Chasm

Beautiful pixel art and tight controls make Chasm a fine, if reserved, modern take on the Metroidvania.

73%Game Brain Score

gameplay, story

grinding, stability

70% User Score Based on 1,673 reviews

Critic Score 76%Based on 8 reviews

Platforms

Buy Nowfrom $0.97

Buy NowGet on Steam €16.79 Buy NowGet on Xbox Games Store

About

Chasm is a single player role playing game with a fantasy theme. It was developed by Bit Kid, Inc. and was released on July 30, 2018. It received mostly positive reviews from both critics and players.

Chasm is a procedurally-generated RPG Platformer for PC (Win, Mac, & Linux), Playstation 4, and Nintendo Switch. Taking equal inspiration from hack 'n slash dungeon crawlers and Metroidvania-style platformers, it will immerse you in a procedurally-generated fantasy world full of exciting treasure, deadly enemies, and abundant secrets.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

70%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,673 reviews

gameplay133 positive mentions

grinding150 negative mentions

Beautiful and charming pixel art with fluid animations and an atmospheric soundtrack, including chiptune alternative.
Solid and responsive combat mechanics inspired by classic Castlevania gameplay, with a variety of weapons and unique enemy attack patterns.
Engaging exploration and progression with metroidvania style skills unlock and rewarding backtracking, plus additional content such as side quests and character unlocking.

Procedurally generated maps result in repetitive and uninspired levels, making exploration and backtracking tedious and confusing at times.
Controls and combat animations can feel clunky and slow, with limited mobility and lack of attack animation cancels, leading to frustrating encounters.
Lack of sufficient save points and expensive healing items makes progress punishing, compounded by lengthy backtracking and respawning enemies, negatively affecting flow and enjoyment.

