Curse Crackers: For Whom the Belle Toils

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Curse Crackers: For Whom the Belle Toils is a single player role playing game with a fantasy theme. It was developed by Colorgrave and was released on August 30, 2022. It received mostly positive reviews from critics and overwhelmingly positive reviews from players.

Curse Crackers is a fast-paced acrobatic platformer where you bounce, vault, and fight your way through a whimsical world with the help of your loyal companion. Eat snacks, collect items, and travel the world to stop Bonnie and her band of troublemakers!

Curse Crackers: For Whom the Belle Toils screenshot

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95%

Audience ScoreBased on 344 reviews

story29 positive mentions

grinding6 negative mentions

Tight, fluid, and satisfying platforming mechanics with a high skill ceiling and expressive movement options involving the companion Chime.
Captivating pixel art style faithfully evokes the Game Boy Color era with vibrant colors and charming, well-animated characters.
Extensive content beyond the main campaign including numerous secrets, collectibles, side quests, post-game levels, and lore, offering excellent replayability and exploration.

Screen zoom and small field of view can cause disorientation and frequent ‘leaps of faith’, making certain platforming and enemy attacks frustrating.
Lack of clear communication or guidance for many mechanics, collectibles, and side quests leads to obtuseness, backtracking, and reliance on external guides.
Limited quality-of-life features such as no control rebinding, single-use consumables without inventory management, and inconvenient item switching diminishes player experience.

