Aura of Worlds

About

Aura of Worlds is a challenging, procedurally generated roguelike platformer. Traverse diverse biomes, battle strange creatures, and wield unique abilities to uncover the mysteries of a fragmenting world. Every run brings new replayability and strategic depth, as you collect and upgrade resources to outsmart the ever-changing environment.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

94%

Audience ScoreBased on 88 reviews

gameplay13 positive mentions

grinding3 negative mentions

The game features a charming art style and engaging pixel graphics that evoke nostalgia while providing a fresh experience.
Gameplay is varied and allows for creative strategies, with a wide range of weapons and abilities that can be combined in interesting ways.
The developers are responsive and actively improving the game, with frequent updates that enhance gameplay and add new content.

The game suffers from design issues, including repetitive level layouts and a lack of meaningful progression, which diminishes the roguelike experience.
Combat can feel imprecise and frustrating due to inconsistent mechanics, leading to cheap damage from traps and enemies.
The game lacks a clear identity, mixing elements of stealth and roguelike gameplay without fully committing to either, resulting in a confusing experience.

gameplay
32 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
41%
50%
9%
The gameplay of this 2D roguelike offers a mix of engaging mechanics and diverse options, allowing players to tailor their experience with various movement and combat features. While some design issues and crashes have been reported, many players appreciate the tight controls, creative movement, and the challenge it presents, making it a solid entry in the genre. Overall, the game shows promise with its evolving mechanics and rewarding gameplay, despite being in early access.
- “This game has lots to offer, and the variety and ways you can use items and weapons definitely leaves a variety of gameplay styles available.”
- “Really tight controls, fun and engaging gameplay, creative movement, tactics, character upgrades... this is a bright spot in a sea of a lot of pretty trash early access games.”
- “An awesome rogue-like platformer that is not only challenging but, just as importantly, offers deep, fun, and varied gameplay with lots of interesting options and abilities to play with.”
- “Has some things going for it, but for a 2D roguelike, it has a lot of issues in design decisions and mechanics.”
- “While I'm personally a bit bumbly with mechanics in general, I found this game to be equal parts fun, frustrating, and puzzling.”
- “The gas and lava level hazards add an interesting bit of stress to stages; however, this is somewhat marred by the movement mechanics.”
graphics
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
25%
25%
The graphics of the game are characterized by charming pixel art and a well-crafted aesthetic that appeals to fans of retro styles. While not boasting AAA quality, the visuals are complemented by engaging environments and a cohesive art style that enhances the overall gameplay experience. The game's pixel graphics, combined with a cute design and effective use of color, create a visually appealing atmosphere that resonates with players who appreciate nostalgic gaming aesthetics.
- “Together with nice pixel style graphics and the very well crafted dungeon generator, this results in a really polished, entertaining game!”
- “If you are a fan of pixel graphics and love challenges then this game is just what you have been looking for!”
- “Aura of Worlds is a wonderful roguelike/roguelite platformer with creative and visually appealing pixel graphics that flow seamlessly throughout each procedurally generated level.”
- “I couldn’t find much information on this title’s graphics engine, other than it being a 'strain' of OpenGL.”
- “However, the enemy design and, by extension, the entire game's aesthetic clash in places.”
- “The artwork is very cute, but the pixel work is modest and lacks detail.”
music
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
56%
11%
33%
The music in the game receives mixed reviews; while some players praise it as delightful and reminiscent of classic gaming, others find it repetitive and limited, opting to mute it in favor of their own playlists. Overall, the soundtrack contributes positively to the engaging gameplay experience, though there are calls for more variety and additional audio assets in future updates.
- “A really fun roguelike with beautiful levels, great music, and an interactive world.”
- “The sheer amount of effort put into this is astounding; the controls feel good, the music is great... everything has so much potential.”
- “This game does not tell an epic saga and it doesn't have AAA graphics, but what it does have is engaging gameplay, great mechanics and features, and the sounds, music, and effects all combine to make a game that is engaging, fun, and easy to get into.”
- “The audio assets are limited to a repetitive soundtrack, which I ended up muting and listening to my own playlists instead.”
- “Music was passable.”
- “More variety in music and sound would certainly improve the experience.”
story
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
25%
38%
The story in "Aura of Worlds" is minimal and lacks depth, with some players noting that while a storyline is hinted at, it does not significantly enhance the gameplay experience. Comparisons to other games suggest that the narrative is underdeveloped, leaving players uncertain about its importance to the overall game.
- “Indeed, a storyline is finally emerging in Aura of Worlds' case.”
- “You see, Aura of Worlds at least bears some resemblance to a frame story.”
- “I’m not actually sure if Aura of Worlds is going to have a story to its spelunking, but it might not be all that important here.”
- “No story, which is fine, but there was a splash screen with a story, so I figured it would play a bigger part.”
- “But I can at least compare it to the similarly priced and more recent Rift Keeper, which also makes a minimal effort to convey a story along those lengthy dungeon/cave treks you embark upon.”
- “The storyline still needs further context.”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviewers highlight the game's impressive replayability, noting the variety of weapons and play styles that encourage multiple playthroughs. The developers' ability to create a polished experience with significant replay value is particularly commendable, suggesting players can enjoy hours of diverse gameplay.
- “It’s remarkable that such a tiny team of developers has created such a polished game, which has the potential for hours and hours of replayability.”
- “Lots of replayability - even just starting out, there are a few different weapons available to me that each have different play styles and ways to fight certain enemies.”
- “Another pro point I haven't talked about is the replayability.”
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The atmosphere of the game is generally viewed as a mixed experience; while some players appreciate its engaging elements that surpass a simple static screen, others feel it struggles to fully establish a compelling ambiance. Overall, it is recognized as a solid platformer with notable atmospheric qualities.
- “A solid platformer with a great atmosphere.”
- “It's better than a static screen with some writing on it, even though it still has a hard time establishing an atmosphere.”
grinding
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious, as the low rewards for unlocking items require significant time investment, often leading to hours of repetitive gameplay to earn enough resources for even basic upgrades.
- “You get only 1 gem for an unlock, and a single unlock can cost up to 5 gems. This means you need to buy 5 items, each of which takes 4-6 coins, resulting in 2 hours of grinding. Get the picture?”
- “The grinding is excessive; it feels like I'm just wasting my time for minimal rewards.”
- “I find the grinding tedious and unfulfilling, as it takes forever to progress without spending real money.”