Catacomb Kids

About

Catacomb Kids is a single player and multiplayer role playing game. It was developed by FourbitFriday and was released on February 20, 2015. It received positive reviews from players.

"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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88%

Audience ScoreBased on 794 reviews

gameplay54 positive mentions

stability12 negative mentions

Catacomb Kids offers a unique blend of roguelike mechanics and platforming, with a high level of interactivity between items, enemies, and the environment.
The game is challenging but fair, rewarding players for strategic thinking and creative problem-solving in combat and exploration.
The developer is actively engaged with the community and regularly updates the game, showing a commitment to improving and expanding the content.

The game can be extremely punishing, with many players experiencing frequent and frustrating deaths due to traps and enemy encounters.
As of now, the game is still in early access with limited content, including only a few classes and areas, which may deter some players.
There are occasional bugs and crashes, and the controls can feel awkward, especially for those using a keyboard instead of a controller.

gameplay
198 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
71%
2%
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. While the game offers tight controls and a challenging experience, some players find the steep learning curve and occasional confusing mechanics to be a barrier. Overall, it combines elements of roguelike design with intricate systems, providing a deep and engaging gameplay experience that is both punishing and satisfying.
- “The massive variety of interlocking mechanics and content in general make for an emergent gameplay which is unparalleled in games of this sort.”
- “Very deep and intricate game mechanics, it makes the game feel a lot more emergent and rewards you for thinking creatively.”
- “Incredibly challenging gameplay with tight movement controls, leaving only yourself to blame when you die.”
- “Meanwhile, the game's objective conflicts with the relevancy of pretty much every existing mechanic in the game that isn't platforming, which is not its strong point.”
- “While I do think this is a quality game and a good addition to the franchise, the overly complicated gameplay just killed it for me.”
- “Wonky mechanics make navigation confusing and frustrating.”
graphics
34 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
59%
32%
9%
The game's graphics feature a stylized pixel art aesthetic that has garnered mixed reactions; while some players appreciate the unique art style and sound design, others find it initially confusing. Overall, the graphics are considered functional and visually appealing, contributing positively to the gameplay experience, though they may not be the standout feature of the game. The developer's ongoing updates and commitment to improving the visuals have also been noted positively by the community.
- “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 can't wait to see what more is implemented; it's a really good concept, the gameplay is smooth, and the art style is beautiful.”
- “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, but it 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.”
humor
24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized by its dark and absurd comedic elements, particularly through the variety of hilarious deaths players experience, such as dismemberment and comical mishaps. Players appreciate the game's ability to blend brutal combat with laugh-out-loud moments, often finding themselves amused by the physics and character taunts. Overall, the humor is a significant draw, making even repeated failures entertaining and enjoyable.
- “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.”
- “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.”
- “It's got quick, brutal combat, a neat spell system and so many ways to die you'll be laughing each time.”
replayability
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
80%
20%
The game offers exceptional replayability, with players praising its engaging gameplay mechanics and the innovative implementation of an intelligence stat that significantly impacts the experience. Despite being in early access, it provides endless replay value, particularly appealing to fans of challenging roguelikes and randomly generated levels. Overall, players express excitement for future updates that may enhance this already high replay potential.
- “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!”
- “Tldr: amazing game, endless replay value, very difficult, get this game if you like roguelikes and randomly generated levels.”
music
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
50%
17%
The music in the game is generally well-received, with a catchy and atmospheric soundtrack that enhances the gameplay experience, particularly noted in the title screen song. However, some players find the music to be sparsely used and express frustration over limited volume control options. Overall, while the soundtrack is appreciated for its quality, there are calls for it to be expanded and improved.
- “The soundtrack kicks ass too.”
- “It has a good soundtrack, especially the title screen song.”
- “You need Steam to work that out for you, and even when it has you, 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', and 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.”
atmosphere
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
86%
14%
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its immersive quality, combining detailed pixel art, atmospheric music, and a dynamic system that encourages experimentation. Players appreciate the balance between tension and fairness, as the design allows for extended exploration without excessive frustration. Overall, the atmosphere enhances the gameplay experience, making it engaging and enjoyable.
- “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; looking similar to others, its amazing detail and polished gameplay and atmosphere really makes 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.”
stability
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Overall, the game's stability is marked by a mix of minor glitches and significant issues, particularly with the save system and tutorial. While players appreciate the innovative content, they report frequent bugs, lag spikes, and some unfair design choices that can hinder gameplay. Despite these challenges, many agree that the issues are not game-breaking, typical of an alpha build.
- “- 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”
grinding
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be minimal and often tedious, as most equipment feels worthless and level-ups are achieved through exploration rather than traditional combat experience. This design allows for a focus on navigating the environment instead of engaging in battles, making combat optional for those not interested in looting.
- “Most equipment in the game feels worthless, and it becomes tedious to look through it all.”
- “There is no 'experience,' either, at least 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).”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is not explicitly addressed in the provided text, which primarily focuses on gameplay mechanics such as weapon moves, stealth, and potion-making. As a result, the emotional depth or impact of the game remains unclear based on this information.
story
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The story aspect of the game is noted to be minimal, with limited lore content, which is generally anticipated given its early access status.
- “Not much story and lore content, but that is to be expected (early access)”