David
- February 15, 2015
- Fermenter
- 3h median play time
Get on Steam
Get on itch.io Store"David" is a challenging single-player platformer game featuring wonderful gameplay and pretty visuals. As the character David, players use a slingshot-esque gift to fight against giant physics-based enemies in a 9-level campaign, with additional levels, a survival mode, and a secret basketball minigame. The game includes a six-song EP soundtrack, described as FEZ-like and wonderful.
iPad
iPhone
Mac OS
PC
Phone
Windows
Android
Mobile Platform
Tablet
Reviews
- David. offers a unique and challenging gameplay experience with its innovative mechanics, combining platforming and shooting elements.
- The game features a charming minimalist art style and an engaging soundtrack that enhances the overall experience.
- The boss fights are varied and creative, providing a satisfying sense of accomplishment when defeated.
- The controls can feel floaty and unresponsive, making precise movements and attacks frustrating at times.
- The camera often zooms in too closely, making it difficult to see incoming enemies and react accordingly.
- The game is relatively short, with some players feeling it lacks content for the price, especially at full price.
- gameplay226 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 58 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by a mix of unique mechanics, such as time manipulation and varied enemy designs, which can be engaging and enjoyable for some players. However, many reviews highlight issues with controls, including slippery movement and frustrating shooting mechanics, leading to a mixed reception overall. While the game offers a short but interesting experience, its execution may not appeal to everyone, particularly those who prefer more polished gameplay.
“The gameplay is simple, yet each battle is unique, reminiscent of Shadow of the Colossus.”
“It's a short game—you can easily finish the main quest in a few hours—but it's really enjoyable, figuring out the mechanics of your powers.”
“The gameplay is actually really unique and exciting, although it can be unfair.”
“Frustrating shooting and movement mechanics.”
“The controls are genuinely upsetting; movement is very squishy but fast, making it hard to control, and the shooting mechanic is just dumb and frustrating.”
“The combat mechanics feel deceptively deep at first, but it very quickly gives way to level design that's either spiteful or just idiotic, emphasizing the weakness in the controls and making victories feel arbitrary.”
- music100 mentions
- 44 % positive mentions
- 52 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many players appreciating its minimalist and ambient qualities that enhance the overall atmosphere. While some find the soundtrack enjoyable and fitting for the gameplay, others criticize it for being repetitive and forgettable. Overall, the music contributes positively to the game's aesthetic, though it may not stand out as particularly memorable.
“The music's also wonderful, so if you're looking for a great game that's off the beaten path, look no further.”
“But even if you don't like games, or aesthetics, you should be willing to part with a measly 2 bucks just for the included soundtrack, if only just for the main theme, which is strange, beautiful, and agonizing all at the same time.”
“David has a unique type of gameplay and nice ambient music that's enjoyable.”
“Repetitive music, floaty controls, and arbitrary rather than rewarding difficulty.”
“The music is nothing special.”
“The noises it has in place of music and sound effects are genuinely painful to suffer.”
- graphics96 mentions
- 27 % positive mentions
- 65 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are polarizing, with some praising the minimalist and unique aesthetic while others criticize it as simplistic and poorly executed. Many reviews highlight the lack of graphical options and the basic 2D design, which can detract from the overall experience. However, for fans of minimalism and retro styles, the visuals may still resonate positively, contributing to the game's charm and challenge.
“I fell in love with the minimalism, from the graphics to the soundtrack to the overall simplicity of it.”
“The graphics are really nice to look at and the enemies are really well thought out.”
“The art style is creative and the music, while limited, is enjoyable.”
“The graphics here are some of the worst, laziest attempts at video game art I've ever seen.”
“It's hard to suggest this game even has graphics.”
“It's clear the developer didn't even try to produce any real graphics for the game and just phoned it in.”
- story74 mentions
- 19 % positive mentions
- 76 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The game's story is largely considered minimal and underdeveloped, often described as a simple premise where a character named David, a small square, battles various foes, including biblical references to sin. While some players appreciate the abstract and cute nature of the narrative, many find it lacking depth and engagement, with the gameplay and visuals taking precedence over storytelling. Overall, the story is seen as a weak point, with some reviewers suggesting that a more focused gameplay experience might have been preferable to a thin narrative.
“The story is real and that makes it beautiful.”
“Deep and interesting story delivered quickly.”
“The story, from what can be implied, is somewhat biblical, as you fight the 7 deadly sins, and then sin itself.”
“Despite the broken time mechanic, the story is very dry.”
“There is no real story, limited tactics, and not much replayability in the bosses.”
“I understand that the story is intended to be cute and abstract, but this barebones plot doesn't cut it.”
