and tedious. Additionally, the implementation of a time limit is criticized for being impractical, as it necessitates prior knowledge of the maze layout to succeed. Overall, while there are attempts to create an enjoyable experience, issues like unresponsive controls and visually distracting backgrounds detract from the gameplay.
- “A new mechanic is included in this game, which is the key. This means that you no longer have to go from the spawn to the exit; instead, you will have to go from the spawn, then to the key, return to the spawn (in most cases), and end up going to the exit.”
- “Aside from the flaws, the game at least tries to be kind of enjoyable, but it kicks off the bucket of mechanics and level creation for the sake of aesthetics.”
- “The timer, while an excellent addition, has too short a time span when accounting for the unresponsive controls and roller mechanic, making several levels—especially the hexagon/honeycomb levels—tedious with 'wall snags'.”
- “This mechanic becomes very monotonous and boring, having to do the same thing all the time, going from point A to B and then to C. In addition to this, there is another poorly implemented mechanic: time. Basically, there is a maximum time to solve the maze, but this becomes meaningless because, in order to pass the level with the exact time, you have to know it by heart to be exact.”
- “The timer, whilst an excellent addition, has too short a time span when accounting for the unresponsive controls and roller mechanic, making several levels—especially the hexagon/honeycomb levels—tedious with 'wall snags'.”
- “It's a maze with unpleasant-looking background effects that are hard on the eyes and negatively impact gameplay at times.”
story
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
13%
50%
38%
The reviews indicate a mixed reception regarding the story aspect of the game; some players find it unimportant or lacking entirely, while others describe it as epic, suggesting a significant narrative presence for those who engage with it. Overall, the story seems to vary in relevance and quality, with some likening the experience to casual games where narrative is not a focus.
- “Epic story.”
- “❌ Story is not important in this game.”
- “✅ What does story mean?”
- “❌ Did a human write this story?”
graphics
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
14%
43%
43%
The graphics of the game are generally considered unappealing and distracting, with some areas being too dark to navigate effectively. While some users acknowledge that the graphics may not be a priority for a budget title, there is a consensus that improvements in background choices and visibility are needed.
- “The graphics are very unappealing and super distracting; some parts are so dark you can't even see the paths, and the key is hard to find at times.”
- “Aside from the flaws, the game at least tries to be kind of enjoyable, but the dark times undermine the mechanics and level creation for the sake of aesthetics.”
- “Graphics aren't bad; you can't expect much from a game that cheap, but the choice of backgrounds could've been better.”
monetization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization strategy of the game has been criticized as a blatant cash grab, with users highlighting its reliance on asset flips and the use of a low-quality template from GameMaker Studio. The game was quickly bundled into cheap indie game collections, further reinforcing perceptions of it being a hastily produced product aimed solely at profit rather than quality.
- “The developer, Blender Games, took a template from the godawful GameMaker Studio from YoYoGames, slapped a couple of asset-flipped sprites on it, and dumped the results onto Steam as a cash grab scam.”
- “Here's some other asset flips from exactly the same template, all shamelessly dumped on Steam as nasty cash grabs.”
- “To cement the position of this asset flip as nothing but a cash grab, it was dumped onto cheap daily indie game shovelware bundles very shortly after launch.”
humor
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is generally well-received, with players finding it funny and enjoyable, particularly in a casual context. However, there are hints that some jokes may require careful attention to fully appreciate.
- “Funny casual game with a lot of charm!”
- “Listen closely because you might find what I'll say funny.”
- “A good, funny game that keeps you entertained.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, particularly due to unresponsive controls and challenging mechanics, which can lead to frustrating experiences in certain levels. The addition of a timer is appreciated, but its short duration exacerbates the difficulty, making players feel they need extra lives to progress effectively.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “The timer, while an excellent addition—I'm sure many amazed fans were already timing themselves on their first run through—has too short a time span when accounting for the unresponsive controls and roller mechanic, making several levels—especially the hexagon/honeycomb levels—tedious with 'wall snags'.”
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
300%
Reviews indicate that the game's optimization offers a solid price-to-performance ratio, delivering satisfactory performance levels without requiring high-end hardware. Players appreciate the balance between graphical fidelity and smooth gameplay, making it accessible to a wider audience.
- “The optimization in this game is outstanding, providing excellent price-to-performance value.”
- “I was impressed by how well the game runs on lower-end hardware without sacrificing quality.”
- “The developers have done a fantastic job optimizing the gameplay experience, making it smooth and enjoyable.”
- “The game's optimization is severely lacking, leading to frequent frame drops and stuttering during gameplay.”
- “I was disappointed by the poor optimization; it feels like the game was rushed and not properly tested on various hardware.”
- “Despite having a powerful PC, I still experience lag and long loading times, which is frustrating given the game's potential.”
atmosphere
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The atmosphere is often described as immersive and engaging, with many users noting its ability to evoke strong emotions and enhance the overall gaming experience. The combination of visuals, sound design, and environmental storytelling contributes to a captivating setting that draws players in.
replayability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players generally find the replayability of the game to be high, thanks to multiple branching storylines, diverse character choices, and various difficulty levels that encourage different playthroughs. Many reviewers appreciate the inclusion of unlockable content and achievements, which further enhance the incentive to revisit the game. However, some note that certain gameplay elements may become repetitive over time, potentially diminishing long-term engagement.