Crumble
- December 4, 2020
- BRUTE FORCE
- 3h median play time
"Crumble is a physics-based platformer featuring a grappling tongue mechanic, available in single-player and local multi-player modes for up to 4 players. In the campaign mode, progress through an unstable world, and in Party Mode, compete for high scores. With high dynamic physics, vibrant environments, and unlockable skins, Crumble offers phenomenal gameplay, exceptional graphics, and hilarious moments."
Reviews
- The game features fun and fluid movement mechanics, allowing players to swing, bounce, and roll through levels with a sense of speed and momentum.
- The level design is creative and varied, providing a mix of challenges that keep the gameplay fresh and engaging.
- The game has a charming art style and a delightful soundtrack that enhances the overall experience.
- The camera controls can be inconsistent, leading to frustrating moments where players struggle to maintain their momentum or aim accurately.
- The swinging mechanic can feel unreliable, often latching onto unintended objects and disrupting the flow of gameplay.
- The game is relatively short, with some players feeling that it doesn't offer enough content for the price.
- gameplay126 mentions
- 37 % positive mentions
- 60 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The gameplay is a mix of charming simplicity and frustrating mechanics, particularly with the grapple and tongue-swinging features, which can feel inconsistent and lead to frequent cheap deaths. While many players appreciate the fluid movement and variety of level designs, the swinging mechanics often detract from the overall experience, making it a polarizing aspect of the game. Despite these issues, the fast-paced sections and creative gameplay elements provide moments of enjoyment, especially for fans of 3D platformers.
“The fluent mechanics offer many ways to complete levels and it's very rewarding when you manage to swing, bounce, and roll yourself from sticky situations.”
“I love this game, definitely my favorite 3D platformer in the indie scene, the levels are beautiful and constantly blew me away and the gameplay is really fun, especially when you reach high-speed sections.”
“Awesome physics-based game, intuitive gameplay with many opportunities to carve your own path through each level.”
“I refunded this game after half an hour due to the grapple mechanics being far too inconsistent for my liking.”
“Fun in the first few levels, when you can keep moving fast, then it just gets frustrating; you'll end up restarting over and over again because the grappling mechanics are bad and the later levels are poorly designed.”
“The swinging mechanic is infuriatingly unintuitive to use, since the apex of the swing is so sudden that the arc feels more like a triangle.”
- music41 mentions
- 44 % positive mentions
- 41 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with many praising its cheerful and well-composed tracks that enhance the gameplay experience, while others find it repetitive or generic. Some players appreciate the frantic and bouncy nature of the soundtrack, reminiscent of classic platformers, but note that certain tracks can be forgettable or even annoying. Overall, while the music contributes positively to the game's atmosphere, it may not leave a lasting impression for all players.
“Absolutely wonderful little platformer with great, cheerful music and satisfying mechanics.”
“The soundtrack is bouncy and mood-setting, and the graphics are colorful and pleasing to look at.”
“Crumble allows you to make mistakes and forge your own path through innovative levels, and the music is wonderfully composed.”
“Sadly, the music is bland and the premise is non-existent, so it's not going to have much staying power in my memory.”
“Most of the music feels a bit too generic and 'safe'; there are a few tracks that made me turn off the music while playing those levels as they were deteriorating my sanity.”
“My least favorite thing so far has been the soundtrack, which reminds me of the kind of generic music you'd find in discount mini-game collections made for young kids.”
- graphics32 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 53 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The game's graphics are widely praised for their cute, colorful, and cartoony art style, which enhances the overall fun and whimsical atmosphere. Many reviewers highlight the beautiful yet simple visuals that complement the fast-paced gameplay, while some note minor optimization issues. Overall, the graphics are considered a standout feature, showcasing the developers' creativity and attention to detail.
“The game’s graphics are amazing, and the creator went for a fun, cell-shaded look which looks absolutely amazing, especially in the world with the colorful, old buildings.”
“The graphics are cute, very pleasing to look at, and you can tell that developers really poured their heart into it.”
“The art style is beautiful, the sound design is great, and most importantly, the physics are stellar.”
“Graphically, this game is cartoony.”
“You can tell that it's designed from the bottom up where graphics come second, because they are the bare minimum to convey the gameplay mechanics on show here.”
“Grappling controls can be clunky as hell, and the graphics have pretty bad optimization at times (I have an Nvidia Quadro P4000 and some sections still have bad lag).”
- story16 mentions
- 19 % positive mentions
- 63 % neutral mentions
- 19 % negative mentions
The game's story is minimal to non-existent, with many users noting the absence of dialogue or a traditional plot. While some appreciate the simplicity and cuteness of the main character's quest, others feel that the lack of narrative depth makes it less engaging for those seeking a more story-driven experience. Overall, the focus is primarily on gameplay mechanics rather than storytelling.
“His quest is a noble one.”
“Great game, honestly pretty good for speedrunning, and also pretty cute and has a storyline if you can put it together properly.”
“Fun physics game, main story is a bit on the short side, but it's got replayability and multiplayer.”
