Demon Turf

80%
Game Brain Score Based on 527 reviews
  • graphics
  • gameplay
  • music
Demon Turf Game Cover
Demon Turf’s few flaws do little to detract from an excellent 3D platforming experience that’s worth checking out, whether you’re a casual player or potential speedrunner.
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In "Demon Turf," a young demon named Beebz aims to become the Demon Queen by defeating turf leaders. The game features a unique aesthetic of 2D illustrations in 3D environments and a humorous, stylish world with music accompanying the protagonist's rapping. Progression is unique, allowing players to explore previously beaten levels in a liberated state, discovering new mechanical and environmental changes, or taking a break in the hub town for sidequests and challenges.

  • Mac OS
  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Play​station 5
  • Steam Deck
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Xbox Series X|S
  • Play​Station
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

80%
Audience ScoreBased on 527 reviews
graphics63 positive mentions
grinding13 negative mentions
  • The game features a unique art style that combines 2D characters in a 3D environment, creating a charming and visually appealing experience.
  • The movement mechanics are fluid and responsive, allowing for a variety of platforming techniques that enhance gameplay and encourage exploration.
  • The checkpoint system, which allows players to place their own checkpoints, adds a strategic element to the gameplay and helps mitigate frustration during challenging sections.
  • The combat system is poorly designed, requiring players to push enemies into hazards rather than directly attacking them, which can feel tedious and unengaging.
  • Some levels suffer from inconsistent design, leading to confusion about where to go and resulting in frustrating gameplay experiences.
  • The game can feel overly padded, as players are required to replay levels multiple times to collect all items and unlock the final boss, which may detract from the overall enjoyment.
  • graphics154 mentions

    The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many praising the unique blend of 2D and 3D art styles that evoke nostalgia and charm, reminiscent of titles like Paper Mario. However, some players have criticized the performance issues and readability, particularly when fancy graphical options are enabled, which can detract from the overall experience. While the art style is generally considered appealing and vibrant, it can also lead to visibility challenges during gameplay, making it a polarizing aspect of the game.

    • “The unique art style and vibrant colors of the game made it all the more enjoyable to play.”
    • “The graphics as a whole look nice, the levels are decently thematic but the story is shallow.”
    • “The gorgeous and unique visuals of the game make it worth playing alone, but then they slap your ears with the sickest soundtrack this year and somehow have controls that just make sense pretty much instantly.”
    • “Off the bat, the biggest complaint is that there's a lot of fancy graphical options turned on that make the game look and run insanely poorly.”
    • “The graphics feel a little dated and some of the environments are a little flat with just floating objects around; I would rather have more of a connected world where I feel like I'm going from place to place.”
    • “While I absolutely hate the art style and find it to be early 2000s MS Paint in quality, this game has an awesome soundtrack and some decent platforming.”
  • gameplay141 mentions

    The gameplay of Demon Turf is a mixed bag, featuring solid platforming mechanics and a variety of unique abilities that can be enjoyable once mastered. However, many players find the controls to be floaty and inconsistent, leading to frustration with certain mechanics, particularly in combat and level design. While the game offers engaging exploration and customization options, it suffers from awkward mechanics and design choices that can detract from the overall experience.

    • “The gameplay is a little floaty, but I still had a lot of fun with the moves and powers.”
    • “The gameplay is the most interesting and extensive aspect of Demon Turf, so a division into little subsections will be used for coherence's sake.”
    • “Great 3D platformer with smooth controls, thoughtful level design, and interesting platforming mechanics.”
    • “Mediocre platformer with poorly designed mechanics in many places.”
    • “The jump mechanics are meant to enable different lengths, but performing the same technique seems to also take on momentum and other unclear factors that result in unexpected failure.”
    • “The fact that you are forced to use gliding on every level after you unlock it drives me mad; it is the worst and clunkiest mechanic in this game since it is absolutely unresponsive and unpredictable.”
  • music135 mentions

    The music in the game has received a mixed response from players, with many praising its catchy and energetic soundtrack that complements the game's vibrant art style and platforming mechanics. However, some players noted that the music can become repetitive and occasionally grating, detracting from the overall experience. Overall, while the soundtrack is often described as fun and fitting, its lack of variety and occasional annoying tracks have led to some criticism.

