Curse Crackers: For Whom the Belle Toils

About

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

"Curse Crackers: For Whom the Belle Toils" is a charming puzzle adventure game that follows the story of a skilled cat burglar, Belle. With various tools and skills, Belle must navigate through treacherous environments to steal valuable treasures while evading security and solving ingenious puzzles. This game combines wit, charm, and humor in a captivating tale of feline larceny and redemption.

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Play Modes

Single-Player

Curse Crackers: For Whom the Belle Toils screenshot

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96%

Audience ScoreBased on 297 reviews

story26 positive mentions

grinding5 negative mentions

Curse Crackers features tight and responsive controls, allowing for fluid movement and acrobatic gameplay that feels satisfying.
The game is visually stunning with a charming pixel art style reminiscent of Game Boy Color games, complemented by a catchy and memorable soundtrack.
There is a wealth of content, including numerous secrets, collectibles, and side quests, providing a rich experience for completionists.

The story can feel simplistic and lacks depth, with some players finding the narrative unengaging compared to the gameplay.
Certain gameplay mechanics, such as the need to switch items and the lack of customizable controls, can lead to frustration.
Some levels may have unclear platforming elements, leading to blind jumps and potential confusion for players.

story
150 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
80%
3%
The story of the game follows Belle, an adventurous character whose quest to rescue her kidnapped boyfriend from her rival Bonnie evolves into a deeper narrative about friendship and personal growth. While the main plot is straightforward and charming, it is complemented by rich world-building, engaging side quests, and a plethora of collectibles that enhance the overall experience. However, some players feel that the story wraps up too abruptly, leaving several lore threads unresolved and requiring extensive backtracking to fully appreciate the game's depth.
- “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.”
- “What I think I was not expecting was the balance of maturity and classic high-fantasy video game storytelling in the script.”
- “The story follows Belle, a confident and athletic adventurer, whose peaceful life is interrupted when her rival Bonnie kidnaps her boyfriend.”
- “The story's ending also arrives a bit abruptly, closing Belle's adventure without fully resolving some of the deeper lore threads hinted at earlier.”
- “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.”
- “Curse Crackers, on the other hand, wraps up its story hastily and leaves many loose ends unaddressed.”
gameplay
118 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
64%
3%
The gameplay of "Curse Crackers: For Whom the Belle Toils" is characterized by its fluid mechanics, engaging level design, and a variety of platforming challenges that keep the experience fresh and enjoyable. Players appreciate the depth of movement options and the introduction of unique mechanics, although some note a lack of enemy variety and occasional input issues. Overall, the game successfully combines nostalgic aesthetics with modern gameplay elements, making it a standout title in the indie platformer genre.
- “Each stage is distinct and thoughtfully designed, offering a mix of platforming challenges, secret routes, and collectible hunts that keep gameplay fresh from start to finish.”
- “The gameplay feels solid, and the level design is quite good.”
- “The gameplay is fantastic, giving the player lots of movement options that feel really good to play around with.”
- “Some players may find the level progression a bit repetitive in structure after several hours, as the core gameplay loop—exploration, platforming, collecting—remains consistent throughout.”
- “The basic gameplay is alright, although it's entirely too easy to accidentally throw your bell at a diagonal instead of a cardinal direction, which killed me entirely too many times.”
- “Honestly, some of the postgame stuff has an uneven level of difficulty not from the fights or areas themselves, but more like the game mechanics not keeping up with the content they design, like some minor hitbox issues or artifacts they designed for use in the challenge being a bit undercooked.”
music
116 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
55%
42%
3%
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim, with many reviewers praising its catchy chiptune soundtrack that complements the vibrant pixel art and enhances the overall gaming experience. Players appreciate the variety and memorability of the tracks, noting that they effectively set the tone for different levels and maintain immersion throughout gameplay. Overall, the soundtrack is described as stellar, with some tracks being particularly memorable and enjoyable, making it a standout feature of the game.
- “The soundtrack complements the visual design with a cheerful chiptune score that captures the essence of adventure.”
- “The music shifts seamlessly between exploration and tension, helping to maintain immersion throughout.”
- “The soundtrack is impeccable with a great mix of tunes that get stuck in my head after a play session.”
- “The soundtrack starts off a little weak but gets better throughout the game.”
- “The game doesn't strictly tell you what world you are in, however, when moving around the world map screen, the music changes depending on the area your character is on the map.”
- “While it’s somewhat easy, the movement, soundtrack, characters, and aesthetic make it a great experience, and a must-play for platformer fans.”
graphics
70 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
51%
45%
4%
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their vibrant pixel art style, which evokes nostalgia for Game Boy Color-era aesthetics while incorporating modern design elements. Reviewers highlight the charming character designs, fluid animations, and meticulous level design that enhance the overall experience. The combination of colorful visuals and a delightful soundtrack creates an engaging atmosphere that appeals to fans of retro platformers.
- “The pixel art style is vibrant and expressive, evoking nostalgia for late 90s handheld games without ever feeling dated.”