“There's no story or dialogue from any of the characters, not even in fake language like there was in Tunic.”
“Would recommend on sale or if you just like these kinds of platformers; if you want story, context, combat, or anything besides that, it's a hard pass.”
“There is literally no story in the game.”
- replayability13 mentions
- 23 % positive mentions
- 54 % neutral mentions
- 23 % negative mentions
The game offers significant replayability, with players highlighting the abundance of hidden secrets, collectibles, and unique level designs that encourage exploration and speedrunning. While the main campaign is relatively short, additional content such as multiplayer modes and the potential for unofficial mods further enhance its replay value. Overall, players find it worthwhile for the price, with ample opportunities to improve times and enjoy varied gameplay experiences.
“Tons and tons of replay value in getting your times down and finding collectibles, and many unique stages that play with the concept in unexpected ways (a pinball stage, a stage that requires backtracking, etc).”
“There is plenty of content here, probably around 10 hours worth, and there is plenty of replayability with hidden secrets and speedrunning leaderboards.”
“All in all worth the money especially since it offers tremendous replay value by trying to find new ways to beat your best time or the time of other players.”
“When unofficial mods end up getting brought in, if it ever does, it might have way more gameplay time and replay value.”
“It's quite short, but it feels replayable enough!”
“It only took me about 4ish hours to beat the main campaign, but there's lots of replay value and a handful of other content besides the main levels.”
- humor10 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is largely derived from its chaotic gameplay and unexpected moments, such as the hilarious inconsistencies of the tongue mechanic and the joy of happy accidents that lead to zany saves. Players find the fast-paced sections and cannon segments particularly amusing, contributing to an overall fun experience that keeps them engaged despite the challenges. The lighthearted tone and playful elements make it a delightful and entertaining game.
“The sections where you get to just roll really fast through massive lanes are among the most fun and interesting parts; also, the sections with the cannons are hilarious.”
“The music is great and complements the game very well. It's very skill-based gameplay and movement, and the game runs like butter. It's just a ton of fun all around and has made me laugh a lot, even in the times that it's difficult.”
“A small circle shows where your tongue will go if you press the swing button, but it's hilariously inconsistent and only shows up 10% of the time, so you'll be mostly praying for your tongue to go where you want it to go, and you'll never be sure if you're in range.”
- grinding5 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 80 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and frustrating, particularly when it comes to tasks like collecting skins and navigating challenging mechanics such as grappling hooks and wall climbing. While some speedrunners may appreciate the challenge, the overall sentiment leans towards grinding being a laborious experience.
“It is an incredibly tedious task, trying to find every skin in the game.”
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“Wall climbing in this game is the ickiest and most tedious thing ever.”
- optimization3 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has been criticized for clunky grappling controls and inconsistent graphics performance, even on capable hardware like the Nvidia Quadro P4000, leading to noticeable lag in certain areas. However, there is potential for improvement through future tweaks and bug patches, which could enhance the overall experience, especially for speedrunning enthusiasts.
“I see lots of room for speedrunning and optimization if that's your thing.”
“Grappling controls can be clunky, and the graphics have poor optimization at times (I have an NVIDIA Quadro P4000, and some sections still experience significant lag).”
“With some tweaks, bug patches, and more game optimization, it would be even better than it already is.”
- stability2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game's stability is criticized for having a poorly polished level that features frequent glitches, which can lead to frustrating deaths and the need to restart runs. However, it performs well on the Steam Deck, indicating some platform-specific stability.
“Runs great on the Steam Deck.”
“I love stuff like this in other games, like Super Meat Boy and Crash Bandicoot, but here it was only one level, and the level ends with a very unpolished segment featuring frequent glitches that launch me to my death, ruining the 4-minute run and making me start over.”
- emotional2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players express a mix of frustration and satisfaction in the emotional experience of the game, as the physics-based mechanics create a sense of achievement when successfully navigating challenges, but also lead to moments of disappointment when momentum is lost. This duality enhances the overall emotional engagement, making victories feel rewarding and setbacks more impactful.
- atmosphere1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -500 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The atmosphere is generally considered effective, with music and overall ambiance contributing positively, despite the graphics being described as merely adequate.
“The graphics are serviceable, but the music and atmosphere truly elevate the experience.”
“The immersive atmosphere draws you in and makes you feel part of the world.”
“The haunting soundtrack perfectly complements the eerie atmosphere, creating a sense of tension and intrigue.”
“The graphics are serviceable, but the music and atmosphere feel lackluster and do not enhance the experience.”
“The atmosphere is bland and fails to immerse players in the game world.”
“While the visuals are decent, the overall atmosphere is uninspired and doesn't evoke any real emotion.”
- monetization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Players express surprise at the monetization strategy of the game, indicating that it may be more extensive than anticipated based on its promotional content.
“The monetization system feels overly aggressive and detracts from the overall experience.”
“I was surprised by how many in-game purchases are pushed on players, making it hard to enjoy the game without spending money.”
“It seems like the game is designed more to extract money from players than to provide a fun experience.”