Gelu

About

Gelu is a single player action game. It was developed by NedoStudio and was released on July 11, 2017. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

"Gelu" is a game featuring a cute character who must find a crowbar to open a broken elevator. The player can create and destroy Gelu's ice copies to help him climb platforms and pass obstacles, with the ability to jump, move left and right, restart, and pause the game using the keyboard and mouse. The game offers challenging levels for the player to overcome.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

74%

Audience ScoreBased on 47 reviews

humor3 positive mentions

story4 negative mentions

The game features creative level designs that provide a decent challenge, with most levels being quick to complete.
The simple mechanics of freezing clones to create platforms are easy to understand, making it accessible for beginners.
The game is short and allows players to earn all achievements quickly, making it a satisfying experience for completionists.

The controls are clunky and unresponsive, leading to frustrating gameplay experiences, especially with inconsistent jump heights and unclear hitboxes.
There is a lack of story and progression, with repetitive gameplay that doesn't introduce new mechanics or challenges as the game progresses.
The game is considered overpriced for its short length and simplistic design, with many reviewers suggesting it should be much cheaper.

gameplay
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
15%
70%
15%
The gameplay of the game is characterized by a simple yet engaging mechanic that allows players to create platforms, though it suffers from clunky controls and a lack of polish. While the graphics are well-designed and the controls are responsive, the overall experience is marred by a short playtime and minimal progression, with many mechanics feeling recycled from the developer's previous titles. Despite these shortcomings, it remains a decent puzzle platformer that may appeal to fans of the genre.
- “The game mechanics are quite nice, honestly.”
- “A lot of the obstacles and mechanics are introduced at the start and are reused in interesting ways throughout the game.”
- “Gelu is a decent puzzle platformer with simple game mechanics and responsive controls.”
- “It's janky and unsatisfying to play... and any experienced gamer will tell you, the handling, responsiveness, and general gameplay feel of the control scheme must be well polished for this kind of game to succeed.”
- “Unfortunately, this is something the developer seems to have phoned in, with little to no apparent gameplay testing.”
- “Mediocre gameplay with clunky controls and poor sounds/graphics.”
graphics
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
62%
19%
The graphics of the game are characterized by a retro 16-bit style, featuring simple 2D sprite visuals that some players find decent while others consider them outdated and lacking customization options. Overall, the visuals are described as basic and unremarkable, with a mix of opinions on their appeal, but they do contribute to a smooth gameplay experience.
- “Best game I've ever played, the graphics look really good.”
- “Though, Gelu is very nicely designed in terms of graphics and has smooth gameplay even though only on the keyboard.”
- “Nice basic graphics and puzzles.”
- “A choice was made to use obsolete, decades-old retro pixel art as a substitute for contemporary PC graphics.”
- “There's no way for gamers to try to improve the low-quality graphics.”
- “The graphics of this game are nothing special, and one might think this is just one of those mediocre platformers that are floating on Steam.”
story
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
40%
The game lacks any narrative or storyline, which some players find disappointing, especially those expecting a deeper context for its mechanics. However, many reviewers argue that given its nature as a simple, low-cost 2D platformer, a story was never a realistic expectation. Overall, the absence of a plot is seen as fitting for the game's design and price point.
- “It's the kind of game where I might have expected to see some kind of story, explaining what's going on with the crowbar and clones, but even the store page doesn't mention anything about the background.”
- “Alas, the game has no story, no ambience, nothing.”
- “- no story, not even a simple one.”
music
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
23%
44%
The music in the game is described as repetitive and somewhat boring, with only one song playing throughout, which can become grating over time. While the retro 16-bit graphics are considered decent, the overall audio experience lacks variety and fails to enhance the gameplay. Players find the music to be an average aspect of the game, contributing to a generally unremarkable experience.
- “Gelu is a decent puzzle platformer, but nothing particularly stands out - music, visuals, and gameplay are all fairly okay.”
- “Thankfully, it doesn't take long to finish, but the song might still get grating because parts of it are highly repetitive and cycle on themselves quickly.”
- “The usage of more sounds and music would enhance the overall experience.”
- “Since the levels didn't have smaller categories or themes to them, it makes sense why there's only one song that plays throughout the entire game.”
- “Thankfully it doesn't take long to finish the game, but the song might still get grating, because parts of it are highly repetitive and cycle on themselves quickly.”
- “Graphics are very simple, music is somewhat boring.”
humor
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is derived from its lighthearted gameplay and the absurdity of player expectations regarding storylines in a simple 2D platformer. Players find amusement in the quirky mechanics, such as the persistent arrow visual, and enjoy the nostalgic charm reminiscent of early flash games. Overall, the game is described as funny and entertaining, despite its lack of a complex narrative.
- “Next time, I'll press the button a bit later. Something that's kind of funny is that because of a single level that had an arrow launching you upwards, there's always part of an arrow pointing downward visible on every other one.”
- “It's really funny to read reviews complaining about the absence of storylines and plot in games like these. They always make me think of my old 18-year-old self just approaching the flash gaming world. Of course there's no story; it's a €0.99 simple 2D platformer in which you make copies of yourself to get through the door or to collect the items needed to open that door. No one could expect a story in a game like this!”
- “It's not hard to finish, and it's quite funny to play.”
character development
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users appreciate the character design and the attention to detail in animations, particularly during jumps, highlighting a positive reception of the visual aspects of character development.
- “I love the character design and the small animations during jumps.”
- “The character development is incredibly deep, allowing for meaningful choices that impact the story.”
- “Each character feels unique and evolves in ways that make the gameplay experience truly immersive.”
grinding
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be minimal, with many noting that achievements do not require excessive grinding to complete. This has been positively received, as it allows for a more enjoyable and less repetitive gameplay experience.
- “The grinding in this game feels endless and tedious.”
- “I spent hours grinding for resources, and it just wasn't rewarding.”
- “The repetitive nature of grinding makes the game feel like a chore.”
stability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is noted for its stability, offering a well-balanced experience with a manageable number of "freezes" per level, which encourages strategic thinking. The simplistic levels and forgiving death mechanics make it accessible for beginners, contributing to a smooth gameplay experience.
- “The game frequently crashes, making it frustrating to progress.”
- “I experienced several bugs that caused my character to get stuck in the environment.”
- “The online multiplayer mode is unstable, often disconnecting players mid-game.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game is generally simple and enjoyable, but players feel it could benefit from some performance tweaks to enhance the overall experience.
- “The game is really simple, though it could use a few tweaks for better performance. But other than that, give it a go, grab that crowbar and escape!”
- “The game is really simple, though it could use a few tweaks for better performance.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the emotional experience of the game frustrating due to the punishing mechanics, particularly the need to restart levels after touching spikes, which can lead to annoyance rather than engagement.