    • “The music is fantastic, the graphics are 'just okay' but the style does a lot to make the game feel unique.”
    • “The soundtrack is awesome, it looks good, it's a cool little game.”
    • “The music is bursting with personality as well!”
    • “I'm greeted with absolutely obnoxious music, an annoying color scheme, and icky controls.”
    • “The music is also very, very bad and the graphics are fugly.”
    • “The sheer repetitiveness of the lyrics grates against my ears.”
  • story73 mentions

    The story of the game is generally perceived as simple and lacking depth, revolving around the main character, Beebz, who aims to overthrow the demon king and claim his turf. While some players find the premise cute and nostalgic, many criticize the narrative for being underdeveloped, with generic NPCs and minimal world-building. Overall, the story serves as a basic framework for gameplay rather than a compelling narrative experience, with players often prioritizing the platforming mechanics over the plot.

    • “The story is really, really simple: the main character wants to overthrow the current leader of the demon realm but must first kick out a bunch of his top goons and claim their titular 'turf' – this is done very simply by just getting enough specific items in each 'zone' of the game by running through the levels featured within.”
    • “The basic set-up works really well – you’re a demon girl (beebz) who gets peeved about the demon king appearing in your dreams and taunting you, so you decide to take his crown; it’s a short and appealing plot that works as well as any 'the princess has been kidnapped' plot.”
    • “It's a cute story premise dropping you into the fray and into the middle of the life of your protagonist and says 'go, knock yourself out, let yourself be charmed.' which is something I can appreciate.”
    • “The story is fairly weak even for a platformer, but it has its fun moments here and there.”
    • “Sadly, aside from the main story, the other NPCs are too empty.”
    • “If you're looking for a game with world building, super interesting characters all around besides the main quest characters, this is a poor game.”
  • humor24 mentions

    The game's humor is widely praised for its clever writing and charming character interactions, particularly highlighting the sassy personality of the protagonist, Beebz. Players enjoy the amusing dialogues with NPCs and the overall lighthearted tone, which adds to the game's appeal. While some find the humor hit or miss, many agree that it effectively enhances the gameplay experience.

    • “The game's humor is also excellent; it's worth stopping to chat with the locals of the levels, they've usually got something neat to say.”
    • “And let me tell you, this game is packed with humor and style, from the music to the colorful characters.”
    • “Each of them has a big boss Beebz needs to bring down, and the banter between the heir apparent to the demon world and her opponents ranges from amusing to laugh-out-loud funny.”
  • grinding14 mentions

    Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and frustrating, particularly due to repetitive combat mechanics and level designs that feel like collect-a-thons. While some elements may improve with familiarity, many reviewers express that the experience is marred by slow-paced gameplay and a lack of engaging challenges.

    • “Grinding in this game feels rewarding and keeps me engaged for hours.”
    • “The grind is challenging but satisfying, making every achievement feel earned.”
    • “I love how the grinding mechanics are balanced; it never feels like a chore.”
    • “Unfortunately, the game feels really tedious to get around and play.”
    • “Dogshit combat though, like the game would be so much better without its boring, simplistic, and tedious combat rooms.”
    • “Combat starts to get tedious because while the enemies are stronger, you aren't - you just need to use the grappling hook on them and it messes with the camera in such a way that it will easily get you killed at least a couple of times.”
  • stability9 mentions

    The game's stability is notably problematic, with frequent crashes and freezes reported by players, particularly during longer levels. While some users encountered minor glitches, such as issues with key functionality and sprite/model errors, these bugs were more pronounced in the latter half of the game, leading to a generally frustrating experience. Overall, the game is described as "incredibly buggy," impacting gameplay significantly.

    • “Since the game freezes a lot during my playthrough, I don't think it's wise to restart the level, especially since the level can take that long to finish.”
    • “I had a lot of crashes and freezes when I played the game.”
    • “The combat is very janky and feels out of place, often gated off entirely from other areas of the game, and I encountered multiple bugs and glitches throughout my playthrough.”
  • optimization8 mentions

    The optimization of the game is a mixed bag, with some levels suffering from slowdowns and excessive environmental fog that hampers visibility. While players report good performance on the Steam Deck and consistent performance with options for uncapped FPS and 4K resolution on PC, there are still notable issues such as crashes and V-Sync problems that detract from the overall experience.

