Black Jewel

About

Black Jewel is a PC game created in c64 style. Pure pixel art and simple concept (but hard to complete).You are Ryan, a barbarian warrior and you've got to keep back to the realm the Black Jewel, stealed by Darkor.Features:-Play using keyboard or joypad;- CRT effect perfect for a retrogame feeling available;- Five different zones (forest, ruins, castle...) More than 50 screens to complete in old s…

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

75%

Audience ScoreBased on 48 reviews

music11 positive mentions

replayability3 negative mentions

The game successfully captures the nostalgic feel of classic C64 games, with great pixel art and a fantastic soundtrack.
It offers a challenging yet fair gameplay experience that encourages mastery and memorization of enemy patterns.
At a low price point, it provides a fun retro gaming experience for fans of the genre.

The controls are clunky and unresponsive, making gameplay frustrating, especially with the lack of customization options.
The game suffers from poor design choices, such as random number generation (RNG) elements that disrupt the memorization-based gameplay.
It lacks modern quality-of-life features, such as save points or health regeneration, which can lead to a tedious experience.

music
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
69%
13%
19%
The music in the game is widely praised, with many reviewers highlighting the standout soundtrack as a nostalgic and enjoyable aspect that enhances the overall experience. The chiptune compositions evoke a retro feel reminiscent of classic games, contributing to the game's charm despite some gameplay frustrations. Overall, the music is considered a major highlight, complementing the pixel art and CRT effects beautifully.
- “The real stand-out, I must say, is the soundtrack, with the main theme being an absolute banger, and something I could easily see myself listening to in my spare time.”
- “Also, I want to mention that the music is very cool indeed (masterful chiptunes, really).”
- “Music is too loud.”
- “The soundtrack and CRT graphics will make you forget that 2020 exists.”
- “The only cons I have with it is when I'm in the middle of the game and if I feel like I want to quit and play something different, the ESC key doesn't quit like it does when you boot up the game.”
graphics
15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
47%
33%
20%
The graphics of the game are characterized by a nostalgic retro pixel art style reminiscent of C64 games, effectively capturing the aesthetics of the era with charming visuals and a CRT effect. While some players appreciate the enchanting graphical fidelity and music, others criticize the lack of modern customization options and the overall simplicity of the graphics, suggesting that they may feel outdated or limiting. Overall, the visuals successfully evoke a sense of nostalgia, though opinions vary on their impact on gameplay.
- “A fun retro platformer with nice pixel graphics and music.”
- “Music is nice, graphics are on-point in emulating the C64 look, partly because they are almost a carbon copy of an actual C64 game, Storm Warrior.”
- “The game is great, with great visuals and excellent music.”
- “A choice was made to use obsolete, decades-old retro pixel art as a substitute for contemporary PC graphics.”
- “There's no options to change the resolution for the game or customize the graphics settings.”
- “There's no way for gamers to try to improve the low-quality graphics.”
gameplay
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
42%
33%
25%
The gameplay is characterized by its brutal difficulty and simple mechanics, including basic movement and a two-combo sword attack, which some players feel has not aged well. While it captures the aesthetic of retro games with impressive pixel art and music, opinions are mixed on its overall enjoyment, with some praising its challenging yet fair design reminiscent of classic C64 titles, while others criticize it for frustrating elements and reliance on RNG. Overall, it offers a nostalgic experience for retro fans, balancing intensity with enjoyable gameplay.
- “Unlike many retro games, this is not simply an homage to the 8-bit era with procedural levels and boring gameplay; it's rather like a lost good C64 game finally completed and ported to PC.”
- “It manages to be challenging but fair, and very fun: it stays true to the mechanics of hack and slash platformers on the C64 without being too frustrating.”
- “The gameplay is brutally difficult, with left and right movement, a jump, and a 2-combo sword attack.”
- “I will be the first to say that this gameplay style has not aged well.”
- “The gameplay is decent, but it has one gaping wound of a problem -- RNG.”
story
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
67%
The story is effectively conveyed through well-crafted splash screens and minimalistic backgrounds that enhance the nostalgic feel of a classic C64 game. Programmer Oscar Celestini successfully captures the essence of retro gaming while delivering a compelling narrative experience.
- “The splash screens for the intro, story beats, and death are all very well done.”
- “Programmer Oscar Celestini's sole mission has been to recreate the look and feel of an actual C64 game, and good golly, he has succeeded.”
- “The background is minimal, but it's telling us the story.”
- “The splash screens for the intro, story beats, and death are all very well done as well.”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
150%
The game offers a nostalgic retro experience reminiscent of C64 titles, with a relatively short completion time of 20 to 30 minutes. Despite its brevity, players find it enjoyable enough to warrant multiple playthroughs, highlighting its solid replay value.
- “I really love retro gaming, and when I saw this game has a C64 style, it definitely caught my attention. I never grew up with it, but I always admired C64 for its interesting game library. This game does a great job giving that vibe. It's pretty short; you can beat it in 20 or 30 minutes if you have the skill, but it's really good and has some great replay value.”
- “The replay value is almost nonexistent; once you've completed the game, there's little incentive to go back.”
- “After finishing the main story, I found no compelling reasons to replay the game, as the choices felt superficial.”
- “The lack of meaningful variations in gameplay makes replaying feel more like a chore than an enjoyable experience.”