Duru

About

Duru is a single player platformer game. It was developed by Twisted Ramble Games and was released on May 8, 2023. It received positive reviews from players.

Follow the story of Tuli – a story about the struggle with insecurities, depression and friendship, told in a colorful, accessible way. Run, jump and paint your way through puzzle filled tunnels while also dealing with an unhelpful AI companion you just can't get rid of. The demo (Windows/Mac) that you can play here on itch.io shows a 30-60 minutes slice of Duru in which you get to know the begin…

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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85%

Audience ScoreBased on 13 reviews

graphics4 positive mentions

music2 negative mentions

The game features a unique visual style and charming graphics that effectively convey the themes of depression and social interaction.
The gameplay combines puzzle elements with platforming, providing a satisfying challenge while exploring serious themes in a light-hearted manner.
The characters are well-developed and expressive, enhancing the storytelling experience and making the game engaging.

The game suffers from bugs and control issues, leading to frustrating gameplay experiences and hindering progression.
Some players feel that the attempt to address mental health issues through a video game is misguided and could potentially do more harm than good.
The level design and gameplay mechanics can feel simplistic and clumsy, detracting from the overall experience.

story
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
34%
33%
The game's story is conveyed through phonographics, creating a unique but occasionally disjointed experience. Players appreciate the expressive characters and the intriguing narrative, which hints at deeper mysteries and character development as they progress. Overall, the game offers a rich story experience, especially for an indie title, with a promise of more content and engaging plot elements to explore.
- “Wonderfully expressive characters that convey the story well.”
- “Cute graphics, satisfying platforming, and an intriguing story!”
- “I'm looking forward to the rest of the game and the many character- and story-bits the game seems to offer!”
- “The story, while written and presented through phonographics, can feel somewhat disconnected overall.”
- “It must be so difficult to write a wordless story, so kudos to the devs.”
- “Haven't played that much yet, but there are hints to some mystery, so I wonder where the story will go.”
graphics
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
12%
38%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some players criticizing the lackluster 2D visuals and questioning the absence of 3D elements, while others appreciate the unique art style and charming aesthetics that complement the serious themes. Overall, the handmade 2D graphics are described as cute and engaging, contributing positively to the game's atmosphere and storytelling.
- “The art style is beautiful, and I think the way dialogue is expressed is really intriguing.”
- “A charming puzzle platformer with cute graphics, but a serious theme.”
- “The combination of such serious themes with such a bright atmosphere created by the music, sounds, and handmade 2D graphics is amazing.”
- “The game features really lackluster 2D visuals (does the developer not know 3D graphics became mainstream in the mid-1990s?).”
- “The game features really lackluster 2D visuals (does the developer not know 3D graphics became mainstream in the mid-1990s?).”
- “The story, while written and presented through phonographics, can feel disconnected overall.”
music
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
67%
The music in the game is praised for its ability to complement the unique art style and enhance the overall atmosphere, effectively balancing serious themes with a bright soundscape. However, some users express frustration over the developer's monetization strategy, feeling that the request for donations and additional soundtrack DLC detracts from the experience.
- “The art style is unique and the music is nice.”
- “This is still only free in a rudimentary sense... the developer has their hand out for a $5 USD 'donation' for this as you're expected to buy soundtrack DLC from Steam to 'support' the developer... digital panhandling.”
- “The combination of such serious themes with such a bright atmosphere created by the music, sounds, and handmade 2D graphics is amazing.”
gameplay
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players appreciate the gameplay, highlighting that it is as engaging as the world and characters within the game.
- “I enjoyed the world and the characters as much as the gameplay.”
stability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game has been reported to be quite buggy, leading to concerns about its stability, particularly with users questioning whether they received an outdated version of the code.
- “I don't know if the game code I received recently from Kickstarter is an old version or what, but this game is so buggy.”
atmosphere
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's atmosphere is characterized by a striking contrast between serious themes and a vibrant ambiance, enhanced by its engaging music, sound design, and charming handmade 2D graphics.
- “The combination of serious themes with a bright atmosphere created by the music, sounds, and handmade 2D graphics is amazing.”