Cally's Trials

About

Cally's Trials is a single player platformer game. It was developed by VDO Games and was released on June 14, 2016. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

Cally's Trials is a roguelike action-platformer with a weapon-levelling system that lets you evolve weapons as you use them. Cally must save her parents from the maniacal Herbert, who has laid waste to the Caves and built a massive new base.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

70%

Audience ScoreBased on 112 reviews

music14 positive mentions

grinding20 negative mentions

The game features enjoyable pixel art and a catchy soundtrack that enhances the overall experience.
The weapon leveling system allows for a variety of playstyles, making combat engaging as players can upgrade their arsenal.
The game offers a decent challenge with platforming elements that require skill, providing a sense of accomplishment when overcoming obstacles.

The gameplay can become repetitive due to similar level designs and enemy types, leading to a lack of variety over time.
The progression system is flawed, as players are often forced to restart levels upon death, which can be frustrating and disrupt the flow of the game.
Many weapons feel underwhelming or redundant, with only a few being truly effective, making the extensive arsenal feel less meaningful.

music
32 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
44%
47%
9%
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many players praising the soundtrack as epic and catchy, enhancing the overall gameplay experience. However, some critics noted that the tracks play randomly and lack thematic connection to the levels, which detracts from the immersion. Overall, while the soundtrack is a highlight, its execution could have been improved for a more cohesive experience.
- “Oh and the music... the music is epic.”
- “The one thing I really enjoyed from this game is the soundtrack, which honestly is really good that I would listen to every now and again. I do recommend you pick up the soundtrack!”
- “The soundtrack is by far the best one from an indie game that I have played.”
- “Everything about it is fairly shallow with the exception of the soundtrack.”
- “Since effort wasn't put into this idea, it makes sense how the songs they composed are played at random.”
- “The music is solid though it would have benefited from being themed around the levels which themselves didn't have any themes to their designs.”
gameplay
29 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
24%
62%
14%
The gameplay of the game is generally described as decent but can become repetitive and grindy, with players often feeling stuck in a cycle of dying and retrying levels to earn upgrades. While the controls are smooth and the shooting mechanics add some fun, the overall experience is marred by a lack of complexity and engaging mechanics, leading to boredom over time. The visuals and soundtrack are praised, but the dialogue and certain gameplay elements detract from the overall enjoyment.
- “In terms of gameplay itself, it is fairly good, with smooth controls, and the music complements the flow of combat as well.”
- “Cute graphics, tight gameplay, and nothing too frustrating.”
- “Simple but addictive gameplay.”
- “The dialogue is excruciatingly painful and the gameplay is lackluster and boring.”
- “Gameplay: 6.5/10 (for the most part, it's a simple action game, nothing complex, can be grindy and repetitive due to a lot of levels to play through each biome.)”
- “With that said, I see a lot of downsides in this Steam version, and that ruined the overall gameplay experience.”
grinding
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be a significant drawback, often leading to frustration and boredom due to repetitive gameplay and the need to farm coins and weapon experience. While some appreciate the ability to revisit levels for easier grinding, many feel that the grind is excessive, especially with the game's lengthy structure and the requirement to purchase checkpoints. Overall, the grinding can detract from the enjoyment, making the experience feel tedious and overly repetitive.
- “All I got was ache in my fingers and frustration from 5 hours of grinding.”
- “X fluffed playtime with grindy achievements—and at 110 levels, it’s far too long for its limited mechanics.”
- “It also doesn't help that the game also wants you to buy checkpoints to reach later levels without grinding from the first cave all the way to the last boss.”
graphics
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
35%
50%
15%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some praising the cute pixel art and animations, while others criticize the lackluster character designs and blending of visuals that can make levels feel repetitive. Overall, the aesthetic is described as decent but not outstanding, with a typical retro style that may appeal to fans of the genre.
- “Cc3 is by and far the better game with all the same bosses, better plot, better graphics, collectibles, etc.”
- “Cute pixel graphics, tight gameplay and nothing too frustrating.”
- “Great pixel graphics.”
- “Fixed resolution, ugly pixel graphics; this is just one of literally thousands of retro platformers on Steam.”
- “One problem with the visuals is that the character design is lackluster, with sprites not looking crisp and smooth like I'd expect.”
- “The rooms just start to mesh into each other past a certain point, both in terms of level design and visuals.”
story
15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
60%
20%
The story in Cally's Trails is minimal and straightforward, revolving around a young girl named Cally who embarks on a quest to rescue her kidnapped parents from a villain named Herbert. While some players find the narrative basic and lacking depth, others appreciate the sense of accomplishment it provides during gameplay. Overall, the plot serves primarily as a backdrop for the action and platforming elements rather than a focal point of the experience.