story
168 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
81%
2%
The story centers on Belle's quest to rescue her kidnapped boyfriend, starting with a simple premise that gradually expands into a rich world filled with charming characters, side quests, and deep lore. While the main plot is relatively straightforward and somewhat brief, the game offers extensive post-game content and optional story elements that add depth and complexity, though some find the lore overwhelming and certain narrative threads unresolved. Overall, the storytelling balances lighthearted humor and maturity, with strong character writing and engaging worldbuilding that complement the gameplay.
- “Like the framing devices for games in the Shantae series, Curse Crackers starts out with an adorable romp to win back the date that was stolen by your ex-girlfriend and then slowly unravels to become a plot about saving the world, but more importantly the lengths we need to go through to repair broken friendships.”
- “The story begins with Belle trying to have a romantic moment with Clyde, and getting interrupted by Bonnie. Although the plot is simple at the beginning, it expands little by little and covers more topics than the initial one.”
- “The story and world are unbelievably rich and tied to the developer's two other games: "Prodigal" (2020) and "Veritus" (2024), as well as the soon to be released "Claire A La Mode".”
- “Having beaten the game, completed some side quests, and even read the manual (which, to its credit, does try to illuminate some of the backstory, just some), I'm still not sure what the hell was even going on.”
- “The game also spends a ton of time, especially later on, hinting at events and secrets that don't actually get resolved in this game, which leaves the eventual ending to the post-game story feeling unfulfilling.”
- “It's piss poor design to have the ultimate wrap up to the entire story you've been going through be locked behind incredibly hard to find items that make you backtrack through the entire game over and over again in the hopes that you'll find them.”
gameplay
129 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
65%
2%
The gameplay of Curse Crackers is praised for its tight, responsive controls and satisfying platforming mechanics centered around a unique bell-throwing and bouncing companion that adds depth and creativity. Levels are thoughtfully designed with a mix of fast-paced challenges, secrets, collectibles, and varied mechanics that keep the experience fresh, though some players note a lack of enemy variety and occasional difficulty spikes. Overall, it combines classic platforming fundamentals with modern, layered mechanics that appeal to both casual players and speedrunning enthusiasts.
- “The game implements the basics of the genre very well: the controls are simple and responsive, movement (especially fast) feels good, and mechanics are lenient enough that any mistakes always feel like your own fault.”
- “Movement mechanics are top-notch for a platformer, feels satisfying to pull off tricks and actually makes me want to speedrun some of the levels with how immaculately they’re put together.”
- “The game's movement mechanics give you a lot of options to play with to give you a few ways to approach most obstacles as you get comfortable with the systems, so the core gameplay stays fresh over an entire playthrough, even if you come back to levels later on for collectibles and secrets.”
- “I have a few gripes: the game is allergic to explaining its own mechanics, and this is especially egregious in some of the boss fights (one of the post-game ones I still don’t know how to counter every move, even having beaten it).”
- “Gameplay built around feeling powerful that often makes the challenges at hand feel more annoying than challenging.”
- “Game mechanics that work on old controllers but not on sticks like an Xbox controller.”
music
124 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
57%
41%
2%
The game's music is overwhelmingly praised for its catchy, varied chiptune soundtrack that evolves and enhances the atmosphere throughout, often described as a major highlight alongside the pixel art and gameplay. Many reviewers found the soundtrack memorable, emotionally resonant, and on par with top indie game scores, with some even purchasing the OST separately. While a few noted it starts off modestly, the music consistently supports and elevates the overall gaming experience.
- “The soundtrack is impeccable with a great mix of tunes that get stuck in my head after a play session.”
- “Curse Crackers is a wholesome platformer that puts a lot of attention towards world building, character development, and optional content, all while benefiting from excellent gameplay coupled with a remarkable soundtrack that ranges from cozy acapella BGMs to dramatic chiptunes and an unexpectedly jaw-dropping final boss theme.”
- “The soundtrack complements the visual design with a cheerful chiptune score that captures the essence of adventure.”
- “The soundtrack starts off a little weak but gets better throughout the game.”
- “The music shifts seamlessly between exploration and tension, helping to maintain immersion throughout.”
- “You can never predict the type of song that will play next... maybe it will have high-fidelity rippin violin... maybe it will have something special.”
graphics
79 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
49%
47%
4%
Curse Crackers features a charming and meticulously executed pixel art style strongly inspired by Game Boy Color aesthetics, praised for its vibrant colors, expressive animations, and nostalgic yet fresh visuals. The graphics complement the game's fluid mechanics and layered level design, creating an engaging and visually appealing platformer experience. While the retro style and small screen feel may pose minor drawbacks, the art's unique personality and attention to detail make it a standout for fans of classic handheld games.
- “Great 2D platformer with a GBA/NeoGeo color-inspired art style that I absolutely adore.”
- “The pixel art style is vibrant and expressive, evoking nostalgia for late 90s handheld games without ever feeling dated.”
- “The art style is delightfully pixelated—just enough to hit that nostalgic sweet spot for retro handheld platformers, but not so much that it turns into a visual mess.”
- “Graphically, the game looks like a forgotten GBC game.”
- “I can respect its commitment to the Gameboy aesthetic, but the tiny field of view leads to a lot of blind drops where the only way to know what's below you is to come to stand still and hold down on the D-pad.”
- “The graphics are very likable but do not stand out.”
replayability
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
56%
44%