- replayability14 mentions
- 21 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 29 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's replayability is mixed; while it offers some value through two difficulty modes and an infinite arena mode, many players feel it lacks depth and variety, especially in boss encounters. The introduction of new content has improved replayability, making it more worthwhile, but it still remains limited outside of improving times and leaderboard challenges. Players appreciate the fun factor and unlockables, but the game ends before fully exploring its potential.
“For the price and gameplay you get, the game is good and has replayability as there are two difficulty modes to choose for each level and unlockables to collect.”
“Update: now that the new content has been released, the game is more refined and has much more replayability.”
“There is some replayability in those stages in that there are two difficulties to them and there's an infinite arena mode.”
“There is little replayability outside of the 'arena' mode, which is basically a room with endless enemy spawns and a leaderboard for total kills.”
“There is no real story, limited tactics, and not much replayability in the bosses.”
“It's not incredibly replayable but well worth the value, especially now that the price has dropped.”
- grinding8 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be a mixed experience; while some enjoy replaying levels and find it engaging about 80% of the time, others feel that certain achievements, particularly the arena challenge, can become tedious. Overall, the grinding is seen as manageable but may not justify the full price for some players, as most achievements can be completed in just a few hours.
“The solution to this is to ensure you remain in slow-mo, making the game feel slow and tedious.”
“I enjoyed about 80% of that time, there were times where it was very tedious, for example, the arena achievement.”
“However, I don't think it would be worthwhile at full price - I've managed to get everything but the kinda-grindy achievement in just a couple of hours, and I could probably get that last one in another hour of playing.”
- emotional6 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players find the game emotionally rewarding, as it offers a challenging experience that avoids frustration and rage. Completing levels on the hardest difficulty feels meaningful, enhancing the sense of achievement, while the responsive controls and varied level designs contribute to a satisfying gameplay experience without inducing stress.
“This game was a really wonderful experience for me because it was really challenging, but it never caused me to be frustrated or to quit playing it due to rage. Instead, this game makes it feel very rewarding to complete any level on the hardest difficulty, which is required to beat the game. This made me feel like beating the levels in such a hard difficulty actually meant something and was not just for an achievement or just to give a bigger score; the controls are responsive, and each level feels different from the others. Some of the latter levels are very nerve-racking but never felt stressful or impossible.”
“This game was a really wonderful experience for me because it was really challenging, but it never caused me to be frustrated or to quit playing it due to rage. Instead, this game makes it feel very rewarding to complete any level on the hardest difficulty, which is required to beat the game. This made me feel like beating the levels in such a hard difficulty actually meant something and was not just for an achievement or just to give a bigger score; the controls are responsive, and each level feels different from the others. Some of the latter levels are very nerve-racking but never felt stressful or impossible.”
“This game was a really wonderful experience for me because it was really challenging, but it never caused me to be frustrated or to quit playing it due to rage. Instead, this game makes it feel very rewarding to complete any level on the hardest difficulty, which is required to beat the game. This made me feel like beating the levels in such a hard difficulty actually meant something and was not just for an achievement or just to give a bigger score; the controls are responsive, and each level feels different from the others. Some of the latter levels are very nerve-racking but never felt stressful or impossible.”
- monetization4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy of games made with Gamemaker Studio is often criticized for relying heavily on ads and being perceived as low-quality "shovelware" or cash grabs, particularly in the context of retro-style tablet games.
“This is probably one of those tablet games which are run by ads or something.”
“Gamemaker Studio is most commonly used to make retro pixel shovelware and cash grabs.”
- humor4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is polarizing; some players find it hard and amusing, encouraging replayability, while others criticize the narrator's vague, religious-sounding commentary as neither funny nor inspiring. Overall, the comedic elements seem to resonate differently among players, with a mix of appreciation and disappointment.
“Simple game, hard but funny, makes people want to play again and again while dead!”
- atmosphere4 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is characterized by a unique blend of retro Atari/polygonal visuals, minimalistic design, and impactful sound effects, creating a strange yet powerful experience. The retro music complements the overall ambiance, enhancing the interpretability of the simple story.
“The Atari/polygonal style, the atmosphere, the sound effects, the retro music, and the simple yet interpretable story create a unique experience.”
“The atmosphere of the game is very strange and also very powerful, despite being minimalistic.”
“The atmosphere of the game is very strange and also very powerful, despite being minimalistic.”
- stability2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its stability, with users reporting no glitches, which enhances the overall experience for players who appreciate pixel art.
“I loved this game, as a pixel lover, and it had no glitches.”
“I loved this game, as a pixel lover, and it had no glitches.”
