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ElecHead

An elegant gimmick used with restraint and purpose makes success feel electric in this brief puzzle-platformer.
ElecHead Game Cover
90%Game Brain Score
gameplay, music
story, grinding
97% User Score Based on 698 reviews
Critic Score 79%Based on 7 reviews

Platforms

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ElecHead Game Cover

About

ElecHead is a single player platformer game. It was developed by NamaTakahashi and was released on October 14, 2021. It received mostly positive reviews from critics and overwhelmingly positive reviews from players.

  生高橋（NamaTakahashi） つよみー (Tsuyomi)

Genres & Tags
Play Modes
ElecHead screenshot
ElecHead screenshot
ElecHead screenshot
ElecHead screenshot
ElecHead screenshot
ElecHead screenshot
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97%
Audience ScoreBased on 698 reviews
gameplay77 positive mentions
grinding6 negative mentions
  • Clever and innovative puzzle design that maximizes the single core mechanic of electrifying surfaces and throwing the character's head.
  • Charming pixel art style and a fitting, catchy chiptune soundtrack that complements the gameplay perfectly.
  • Well-balanced difficulty curve with satisfying 'aha' moments, good level design, and smooth controls making platforming precise and enjoyable.
  • The game is relatively short, with most players completing it within 2-4 hours, which some feel limits its value at full price.
  • Some secrets and collectibles are very obscure or require backtracking, hidden walls, or precise timing, which can lead to frustration and reliance on guides.
  • UI and menu icons are minimalistic and text-less, leading to confusion; notably, the save deletion icon is easily mistaken for exit, causing accidental loss of game progress.
  • gameplay
    250 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay of the game is built around a singular, innovative mechanic—an electrically charged head that powers surfaces and can be detached and thrown—used to create a wide array of cleverly designed, intuitive puzzles. Despite its simplicity and short length, it delivers deep, creative challenge through smart level design that thoroughly explores and continually reinvents the core mechanic, offering satisfying "a-ha" moments without overwhelming complexity. Overall, it's praised as a masterclass in minimalist game design that maximizes impact with minimal mechanics, providing fresh, engaging puzzle platforming that feels polished, thoughtful, and rewarding.

    • “As in all the best puzzle games, one simple central mechanic — electrifying surfaces by touching them — is complicated bit by bit and cleverly worked out in all its possibilities.”
    • “The game wrings an amazing amount of complexity out of a simple set of mechanics, as each room makes you really think about how the electricity and head throwing mechanics actually work.”
    • “An incredibly smart puzzle platformer that makes full use of its mechanics, and always makes you feel clever whenever a puzzle solution is figured out.”
    • “At a certain point, the puzzles become unnecessarily convoluted, and the game does an extremely poor job in explaining new mechanics.”
    • “My only complaint is the need to abuse broken game mechanics to get 100% completion, especially because you'd never discover these exploits by playing the game normally.”
    • “The mechanic used to get them should've been introduced in a non-cryptic manner.”
  • music
    106 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in this puzzle platformer is widely praised for its catchy, chiptune-style soundtrack that complements the retro aesthetic and gameplay flow. Reviews highlight its seamless integration, memorable melodies, and how it enhances the overall charming and immersive experience. While a few note occasional silent segments or slight unevenness, the soundtrack is generally considered a standout, contributing significantly to the game's appeal.

    • “The soundtrack is really nicely composed, and complements well with the process of thinking your way through some of the trickier puzzles that might have you stumped for a little bit; but it's never a tiresome experience, overall.”
    • “The music is wonderful, and contributes to the flow of playing the game, even when backtracking in an empty room or while retrying a platforming challenge.”
    • “Add to the package a stellar soundtrack and multiple endings, and you have a masterpiece here, future puzzle platformers are going to have to measure up to the new king here.”
    • “Tsuyomi pairs up with Takahashi again for the soundtrack, but this one is quite a bit worse than their output in öoo.”
    • “There are quite a few screens with no music too, oddly enough, and I'm not sure why?”
    • “The soundtrack is just as lazy as the rest of the game and sounds like what they call 'earth music' in that Rick and Morty episode.”
  • graphics
    67 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's graphics are praised for their charming, minimalist, and retro-inspired pixel art style that is clean, clear, and easy to read, often evoking classic 8-bit aesthetics. The limited color palette and simple visuals effectively support puzzle clarity and gameplay, while customizable palettes and detailed sprite work add appeal. Overall, the visuals are complemented by a well-matched, catchy chiptune soundtrack, creating a cohesive, nostalgic, and engaging atmosphere.