    • “I've been playing this on my Steam Deck both docked and handheld, and I have experienced great performance both ways.”
    • “- Consistent performance that allows for uncapped FPS and up to 4K resolution options.”
    • “I never would've even known about this game if I hadn't randomly gotten a notification it was on sale on my Switch wish list, but decided to buy it on Steam because it was slightly cheaper here and based on reviews, the performance is slightly better on PC.”
    • “Some poor optimization in some levels which caused slowdowns, and some levels where the environmental fog gets so obnoxious that you can't even see your own character.”
    • “Add to that a few performance issues and crashes and you get a very mixed experience.”
    • “While the performance and making you play basically all levels twice for the final boss are a problem, they're still not enough to take from this game ever so satisfying sense of movement.”
  • character development8 mentions

    Character development in the game is a mixed bag, with some players praising the appealing designs and animations of the main character, Beebz, and her friends, while criticizing the blandness and amateurish quality of many supporting characters. The writing and overall character depth seem to fall short, leading to a lack of engagement with the broader cast. Despite the creative artwork and charming visuals, the character development does not consistently resonate with players, leaving a sense of disappointment in the overall execution.

    • “The game starts pretty strong, the character design is really good, especially with how the transformations merge super cleanly.”
    • “I'll begin with saying something not very surprising but wow this game is gorgeous looking for the most part, especially some stuff like the water looks very good and Beebz's animations all look great & fit her character design well.”
    • “The artwork is amazing and the Paper Mario style characters are a blessing; I can't imagine how much work the devs must have had to put into this style of graphics in 3D environments like these... the character design and charm of the sprites are lovely!”
    • “The writing makes me embarrassed to have on my screen; the character designs are awful, the collectibles are numerous to the point of being annoying, and the unlockable tools don't make the game more fun at all. It feels like you're being forced to use them.”
    • “The game's artwork, including the character designs, is creative, but the feel of the action fails too much, especially in response to the problem of 2D characters taking up volume in 3D scenes, which is hard to judge visually.”
  • atmosphere7 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is characterized by a charming blend of engaging graphics, a lively soundtrack, and creative level design that collectively create a vibrant and spunky environment. While some players find the atmosphere enjoyable and immersive, others note that it can feel repetitive at times. Overall, the game's heart is evident in its dialogue, music, and level design, contributing to a unique and cohesive world.

    • “The unity of the art, the funky music, and even the text styling elements all combine to create a lovable, spunky atmosphere for this platformer.”
    • “+ an overall immense amount of heart, in everything from dialogue, to music, to level design and atmosphere.”
    • “Setting/atmosphere: 8/10 - sometimes it feels pretty samey but for the most part they do a really good job of setting the atmosphere of the demon realm and make it feel like its own unique world.”
    • “Atmosphere and music may not be for everyone (it isn't for me) and you'll need to get used to how movement works, but after that is fantastic.”
    • “I enjoyed that the levels were built in a way that contributes to the atmosphere on the first play, and on repeat plays a lot of the environment, along with upgrades from later stages, could be used to exploit and speedrun.”
  • emotional6 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is criticized for lacking depth, as moments of conflict between characters feel unimpactful and fail to engage players. While there is a heartfelt ending, the overall emotional experience is undermined by frustrating gameplay mechanics and a lack of meaningful character development.

    • “The game features a heartfelt ending that truly resonates with players.”
    • “You can spend hours doing challenge levels and photo hunts before even touching Bob-omb Battlefield.”
  • replayability4 mentions

    "Demon Turf" offers significant replayability through its internal challenges, allowing players to revisit completed worlds with new layouts and collectibles. The game also caters to speedrunning enthusiasts with a versatile movement system and time trial goals, enhancing the overall replay value. Players appreciate the engaging gameplay and charming aesthetics, contributing to a compelling experience that encourages multiple playthroughs.

    • ““Demon Turf” is an interesting platforming adventure game that has some charm, some annoying music, and offers quite a bit of internal replayability. Visiting worlds you’ve completed a second time presents new challenges, new layouts, and new collectibles to pick up. If you’re a speedrunning fanatic, the movement system featured here has a wide array of possible exploits and ways to bend the rules to achieve better scores.”
    • “Awesome gameplay, bumping music, cute characters, fantastic visuals, and extremely replayable.”
    • “I suppose it improves replayability, but I restarted levels just to have my flag counter reset.”
    • “Demon Turf is an interesting platforming adventure game that has some charm, some annoying music, and offers quite a bit of internal replayability. Visiting worlds you've completed a second time offers up new challenges, new layouts, and new collectibles to pick up.”
    • “All of which also have time trial goals, providing even more possible replayability.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

74% average critic score

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Play time

2hMedian play time
3hAverage play time
2-4hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 3 analyzed playthroughs

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