The game offers high replayability driven by its engaging platforming, fluid movement, and well-designed levels filled with secrets, collectibles, and challenging optional content. Short, dense stages encourage multiple playthroughs, complemented by medals, post-game bosses, and hard modes that provide ongoing motivation for players to revisit the game. Overall, it delivers a fun and rewarding experience that keeps players coming back.
- “A good looking platformer with some really fun movement, great levels, and loads to do thanks to its side content, secrets, and overall replayability.”
- “The levels are short enough to encourage replayability but dense with hidden rooms and collectibles such as roses and relics.”
- “Add in the additional/post game fights with some new bosses and some hard modes for the original bosses, and you get a lot of fun replayability when facing them as you go for the speed and longshot medals.”
character development
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
67%
Character development in the game is praised for its charming, unique, and creative character designs paired with engaging dialogue and memorable side quests. The well-crafted characters, especially the leads Belle and Chime, contribute to a wholesome and immersive world, enhanced by a catchy soundtrack and thoughtful world-building. Overall, the character development adds significant depth and enjoyment to the gameplay experience.
- “Curse crackers: From Whom the Belle Toils is a wholesome platformer that puts a lot of attention towards world building, character development, and optional content (such as hidden stages and sidequests/unlockables), all while benefiting from excellent gameplay coupled with a remarkable soundtrack that ranges from cozy acapella BGMs to dramatic chiptunes and an unexpectedly jaw-dropping final boss theme.”
- “The character design is one of my favorite aspects of the game, with most of them being quite unique and creative.”
- “Charming dialogue, excellent character design, and cute little side quests round everything off wonderfully.”
humor
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is consistently playful and witty, contributing to a warm and timeless narrative tone. Players appreciate the funny dialogues and charming characters, which blend well with the adventure, although some find occasional clashes between the humor and visual style. Overall, the humor is a standout aspect that enhances the game's appeal.
- “The narrative never takes itself too seriously, maintaining a humorous and playful tone throughout.”
- “The combination of humor, warmth, and adventure makes the story feel timeless, echoing the tone of the very games that inspired it.”
- “During your trip, you'll be able to interact with a number of side characters from funny, to annoying, to charming, and to... wtf.”
grinding
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Grinding in the game becomes notably tedious during postgame quests and secret hunting due to item limitations and backtracking. However, the progression and challenge remain enjoyable, especially when grinding for speedrun or no-hit medals, keeping the experience memorable despite some frustration.
- “A couple of the postgame quests become grindy with coin collection, making progress feel tedious.”
- “Some secrets require items that disappear after one use, forcing tedious backtracking rather than clever exploration.”
- “The amount of things to keep track of becomes overwhelming and tedious by the end, making grinding feel like a chore.”
emotional
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game delivers a deeply wholesome and emotionally engaging experience, enriched by clever dialogue, impactful music, and strong world-building. Players often find themselves genuinely invested, experiencing both laughter and heartfelt moments. Its blend of charming storytelling and memorable soundtrack creates a uniquely touching and immersive atmosphere.
- “The music is impeccable too, and appropriately weighted and emotionally impactful when it needs to be; the dialogue writing is genuinely clever and brought laughs aplenty and, at times, even tears to my eyes.”
- “I've seldom found games that I can get really emotionally invested in, and by that I mean have genuine emotional experiences playing out this story—and for one team to produce two games in a row that I've grown an unparalleled fondness for.”
- “Curse Crackers: From Whom the Belle Toils is a wholesome platformer that puts a lot of attention towards world building, character development, and optional content (such as hidden stages and sidequests/unlockables), all while benefiting from excellent gameplay coupled with a remarkable soundtrack that ranges from cozy acapella background music to dramatic chiptunes and an unexpectedly jaw-dropping final boss theme.”
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The atmosphere is praised for its detailed visuals that evoke a nostalgic yet fresh feel, complemented by engaging dialogue and satisfying gameplay, creating an overall enjoyable experience.
- “The attention to detail in the visuals creates a nostalgic yet refreshing atmosphere.”
- “The dialogue is fun, the gameplay is juicy, and the atmosphere really complements this!”
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's optimization impacts its difficulty, with performance-based medals serving as collectibles, adding an extra layer of challenge.
stability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game demonstrates excellent stability, running smoothly on the Steam Deck without issues. Users report a reliable and consistent performance across devices.
- “The game runs great on Steam Deck as well.”

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80%Critics’ scoreBased on 1 critic reviews

Curse Crackers: For Whom The Belle Toils Review (PC)
Carnival of Delights
Heypoorplayer.com
80%

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11h Median play time

11h Average play time

11-11h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 1 analyzed playthroughs

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Frequently Asked Questions

Curse Crackers: For Whom the Belle Toils is a role playing game with fantasy theme.

Curse Crackers: For Whom the Belle Toils is available on PC and Windows.

On average players spend around 11 hours playing Curse Crackers: For Whom the Belle Toils.

Curse Crackers: For Whom the Belle Toils was released on August 30, 2022.

Curse Crackers: For Whom the Belle Toils was developed by Colorgrave.

Curse Crackers: For Whom the Belle Toils has received mostly positive reviews from players and mostly positive reviews from critics. Most players liked this game for its story but disliked it for its grinding.

Curse Crackers: For Whom the Belle Toils is a single player game.

Similar games include CrossCode, Pipistrello and the Cursed Yoyo, Fallen Leaf, Kaze and the Wild Masks, Windswept and others.

Curse Crackers: For Whom the Belle Toils

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