- “The graphics are wonderful, perfect pixel art and lots of fun characters.”
- “The attention to detail in the visuals creates a nostalgic yet refreshing atmosphere.”
- “Graphically, the game looks like a forgotten Game Boy Color game.”
- “I can respect its commitment to the Game Boy 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 a standstill and hold down on the D-pad.”
- “The graphics and music are very well done, and there's a ton of secrets and lore to keep you occupied after the initial ending.”
character development
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
34%
33%
Character development in the game is highlighted by its charming and unique character designs, which are complemented by engaging dialogue and fun side quests. Players appreciate the attention to detail in character aesthetics and the overall world-building, creating a wholesome experience that enhances gameplay. The combination of cute characters and a catchy soundtrack further enriches the game's appeal.
- “Charming dialogue, excellent character design, and cute little side quests round everything off wonderfully.”
- “The character designs of both Belle and Chime are incredibly well made, with both of them being very cute.”
- “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 side quests/unlockables) all while benefiting from excellent gameplay coupled with a remarkable soundtrack that ranges from cozy acapella BGM to dramatic chiptunes and an unexpectedly jaw-dropping final boss theme.”
- “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 art and music with some really creative character designs.”
humor
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is consistently praised for its playful and lighthearted tone, with funny dialogues and charming characters that enhance the overall experience. Players appreciate the blend of humor, warmth, and adventure, which contributes to a timeless narrative reminiscent of classic games. The soundtrack complements the humor, although some feel it clashes with the pixel art style.
- “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, ranging from funny to annoying to charming, and even to... wtf.”
replayability
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
33%
Players consistently highlight the game's strong replayability, citing the short yet dense levels filled with hidden rooms and collectibles. The variety of challenges, including post-game content and additional boss fights, further enhances the incentive to replay, making it a fun and engaging experience. Overall, the combination of secrets to discover and the fluid gameplay contributes to a high replay value.
- “This game has been an absolute treat! The movement feels fluid and the stages are well designed with many secrets, providing a great replayability factor.”
- “Add in the additional post-game fights with new bosses and hard modes for the original bosses, and you get a lot of fun replayability as you go for the speed and longshot medals.”
- “The levels are short enough to encourage replayability but dense with hidden rooms and collectibles such as roses and relics.”
- “I found this to be a rather fun retro/Game Boy styled platformer with a ton to do and collect, which makes the levels replayable to search for hidden collectibles and collect medals.”
grinding
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be a mixed experience; while some enjoy the challenge and the fun of pursuing speedrun or no-hit medals, others feel that the need for backtracking and item management can lead to tedious gameplay. The overall sentiment suggests that while grinding can be rewarding, it often becomes cumbersome, especially when secrets require excessive effort to uncover.
- “Some secrets are hard to find, not because they’re cleverly hidden, but because they require items that disappear after one use, forcing you into tedious backtracking.”
- “It's a lot to keep track of, and becomes very tedious by the end.”
- “I'll probably come back to it to do the hidden levels and arcade mode once guides are out to cut down on the grinding for secrets.”
emotional
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players highlight the emotional depth of the game, praising its impactful music and clever dialogue that elicits both laughter and tears. The strong character development and world-building contribute to a genuine emotional investment, making it a memorable and wholesome experience. Overall, the combination of excellent gameplay and a diverse soundtrack enhances the emotional resonance of the story.
- “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. 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 side quests/unlockables), all while benefiting from excellent gameplay coupled with a remarkable soundtrack that ranges from cozy acapella BGM to dramatic chiptunes and an unexpectedly jaw-dropping final boss theme.”
stability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game demonstrates strong stability, particularly noted for its excellent performance on the Steam Deck.
- “The game runs great on Steam Deck as well.”
- “I haven't experienced any crashes or major bugs, which is impressive.”
- “The performance is smooth, and I can play for hours without any issues.”
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The atmosphere is characterized by a nostalgic yet refreshing quality, enhanced by detailed visuals and engaging dialogue. Players find that the lively gameplay complements this immersive environment, contributing to 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!”

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85%Critics’ scoreBased on 3 critic reviews

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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 platformer game with fantasy theme.

Curse Crackers: For Whom the Belle Toils is available on Nintendo Switch, 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 positive reviews from players and positive reviews from critics. Most players liked this game for its story but disliked it for its character development.

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

Similar games include Prodigal, CrossCode, Fallen Leaf, Lunistice, Pipistrello and the Cursed Yoyo and others.

Curse Crackers: For Whom the Belle Toils

Platforms

Curse Crackers: For Whom The Belle Tolls (Switch)

Curse Crackers Is Right at Home on a Nintendo Console