gameplay
457 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
62%
9%
Chasm offers solid, classic metroidvania gameplay heavily inspired by Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, featuring tight controls, varied weapons, and RPG elements. While the core mechanics are reliable and nostalgic, the game suffers from slow pacing, awkward platforming, repetitive enemy design, and underwhelming procedural level generation that dilutes exploration and backtracking enjoyment. Overall, it provides an enjoyable but uninspired experience that appeals primarily to genre fans seeking a polished but not innovative adventure.
- “In terms of gameplay, it takes all the best elements from Adventure of Link, Castlevania, Metroid, Ninja Gaiden, and Spelunky franchises and blends them all together into a fun, immersive metroidvania.”
- “Gameplay follows familiar metroidvania rhythms, with combat and exploration tightly intertwined.”
- “Chasm is a procedurally generated metroidvania platformer that offers tight controls, lovely pixel art, and an accessible gameplay experience.”
- “Honestly the only reason I give it a 5 is because, at the end of the day, someone put time into this so it's a kudos for that and the art style, because other than that I'm not sure how or why you ended up taking the decisions to poor game design, bad mechanics, and pacing (just to mention an example: the journal page you must pick up at the very beginning of the game to get the achievement, because once you leave the area you cannot go back, so no achievement and you have to new game plus just to do so).”
- “It is full of f-you jumps, f-you enemy placement, f-you layout (generated, yes, but the algorithm doesn't allow for certain rooms to be where they should), spaghetti-legs platforming, 'let's try to farm a thing forever' mechanics, rubbery controls, crap wall-jumping, unimaginative weapon selection, useless combo skills for the few weapons that have them... the whole game is some sort of enormous f-you to anyone who plays it, and the price-point is around $10 too high.”
- “The procedural generation doesn't really add much to the gameplay, but I didn't find it particularly annoying either. Personally not enjoying it, the way it meshes random level generation with metroidvania mostly rips out the fun in exploring areas and replaces it with tedium, since just about all the game is linear corridors and a few branching paths here and there that are basically dead ends that make me either feel stupid for exploring them in the first place or stupid for forgetting exactly which mechanic I needed to progress in them (because there seems to be no proper way to mark rooms more explicitly than 'this room has something' and they have just about nothing memorable about them because of the way they are generated).”
story
399 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
24%
70%
6%
The story in Chasm is generally regarded as simple, minimalistic, and somewhat generic, serving mainly as a backdrop to the exploration and gameplay rather than being a strong narrative driver. While some players found it charming and engaging enough to keep progressing, others criticized it for lacking depth, memorable characters, emotional hooks, or clear guidance on objectives. Overall, it appeals to those who prioritize action and atmosphere over intricate storytelling, but may disappoint players seeking a more compelling or developed plot.
- “The story unfolds gradually through NPC interactions, environmental cues, and collectible lore items, allowing players to piece together the fate of the town and the deeper forces at work underground.”
- “The arc of Chasm’s story is one that follows the restoration of the town and revelations about the threat you face.”
- “While not the most unique story, it’s told with a lot of tantalizing clues and world-building details that help stretch the mystery out towards the endgame.”
- “Story is mid and doesn’t tell where to go or what to do at all; you kinda have to figure it out on the go and it doesn’t make it fun to find the objective just to be told you had to do that in the first place.”
- “Every NPC is cookie cutter; you’ve seen this plot a million times and the enemies are just random stuff thrown in with no thought at all. It feels like the designer copied and pasted from a hundred other games but just reskinned.”
- “The story is minimal and doesn’t do much to engage the player; the lack of a cohesive world and engaging story make it feel less memorable than other games in the genre.”
music
332 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
52%
42%
6%
The music in the game is generally praised for complementing the pixel art and atmosphere, offering a pleasant, often nostalgic soundtrack that fits well with different areas. However, many find the tracks repetitive, somewhat bland, and lacking memorable or epic moments, with a few noting that the limited variety can make the music wear on players over time. The option to switch between original and chiptune versions is appreciated, providing some variety and catering to different tastes.
- “The soundtrack complements the visual identity with subdued, melodic tracks that reinforce a sense of solitude and cautious discovery rather than constant adrenaline.”
- “The soundtrack in this game slaps, and there is an alternate 8-bit retro-style soundtrack option if you like more blippy tunes to accompany the visual style.”
- “The music is the another strength since each level has a catchy tune which is a must when the player is required to go through them for extended periods of time; the chiptune version fits well with the 16-bit graphics.”
- “The music is terrible and repetitive.”
- “The soundtrack is terribly bland, nothing ever excites you, quite the opposite, feels like it's trying to lull the player to sleep.”
- “The music, on the other hand, is disappointing, the tracks are basically 10 second loops and both HD and chiptune versions sound mostly awful, with only a few exceptions.”
graphics
244 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
59%
37%
4%