    • “The minimalist sprite graphics and chiptune soundtrack may seem simple but showcase remarkable attention to detail.”
    • “A cutesy artstyle hides a truly challenging and deeply engaging puzzle game that's hard to put down.”
    • “From there the game does as you’d expect by mixing, matching, and tweaking all of its elements into puzzle rooms, but Elechead deserves praise for being easy to parse thanks to its simple visuals and limited color palette.”
    • “The art-style is simple and clean, but after a while my eyes felt strained.”
    • “It is a little bare bones visually (what you see in the screenshots is what you get in terms of art) but still aesthetically pleasing, and the soundtrack and sfx are well done.”
    • “I will give the game credit, the art style is very reminiscent of old nitrome games, but horribly missed the proper game design aspect.”
  • story
    20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story in Elechead is minimal and straightforward, serving primarily to tie the gameplay together without much depth or complexity. While some players appreciate its brief, stylish presentation and subtle plot twists, others find it lacking in content and narrative development. Overall, the game's focus is on puzzles and platforming rather than story, resulting in a short but engaging experience.

    • “There is a little bit of plot to be inferred from the scenery and the ending cutscene, and the twist at the end definitely got an audible 'woah!' from me.”
    • “The game has just enough story to tie it all together, but don't expect much more than that.”
    • “Fun way to exercise the brain, and a cool story with minimal effort needed to build the plot.”
    • “Story is barely there.”
    • “Elechead’s emphasis is on platforming and puzzles, without any semblance of a story.”
    • “Maybe too little content, and no story other than what the Steam store gives you.”
  • emotional
    6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game evokes a satisfying emotional journey by challenging players to think creatively and rewarding them with moments of clever insight. Its simple yet innovative mechanic fosters a wholesome and engaging experience, making players feel both intellectually stimulated and entertained.

    • “This game made me feel dumb and 5 minutes later I felt like a genius.”
    • “Fun, short, wholesome and entertaining are the best words that describe this game.”
    • “Cool game, made me feel smart.”
  • humor
    6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game is generally well-received, with players enjoying clever and meta moments that add charm during challenging puzzles. However, some users find certain attempts at humor, such as toilet jokes or specific characters, less appealing or unnecessary. Overall, the humor adds a lighthearted and engaging layer to the gameplay for most players.

    • “Funny thing is that the developer tool made me think it was part of some meta game mechanics and trampled me for a while.”
    • “I found myself smiling and laughing as I played through each of the just difficult enough puzzles - many times going "there is no way I'm solving this" to "holy crap I did it!!" in a matter of minutes.”
    • “Those two negative reviews are funny.”
  • grinding
    6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Grinding in the game is noted to be somewhat tedious during post-game exploration and completionist efforts, as players must repeatedly solve puzzles to access secret areas. However, the core gameplay remains engaging without feeling like tedious guesswork or execution-heavy grinding. Overall, the puzzle-solving experience avoids typical grind-related frustrations.

    • “One of the downsides of this game is that it is inherently tedious to travel throughout the map in the post-game or during completionist efforts because virtually every room is a puzzle, requiring you to solve previously solved puzzles repeatedly to search for secret rooms you missed the first time.”
    • “I could look for all of the hidden remote items, but that is slow and tedious compared to the core gameplay.”
    • “You will end up grinding against every wall.”
  • replayability
    6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Replayability is limited, with most players finding little incentive to replay beyond seeking collectibles, alternate endings, or speedrunning. While the game offers some additional content for completionists, its short length and lack of substantial post-completion content reduce overall replay value.

    • “Tons of replay value to be had with collecting as well.”
    • “It features secret collectibles and two endings, meaning it has some degree of replayability if you're up to find them all.”
    • “I think it would be a great game for speedrunners to spend time honing skills at.”
    • “Almost zero replayability after finishing it.”
    • “Almost no replayability unless you're trying to find all the collectibles or speedrun it.”
    • “Short with not much replay value.”
  • atmosphere
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere is praised for its whimsical and mysterious vibe, enhanced by great music, artwork, and a minimalistic, nostalgic 8-bit style. The limited color palette and sparse text contribute to an endearing and immersive experience.

    • “Really good music and atmosphere too, I felt whimsy in my soul in this very simple puzzle platformer.”
    • “A cool, mysterious atmosphere aided by great music and artwork.”
    • “The atmosphere drips of early 8-bit nostalgia and the graphics and music fit well.”
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79%Critics’ scoreBased on 7 critic reviews
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4h Median play time
4h Average play time
2h Main story
4h Completionist
3-5h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 5 analyzed playthroughs
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Frequently Asked Questions

ElecHead is a platformer game.

ElecHead is available on Nintendo Switch, PC, Xbox One, Steam Deck and others.

The main story can be completed in around 2 hours, while the entire game is estimated to take about 4 hours to finish. On average players spend around 4 hours playing ElecHead.

ElecHead was released on October 14, 2021.

ElecHead was developed by NamaTakahashi.

ElecHead has received mostly positive reviews from players and mostly positive reviews from critics. Most players liked this game for its gameplay but disliked it for its story.

ElecHead is a single player game.

Similar games include ANIMAL WELL, COCOON, The Pedestrian, Mind Over Magnet, Akurra and others.