Catacomb Kids
- February 20, 2015
- Hryx
- 8h median play time
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Get on itch.io Store"Catacomb Kids" is a challenging, procedurally generated dungeon crawler. Fight monsters, dodge traps, and wield arcane spells in this brutal, unforgiving world. With permanent death and randomized levels, each playthrough is a unique test of survival. Remember, one wrong move could mean your doom.
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Reviews
- The game offers a massive variety of interlocking mechanics and content, leading to unparalleled emergent gameplay.
- The art style and ambience are well-crafted, with pleasing visuals and sound design that enhance the experience.
- The game encourages creative problem-solving and exploration, rewarding players for thinking strategically about their actions.
- The game can be brutally difficult, leading to frequent and sometimes frustrating deaths that may deter some players.
- There are issues with control customization and menu navigation, particularly for players using gamepads.
- The game has been in early access for a long time, leading to concerns about the pace of development and the amount of content currently available.
- gameplay99 mentions
- 27 % positive mentions
- 70 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by a rich variety of interlocking mechanics that encourage creative problem-solving and emergent strategies, making each run feel unique and rewarding. Players appreciate the tight controls and fluid combat, although some find the steep learning curve and occasional confusing mechanics to be challenging. Overall, the game offers a deep and intricate experience, blending roguelike elements with engaging platforming and combat, though some aspects remain unfinished or could benefit from further refinement.
“The massive variety of interlocking mechanics and content in general make for an emergent gameplay that is unparalleled in games of this sort.”
“Very deep and intricate game mechanics make the game feel a lot more emergent and reward you for thinking creatively.”
“The gameplay involved consists of both a solid platformer/brawler core and some of the deepest systems I have seen in any game.”
“Unfortunately let down by unintuitive controls that obscure rather than enable the mechanics.”
“This game is pretty good and has a lot of things in it (considering there's one person working on this game) but this game lacks potential. It's a very fun game but there's only 5 levels to it (which after 20 hours its gameplay becomes dull). This game, for what it has, is very good indeed but even if the dev completed it today, unless it goes through a big overhaul, the game will basically be the same the entire game. It lacks much to it and it just doesn't have, how do you put it... the things to make a bigger and better RPG; its gameplay will basically be the same. I'd just like this game to have potential because for the first 15 hours it was a blast.”
“The autograb function makes it near impossible to go where you want in the heat of the terrible fighting mechanics; you'll be stuck levitating slowly while your character tries to move (can't even tell you how often I've been crushed between the ceiling and a ball and chain trap because the game thought I was trying to climb it).”
- graphics17 mentions
- 59 % positive mentions
- 24 % neutral mentions
- 18 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are characterized by a stylized pixel art style that some players find beautiful and engaging, while others may initially struggle to appreciate it. Overall, the visuals are considered functional and well-integrated with the gameplay, receiving praise for their aesthetic appeal and sound design, though they may not be the game's standout feature. Players appreciate the developer's ongoing efforts to enhance the graphics and gameplay experience.
“The game is beautiful graphically and the sounds are amazing.”
“The art style is great and it is one of the few early access games that truly deserves the term pixel art, with lots of different and varied weapons, spells, skills, potions, items, and enemies.”
“I love the graphic style and I have had a lot of fun playing the game so far.”
“So many games state they're 'rogue-like' just because they have perma-death and pixel graphics.”
“This dev can't really make a decision on what he wants his game to be like, so he is spending more time on the minor changes (shopkeeper menu graphics) than he really should be. At least he is working hard against bugs, just doesn't seem like at the end of the day he gets as much work done as he should.”
“The retro graphics and rogue-like platformer gameplay may not be everyone's cup of tea, but those are subjective.”
- humor12 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is characterized by its dark and absurd comedic elements, particularly through the variety of hilarious and often brutal deaths players experience. Users appreciate the game's ability to make even the most frustrating moments entertaining, with funny character soundbites and a physics system that adds to the comedic chaos. Overall, the blend of hardcore gameplay and humor keeps players engaged and laughing throughout their playthroughs.
“Some hilarious deaths, or the perfect combinations of things going wrong that lead to my body being crushed, burnt, dismembered, frozen, poisoned, keep me coming back for more.”
“Great game, manages to be both hilarious and hardcore.”
“You will die a lot in this game, but personally I find the deaths hilarious in their variety, once you know the most common traps.”