The graphics of Chasm are widely praised for their polished and beautiful pixel art style, capturing a classic 16-bit retro aesthetic with vibrant, detailed environments and smooth animations. The visuals contribute strongly to the game's atmosphere, featuring diverse biomes and charming character designs, often enhanced by options like CRT filters. Despite some minor technical glitches or occasional repetitiveness in level visuals, the artwork stands out as one of the game's best aspects, consistently described as gorgeous, immersive, and a major draw for fans of pixel art metroidvanias.
- “Visually, Chasm excels at capturing a polished retro aesthetic.”
- “The art direction of this game is top-notch modern pixel work; this game doesn't seek to emulate classic consoles, instead fully utilizing modern capabilities (although there is a welcome CRT mode in the graphics option; I always prefer a well-emulated CRT for pixel games).”
- “To get to the high points of the game first, graphically Chasm is a nicely drawn and animated 2D pixel art game, in the style of the 16-bit era of consoles.”
- “I play the game in full screen mode and click away and then come back the graphics glitch out and everything gets big black blocks around it and makes it almost impossible to play.”
- “Retro pixel graphics are a terrible substitute for modern PC graphics, and are only used by developers who lack either talent or budget to arrange contemporary, compelling visuals.”
- “The graphics is lazy pixel art.”
grinding
152 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
1%
99%
Grinding in this game is a highly divisive aspect; some players find the farming of rare drops and leveling satisfying, while many others describe it as tedious, slow, and excessively grind-heavy. Low drop rates, frequent backtracking, and the need to repeatedly farm the same enemies contribute to a sense of monotony and frustration that can detract significantly from the experience. Although gear upgrades and crafting add some depth, the overall grind and backtracking feel unrewarding to many, making the gameplay repetitive and tedious, especially for those not fond of extensive farming or completionism.
- “All in all it's a great game despite those flaws. If you play, I suggest not grinding too much unless you are a trophy hunter, as you will have more fun just playing the game with the drop rates. My main suggestion is to not go for gold equipment unless you have some free time and are desperate for that one item you really love, especially as the effects are random and no one wants to have a high INT build on a strength/attack build character. Keep that in mind and you're in for some real fun times with monsters with cool designs and attack patterns and some decently okay music.”
- “If you don't want to go through maps a few times over (which isn't too tedious on easy) then maybe this isn't the game for you.”
- “The bulk of the playtime was spent backtracking and farming enemies because the drop rates are very low (e.g. I looked up online where to get a better whip and it took 150 kills for the enemy to finally drop it, at luck 45), not to mention the fact that the game requires you to kill an enemy up to 15 times to unlock its bestiary entry. Some enemies appear only a few times during the game, so you're forced to farm if you want the 100% bestiary.”
- “One weapon requires you to go through tedious hoops to get it, and even once equipped, it is not that awesome. The game literally tells you little of merit, so be prepared for serious grinding through sometimes meaningless backtracking.”
- “The grinding and backtracking are major turn-offs. You have to grind your heart out for experience and gold, constantly going back to town to restock on items. With the game already top-tier in grind and backtracking intensity, doing even more grinding is a big dislike.”
replayability
100 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
18%
75%
7%
Replayability in this game is largely driven by its procedural generation, random seeds, and class variety, which offer a fresh experience on subsequent playthroughs. However, opinions are mixed: while some praise the added unpredictability and challenge, others feel that procedural generation limits memorable level design and overall variety, resulting in only modest incentive for multiple runs. Additional modes, difficulties, and loot collection contribute to its replay value, but linear progression and repeated content may reduce long-term engagement for some players.
- “The procedural level generation adds replayability, delivering a consistently enjoyable adventure that’s both nostalgic and satisfying.”
- “A tight, challenging, and rewarding platformer with strong replay value through procedural generation and loot variety.”
- “Funny and charming metroidvania with great replayability thanks to procedural generation, innovative skills, lots of loot and secrets to explore.”
- “I don’t think the procedural generation adds much to the variety or replayability (though there’s a seed ID for each level and an option to input one when starting a new game, which is a nice touch from the devs).”
- “The procedural generation addition doesn't really add to the replayability of the game; sure, some rooms are shuffled slightly, but you still go through the game in a specific order, so I have to ask what's the point?”
- “While the map is procedurally generated (sorted), I feel like this game does not offer much in terms of replayability due to the linear progression.”
atmosphere
41 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
56%
37%
7%
The atmosphere in Chasm is widely praised for its beautiful, diverse visuals, smooth animations, and ambient, fitting soundtrack that enhances exploration and world immersion. However, some players feel it lacks the deeper intrigue, emotional impact, and memorable mood associated with classic metroidvanias, with music and story occasionally seen as underwhelming. Overall, it offers a solid atmospheric experience appreciated by fans of simpler platformers, though it may fall short for those seeking a richer, more evocative tone.
- “Animation is smooth and expressive, giving weight to combat actions and traversal alike, and the color palette shifts subtly between regions to maintain atmosphere even when architectural elements repeat.”
- “The atmosphere is amazing, and the sceneries and the worlds themselves are incredibly beautiful.”
- “The environment work is especially beautiful, with painterly-like backgrounds and tiles that do well in conveying the atmosphere of each environment.”