- “Guns that upgrade the more you use them, solid action and platforming, and an enjoyable story.”
- “The story is very simple - Cally's parents were kidnapped by a villain named Herbert and Cally sets out to rescue them, with the help of her friend Lloyd.”
- “Cc3 is by and far the better game with all the same bosses, better plot elements, better graphics, collectibles, etc. I get the feeling Cally's Trails was a predecessor to the Cally's Caves series and 3 happened to be the remake of it.”
- “A story is pretty much non-existent, so if you really want to play it, I guess do as others have mentioned and get the 3rd one.”
- “There's so little plot in Cally's Trails; it was clearly only included to have some explanation for a little girl packing heat.”
- “The story isn't anything special; you play as this girl whose parents have been kidnapped by an evil doctor-looking dude because he is evil, and you have to rescue your parents.”
stability
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
80%
The game experiences some glitches and bugs, which detracts from the overall experience, especially considering its long time on the market. However, it remains enjoyable and functional as a platformer, with some users recommending alternative titles for a more stable experience.
- “Cally's Caves 3 runs great and is a lot of fun, so I highly recommend it.”
- “My biggest complaint is that the game is a bit too buggy for a game that has been out for over a year.”
- “A bit buggy but otherwise decent platformer.”
- “A few glitches, but still a great game.”
character development
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
100%
Character development in the game is noted for its charm and robustness, although some users criticize the character design for being lackluster and lacking visual clarity. Overall, while the character design may not meet expectations, the characters themselves contribute positively to the game's appeal.
- “I had this in my backlog for ages and was shocked to find it's a solid platformer with charming character design and robust character development.”
- “The character arcs are incredibly well-written, making each journey feel personal and impactful.”
- “I love how the characters evolve throughout the game, with their backstories and motivations unfolding beautifully.”
- “One problem with the visuals is that the character design is lackluster, with sprites not looking crisp and smooth like I'd expect.”
- “The character development feels shallow and uninspired, lacking the depth and complexity that would make me care about their journeys.”
- “I was disappointed by the limited character progression options, which made it hard to feel a sense of growth or achievement.”
optimization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
100%
The optimization of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players praising its smooth performance and efficient resource management, while others report issues such as frame rate drops and long loading times. Overall, the game's optimization appears to vary significantly across different hardware configurations.
- “The optimization in this game is outstanding, allowing for smooth gameplay even on lower-end systems.”
- “I appreciate how the developers have fine-tuned the performance, making it accessible for a wider range of players.”
- “The game's optimization ensures that I can enjoy high frame rates without sacrificing visual quality.”
- “The game runs poorly on even high-end systems, making it frustrating to play.”
- “I experienced frequent frame drops and stuttering, which ruined the overall experience.”
- “The optimization is so bad that loading times are excessively long, making it hard to stay engaged.”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
100%
The game's replayability is mixed; while some players find it addictive and enjoyable enough to warrant multiple playthroughs, others feel it lacks substantial content beyond weapon upgrades, rating it low on replay value. Overall, it offers fun experiences but may not provide enough incentive for repeated play for everyone.
- “Addictive and replayable.”
- “It's quite fun, has high replayability, and it's worth the price.”
- “Replay value: 4/10. It's only worth replaying if you want to upgrade the weapons to level 10, but otherwise, there's not much incentive.”
- “After finishing the game, I felt no urge to play it again. The story doesn't change, and the side quests are repetitive.”
- “The lack of meaningful choices and consequences makes replaying the game feel pointless.”
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization strategy has received criticism for being unappealing, as players feel that the paid Steam version offers less value compared to the free mobile version, which includes an option to remove ads for a low fee. Additionally, some users express frustration over receiving advertisements for other games in the series after completing the game.
- “I beat the entire game just to get an advertisement for another game in the series that I already own.”
- “This Steam version costs more, while you can play the mobile one for free (with the option to remove ads for only $0.99 USD), despite the many downgrades I mentioned earlier.”
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is hindered by repetitive enemy and boss mechanics, which detract from the overall experience and fail to evoke a strong emotional response from players. The lack of variety in strategies leads to a sense of monotony, making it difficult for players to feel engaged or invested in the challenges presented.