- replayability10 mentions
- 80 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Overall, players highlight the game's impressive replayability, noting its engaging gameplay mechanics and the impact of intelligence stats on the experience. Despite being in early access, many find it offers endless replay value, particularly for fans of challenging roguelikes and randomly generated levels. The combination of difficulty and diverse gameplay elements contributes to its high replayability appeal.
“Even if it is still in early access, the game has a lot of gameplay and replayability value!”
“Infinite replayability with the first I have ever seen amazing implementation of an intelligence stat that isn't just for magic or experience anymore and actually has an impact on gameplay!”
“Despite still being quite incomplete (and me being too stupid to get past the 3rd floor), it's a really fun game with lots and lots of replayability!”
- music9 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally well-received, with a catchy and atmospheric soundtrack that enhances the gameplay experience, particularly noted for its standout title screen song. However, some users find the music implementation limited, with sparse usage and difficulties in adjusting volume settings. Overall, while the soundtrack is appreciated, there are calls for it to be expanded and improved.
“The soundtrack kicks ass too.”
“The music is good, functional and catchy, though very sparsely used; the soundtrack will hopefully be fleshed out a bit.”
“You need steam to work that out for you, and even when it has you still can't do something as simple as change the music volume.”
“The tutorial has Xbox/gamepad buttons drawn into the scene itself; you can open the menu and navigate to audio and then music volume, selecting your choices with 'A', but here you have the volume slider that you cannot move without a keyboard.”
“The soundtrack, simple and limited as it is, gives the impression of life and change, which you find in the gameplay, as wildlife and interlopers battle, and are killed by the living dungeon itself.”
- atmosphere7 mentions
- 86 % positive mentions
- -29 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised for its immersive qualities, combining detailed pixel art, atmospheric music, and a dynamic system that encourages experimentation. Players appreciate the balance between tension and fairness, as the game maintains a challenging yet engaging environment that enhances the overall experience. The unique style and polished gameplay further contribute to a captivating atmosphere that keeps players invested.
“It's got a perfect atmosphere for just diving in and losing yourself in a run. It has an impressive complexity, dynamism, and congruence of systems that leaves you constantly wanting to experiment with the way it all comes together.”
“This game is pretty unique; its amazing detail and polished gameplay and atmosphere really make you want more and more of this game.”
“A genuinely fun, if unforgiving, roguelite platformer, Catacomb Kids is a seemingly simple game with excellent gameplay, good atmosphere, and a really neat soundtrack.”
“The atmosphere feels flat and uninspired, lacking any real sense of immersion or tension.”
“Despite the game's potential, the atmosphere is dull and fails to engage the player, making exploration feel tedious.”
“The overall ambiance is disappointing, with repetitive sound design and lifeless environments that detract from the experience.”
- stability6 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Overall, the stability of the game is mixed, with users reporting various bugs, including shading and texture glitches, as well as issues with the save system. While some players noted that the game features innovative content with minimal game-breaking glitches, others experienced confusion due to a buggy tutorial and lag spikes typical of an alpha build.
“It can be very buggy or just unfair at times, with some rooms being designed with no way out.”
“Yeah, it has its shading glitches and some texture glitches here and there, but what bothers me is the save system.”
“At first, the menu and gameplay were really confusing, and the tutorial was buggy and confusing as well.”
- grinding2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious, as most equipment feels worthless and the traditional experience system is replaced by locating special orbs for level-ups. This shift emphasizes exploration over combat, making grinding less relevant unless players choose to engage with enemies for loot.
“Most equipment in the game feels worthless, and it becomes tedious to look through it all.”
“There is no 'experience' in the traditional sense, and level-ups are gained through locating a special orb that appears once per floor. This means exploration takes the place of grinding, and combat is largely optional if you can navigate around it (unless you're interested in pilfering your fallen foes' gear and potions).”
- emotional1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is not explicitly detailed in the provided text, but it hints at a deeper experience through its diverse gameplay mechanics, such as weapon moves, stealth, and potion-making, suggesting that players may engage with the game on a more profound level as they explore these systems.
- story1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The story aspect of the game is noted to be minimal, with limited lore content, which is understandable given its early access status.
“There isn't much story or lore content, but that is to be expected in early access.”
“The narrative feels disjointed and lacks depth, making it hard to stay engaged.”
“The characters are one-dimensional and the plot is predictable, leaving little to be desired.”
