Derrick the Deathfin

About

Enter an irreverent aquatic world full of paper, goofy fish, paper, arcade action, paper, wanton destruction, and paper. Join Derrick on his epic quest to decimate everything he sees under the guise of avenging the death of his parents!

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

69%

Audience ScoreBased on 29 reviews

graphics8 positive mentions

grinding2 negative mentions

The papercraft artwork is stunning and adds a unique charm to the game.
The gameplay is quirky and fun, with a humorous story that keeps players entertained.
It's a short but enjoyable experience, especially at a discounted price, making it a great value.

The controls can be imprecise and frustrating, leading to difficulties in gameplay.
Some levels lack clear guidance, leaving players unsure of how to progress.
The camera angles can be limiting, making navigation challenging and sometimes leading to frustrating leaps of faith.

graphics
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
57%
21%
21%
The graphics of Derrick the Deathfin are widely praised for their stunning papercraft art style, which adds a unique and visually appealing aesthetic to the game. Reviewers highlight the beautiful underwater environments and character designs, making the visuals a major draw, despite some frustrations with the controls and gameplay mechanics. Overall, the game's graphics are considered its standout feature, making it worth playing for visual enthusiasts.
- “The papercraft artwork is astounding!”
- “Derrick the Deathfin is a very beautiful game... kind of old school underwater platforming game, recommended for the visuals alone!”
- “Hands down the greatest attraction and caliber in this game come from its papercraft art style.”
- “The aesthetics are very well done though, and the different fishes and environments look really cool for a short while at least and has several small nods to classic games on Sega consoles like Ecco the Dolphin (the controls are actually just as bad as well).”
- “Hands down the greatest attraction and calibre in this game come from its papercraft art style.”
- “The graphics”
gameplay
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
25%
38%
The gameplay of Derrick is characterized by a unique papercraft art style, but it suffers from poor execution of key mechanics, particularly the jumping out of water feature. Players find the controls frustrating, especially after the initial levels, leading to a mixed experience that can be either challenging or exasperating. Overall, while the game has a distinctive style, the gameplay mechanics may deter players from fully enjoying it.
- “Gameplay can be a frustrating or challenging aspect of Derrick, depending on how you view it.”
- “Its style and gameplay is pretty unique, with a papercraft style of art leaving an attractive impression.”
- “Jumping out of the water is a major mechanic, and it is executed poorly.”
- “It follows the trend of mechanics-as-game (i.e. QWOP) where trying to play the game is the game.”
- “But looking at the gameplay, I can't recommend this game.”
humor
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is a standout feature, with a rudimentary yet entertaining story that keeps players laughing throughout. The witty writing, amusing art style, and self-aware tips between levels, along with delightfully bad puns, enhance the overall comedic experience, making it more engaging than many arcade games.
- “Most of the time you'll just be laughing.”
- “It's fun to look at, humorous both in writing and art, and the story itself is better than most arcade games in general, let alone indie-arcade.”
- “The hilariously self-aware tips that pop up between levels and the stupendously horrible puns are just the delectable icing on the cake.”
story
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The story is simple yet humorous, featuring a light-hearted quest to rid the ocean of toxic waste and pesky humans. Its engaging writing and art style elevate it above typical arcade narratives, making it enjoyable for players of all ages. Overall, the story contributes to a fun and entertaining experience.
- “It's fun to look at, humorous both in writing and art, and the story itself is better than most arcade games in general, let alone indie-arcade.”
- “The story is overall fun with a light-hearted feel to it.”
- “The story is rather rudimentary, but presented humorously and funny.”
- “Understandably, he’s a tad upset and as a result is going on a worldwide quest to clear away these pesky humans and the toxic waste they’ve been chucking into the ocean.”
music
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The music in the game is described as mild and charming, perfectly complementing the delightful art and light-hearted story. The grooving soundtrack appeals to players of all ages, enhancing the overall enjoyable experience.
- “Take one look at the delightful art and it’s hard not to be immediately charmed, with the grooving soundtrack adding just the right overtone for such a wonderfully enjoyable game.”
- “The soundtrack is appealing to everyone of all ages; the story is overall fun with a light-hearted feel to it.”
- “Music is mild and nice.”
grinding
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
200%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious and frustrating, as speedrun levels often require repetitive trial and error, while puzzle levels suffer from control and camera issues that slow down progress.
- “The speedrun levels are usually brute-forced through trial and error and feel tedious.”
- “The puzzle levels are slow and frustrating due to control and camera issues.”
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of "Derrick the Deathfin" is characterized by its unique blend of dark humor and self-awareness, as players navigate the journey of a psychopathic shark grappling with its traumatic past while engaging in vibrant, arcade-style gameplay.