Concursion

About

Concursion is a single-player, fantasy hack and slash game with great gameplay, stunning visuals, and a beautiful soundtrack. Traileresque describes it as a "multi-genre game played on the boundaries between games," where you'll switch genres on the fly to navigate an interdimensional world, save the princess, and restore order to the realms. Gaming critics have praised it as "twisted, thrilling and unique," "shades of Braid," and "an intriguing, creative curiosity."

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

58%

Audience ScoreBased on 62 reviews

gameplay10 positive mentions

grinding2 negative mentions

Concursion features masterful level design that creatively blends multiple genres, providing a unique and engaging gameplay experience.
The game has a charming retro aesthetic and a fun soundtrack that enhances the overall experience.
Players appreciate the variety of gameplay mechanics and the challenge presented by the different character abilities throughout the levels.

The visual presentation is often criticized for being unpolished and lacking cohesion, which detracts from the overall experience.
Many players find the controls to be awkward and unresponsive, leading to frustration during gameplay.
The game suffers from an overreliance on autoscrolling levels and poor checkpoint placement, making it tedious to replay sections after dying.

gameplay
35 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
57%
14%
The gameplay is characterized by its innovative level design and genre-mixing mechanics, which provide a unique experience but can feel disjointed and counterintuitive at times. While the game introduces interesting concepts and transitions between different gameplay styles, the execution often falls short, leading to a lack of engagement once the novelty wears off. Overall, players appreciate the creativity but express frustration with the inconsistent mechanics and mediocre controls.
- “The real star of the show in this game is the level design; it's really masterfully done, exploring almost all things possible with the initial gameplay concept.”
- “The constant changing of gameplay types and looks is a great touch.”
- “As soon as I find comfort with one set of mechanics, I get challenged by another, and having this all culminate in the absolute chaos of multiple styles in a single level... wonderful.”
- “The gameplay changes from level to level and it's kind of all over the place.”
- “The game has some really nice ideas with the genre mixing interspaced throughout the levels but it's just not much fun after the novelty wears off and you're left with the boring and trite gameplay for each section.”
- “While it claims to be a cross-genre playformer, this game really amounts to a collection of mechanics and mini-games that have been done better elsewhere, relying on a sense of nostalgia and homage instead of making a solid game; shoddy animation and general brokenness add to the mess that this game quickly turns out to be.”
graphics
19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
47%
37%
16%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some players criticizing the unpolished and basic art style, while others appreciate its retro 8-bit and 16-bit aesthetic that evokes nostalgia. Although the visuals are described as colorful and reminiscent of classic console games, many feel they detract from the overall experience due to their lack of refinement. Ultimately, while the graphics may not be the strongest aspect, they are often overshadowed by enjoyable gameplay and engaging mechanics.
- “The graphics aren't the best, but they do a great job of recreating the art design of console and arcade games.”
- “The graphics are imperfectly perfect, heta-uma, prettily pockmarked.”
- “The first things that attracted me to the game were its artwork and the fact that it's a platformer.”
- “It is very unpolished, the controls aren't too great and I'm really not a fan of the art style.”
- “A really interesting game concept but the graphics, sound, and controls are just too poorly done.”
- “I cannot get over the very basic paint art style and bad voice acting.”
music
19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
47%
37%
16%
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim for its seamless transitions and compositional depth, with a standout collaboration from Christopher Hoag. Players appreciate the variety and retro sound, noting that the soundtrack enhances gameplay and remains enjoyable even during repetitive play. Overall, the music is considered one of the game's strongest aspects, contributing significantly to the overall experience.
- “Even the music shifts are handled well as, when you switch worlds, the music seamlessly cross-fades into the music of a different mix.”
- “I thought the music was awesome; it helps the transition elements of gameplay a lot and is generally fun to listen to even when you are replaying a level over and over. I did not find myself muting the music or replacing it with my own, as I often do playing most games.”
- “The music changes too if you change from character.”
- “Where do I begin with the music?”
- “This would be the first collaboration with Christopher Hoag of house fame, who tirelessly composed various mixes of all the songs in the game for each world, and the soundtrack here is striking in terms of compositional depth and variety.”
story
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
50%
25%
The story is generally considered basic and reminiscent of classic platformers like Mario, featuring familiar tropes such as a princess to rescue and stereotypical villains. While some players appreciate the humor and a few clever twists, many feel that the narrative lacks depth and cohesion, leaving them wanting more in terms of character development and voice work. Overall, it provides an enjoyable backdrop for gameplay, but does not stand out as a compelling story.
- “As for the plot and dialogue, it's basic, yet at least has a plot, and the dialogue is interesting with a sense of humor, and can feel rather dark to me even, sometimes.”
- “Games like this aren't complete without the stereotypical bad guys and princess you have to rescue, and this one also features one - only, in this case, with puuba's witty and irreverent brand of humor, as well as a plot twist at, or rather, near the end.”
- “The story here is also well done; it is a platformer so don't expect anything crazy, but there is more of a story than your average Mario clone and even a funny little twist that I will not spoil for you here.”
- “Borrows heavily from Mario in story and tries to do the 'haha is parody' thing, which I think is a bad substitute for an actual story.”
- “The story is nothing special.”
- “Essentially the worlds get 'broken' apart and we are running around in them, but the story itself did not need to seem like it was also a little broken.”
humor
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is noted for its interesting and sometimes dark dialogue, as well as its clever references to classic video games, particularly through level titles and stage names that parody well-known titles. Players appreciate the blend of a solid plot with comedic elements, including a humorous twist that enhances the overall experience.
- “The dialogue is interesting with a sense of humor, and can feel rather dark at times.”
- “This game is also sprinkled with some humorous moments that pay homage to some old games; be sure to read the titles to every level.”
- “Beyond the obvious reference to Miyamoto-san, Concursion flaunts its appreciation for video game history across a procession of referential humor, with stage names that parody renowned games.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players express frustration with the grinding aspect of the game, particularly due to poorly placed checkpoints that force them to repeatedly replay long and tedious segments, especially during autoscrollers. This design choice detracts from the overall enjoyment, making failure feel punishing rather than challenging.
- “If there's something I enjoy the most, it's having to redo tediously long and boring autoscrollers when I die to something much later because the checkpoints are not placed well.”
- “Otherwise, it becomes tedious to replay the same segment at the same pace when you fail.”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
150%
The game offers excellent replayability, encouraging players to achieve gold times, top leaderboard scores, and collect all gems, making it worth a higher price point for many users.
- “The replayability of the game is really good if you want to achieve the gold time, secure the best time on the leaderboards, and collect all the gems.”
- “For a game with as much replay value as this, I would pay closer to £50.”
- “Once you've completed the main story, there's little incentive to dive back in.”
- “The lack of meaningful choices and consequences makes replaying feel tedious.”
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization strategy appears to be influenced by its initial positioning as a Mario clone, but it evolves to incorporate elements from various other games, suggesting a blend of familiar mechanics to attract a broader audience.