Castle of no Escape
- August 19, 2015
- Xitilon
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Get on itch.io Store"Castle of no Escape" is a challenging dungeon crawler where you explore a mysterious castle filled with monsters and treasures. With no option to exit, your goal is to collect all treasures and defeat the main boss, in a never-ending quest. The game is inspired by the 1986 text adventure game "Leygref's Castle" and offers a refreshing take on the classic genre. Use the Enter key to start playing.
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Reviews
- The game has a nostalgic retro style that appeals to fans of old-school gaming.
- It offers a unique experience with random level generation and a few unique achievements, providing some replayability.
- The music is catchy and adds to the overall charm of the game.
- The gameplay is extremely short, often completed in under an hour, which may not justify the price.
- There are significant issues with controls and lack of customization options, making it frustrating for some players.
- The game lacks depth and can feel unbalanced, with unclear mechanics and a steep learning curve.
- gameplay16 mentions
- 13 % positive mentions
- 69 % neutral mentions
- 19 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Castle of No Escape" is criticized for being a shallow imitation of classic rogue-like games, featuring simplified mechanics and a lack of depth. While the game is short and lacks a tutorial, players find it addictive once they grasp its mechanics, appreciating its vintage aesthetic despite the initial learning curve. Overall, the gameplay experience is mixed, with some players feeling satisfied by the end despite its brevity.
“It takes some time to understand how the game works, but once you can see the full picture, it becomes an addictive game with a pleasant vintage look and gameplay.”
“When I finally got to the end, I was pretty satisfied, even though the gameplay is quite short.”
“Castle of No Escape is a badly made, weak ripoff of rogue/hack, but with dumbed down 'consolesque' gameplay and significantly less depth.”
“The gameplay is very short.”
“There wasn't a tutorial; there wasn't a 'bunny slope' to learn the mechanics; there wasn't a flashing cursor telling you where to go.”
- graphics12 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The graphics are characterized by a retro pixel art style that some players appreciate, noting the artwork's charm despite its simplicity. However, many reviewers criticize the lack of modern graphical options, such as resolution adjustments and customization, leading to a perception of outdated visuals that detract from the overall gameplay experience.
“On the up side, I thought the artwork was very well done considering they apparently used MS Paint.”
“I love the retro style graphics.”
“The retro pixel art has a unique charm that adds to the overall experience.”
“A choice was made to use obsolete, decades old retro pixel 'art' as a substitute for contemporary PC graphics.”
“There's no option to change the resolution and no useful graphics tweaks.”
“The graphics are too simple.”
- music10 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
The music in the game is described as catchy and relaxing, with a notable chiptune style that enhances the overall experience. Despite having only three songs, the soundtrack is considered engaging and enjoyable, contributing positively to the gameplay atmosphere.
“The OST is lit.”
“Music is also quite catchy, even if it's just 3 songs.”
“Press M to turn background music on/off.”
“I relaxed for 5 minutes listening to this music, long enough to realize that I would be okay.”
- story4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The story emphasizes resilience and the unpredictability of life, encouraging players to persevere despite challenges. Set in a mysterious castle filled with monsters and secrets, the narrative revolves around a quest to collect treasures that offer protection and ultimately confront a main boss.
“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.”
“Explore the mysterious castle full of monsters and secrets in a quest to collect all the treasures (that will also protect you from the curses on your way) and crush the main boss.”
- monetization4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The monetization of "Castle of No Escape" is criticized as a cash grab, priced at around $5 USD, which reviewers feel is unjustified due to the game's defects and the availability of superior free alternatives on Steam. Overall, the use of Gamemaker Studio is associated with a trend of producing low-quality, retro-style games that prioritize profit over quality.
“Castle of No Escape has the cash grab price of around $5 USD; it's not worth it given the defects and shortcomings with the product, especially considering the sheer number of completely free, much higher quality games on Steam.”
“Gamemaker Studio is most commonly used to make retro pixel shovelware and cash grabs.”
- emotional2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players note that the game's emotional impact stems from a sense of inevitable doom, with the developer intentionally designing the experience to evoke strong feelings of frustration and triumph, particularly when achieving success after numerous failures. This philosophy enhances the overall emotional engagement, making victories feel particularly rewarding.
“If I recall correctly (check the Steam discussion forums to confirm), the dev has stood behind his philosophy that you're supposed to be doomed, and winning that one time after 100 tries is the emotional impact he was going for.”
- humor2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players find the humor in the game to be a standout feature, often highlighting its comedic elements alongside the gameplay's varying difficulty levels. The wizard character, in particular, is noted for adding a humorous twist to the experience, contributing to the game's charm as a classic dungeon crawler.
“This game is super funny! It can be super hard or easy as heck if you use the wizard. He is broken! Lovely game, a great classic dungeon crawler.”