- “Compared to games like Castlevania: Symphony of the Night or Hollow Knight, Chasm lacks the intrigue and moody atmosphere expected from the genre.”
- “While it checks many boxes for what makes a good platformer, it struggles to capture the atmosphere and intrigue expected from a classic metroidvania.”
- “Music doesn't make any sense and, except for the graphics, there is no atmosphere.”
emotional
15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
93%
7%
The emotional aspect of the game is generally seen as underwhelming, with minimal character development and a story that many find boring or lacking depth. While the atmosphere and gameplay evoke nostalgia and satisfy fans of challenging retro-style games, the narrative and emotional engagement may feel shallow for players seeking a strong emotional connection or impactful storytelling.
- “The snowy village, its music and the aesthetic of the first world all combined made me feel like I was playing Icewind Dale 1 or Diablo 1 way back when, captured in a side-scrolling format.”
- “As someone who grew up on the NES and the SNES, I remember all the ups and downs and skills needed to deal with overbearing situations where the controls aren't 'fluid'. The odds are stacked against you, and everything just kinda wants to kick you repeatedly until you stop twitching, but you come out of it forged with skills and reflexes today's 'triple A' games can't compare to. This fantastic little gem delivers that in all its heart-wrenching gut-punch glory, a Metroidvania-style game in essence but with originality so that it doesn't really look like anything else but at the same time... you still feel familiar. Grueling bosses, simple controls that require you to use your head to dodge instead of just mashing a button, and a story that starts simple but turns deep before you realize what happened make this a game I’ll recommend to anyone who asks. In short: if you've never touched anything older than a PS3 or Xbox 360, stay away from this game as you're liable to break a controller; for the rest of us retro junkies: it's the SNES game I didn’t know I wanted.”
- “There's no deep meaning or touching moments, but it's definitely worth playing.”
- “Boring story with a mediocre ending: 'Hey, you killed that mega demon and now you're a knight.' I spent hours and hours searching for the right gate or object, and all I get is a title?!”
stability
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
31%
69%
The game is generally stable and well-polished, running smoothly with minimal bugs or glitches that rarely affect gameplay. However, some users report occasional visual glitches, random freezes, and certain in-game bugs related to mechanics or currency. Overall, stability is solid but not entirely flawless.
- “Ran smoothly and bug free, well made.”
- “Game is super polished and mostly bug free.”
- “Runs great.”
- “Too buggy for my taste.”
- “Freezes randomly.”
- “Glitches, bugs, and crashes.”
humor
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is mixed, with some players appreciating occasional witty dialogue and charming moments, while others find the overall tone more dark and the gameplay frustrations detract from any comedic effect. Though some enjoy the light-hearted elements amid the challenging exploration, the humor is not consistently strong or central to the experience.
- “Funny and charming Metroidvania with great replayability thanks to procedural generation, innovative skills, lots of loot and secrets to explore... loved playing at normal mode and looking forward to hard mode.”
- “The atmosphere of this game is pretty consistently dark, just how I like it, though you do get bits of humor here and there and a beautifully rich color palette and art direction.”
- “In any case, dialogs are well-structured and funny to read.”
character development
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
12%
38%
Character development in the game is generally minimal, with few emotional highs or deep narrative growth. While character design and animation are praised for their quality and style, the writing and story elements offer limited development and are infrequently explored.
- “Good writing, character design, and story.”
- “The thought of a modern metroidvania with character development and a unique art style was very appealing to me.”
- “The pixel art is superb, with detailed animation and great character design.”
- “While the premise is serviceable and thematically appropriate, it rarely reaches emotional highs or deep character development.”
- “Not much of a story or any kind of character development.”
- “There is no character development to speak of.”
optimization
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
12%
50%
Optimization in the game is inconsistent, with some users experiencing performance issues like freezing and lag despite having high-spec PCs, while others report flawless gameplay. The PC version is criticized for limited video options and poor default keyboard controls, seemingly designed for controllers. Additionally, equipment and spell effectiveness require careful optimization for balance, which may affect late-game experience and playstyle variety.
- “Meanwhile in the late game I already had my preferred and optimized equipment; most drops felt a bit useless.”
- “There was something a little strange with the spells – I felt like unless I optimized my build for them they were almost not worth using, but once I did optimize my build for them they were overpowering.”
- “Performance: the game ran flawlessly for me, and I saw no real bugs or issues.”
- “3 video options, not optimized for PC.”
- “All of the command prompts you will get are for a controller. The default keyboard options are not optimized for PC at all (uses the arrow keys, hello 1995).”
- “Chasm does randomly freeze up and lag sometimes (poorly optimized???), which is ridiculous since my computer is well above the recommended specs.”
monetization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users perceive the monetization as a cash grab, feeling misled by advertising that suggested more fluid, hack-and-slash style combat, while the actual gameplay is more challenging and pattern-based. This has led to criticism of the game's originality and marketing approach.
- “It's just a cash grab imo, if these guys dreamt this up they are unoriginal.”