Gestalt: Steam & Cinder

Despite a few odd design choices, Gestalt: Steam & Cinder is an enjoyable Metroidvania with an intriguing world, and exhilarating combat.

75%Game Brain Score

story, gameplay

grinding, replayability

82% User Score Based on 1,215 reviews

Critic Score 65%Based on 13 reviews

Platforms

Buy Nowfrom $6.33

Buy NowGet on Steam $19.99

About

Gestalt: Steam & Cinder is a single player role playing game with fantasy and anime themes. It was developed by Metamorphosis Games and was released on July 16, 2024. It received mostly positive reviews from critics and positive reviews from players.

Inspired by 16 and 32-bit classics, Gestalt: Steam & Cinder fuses tight 2D platforming and exhilarating combat with an engrossing, twist-laden narrative in a stunningly handcrafted steampunk world. Join Aletheia and a vibrant cast of characters as they find themselves embroiled in a race to discover the secrets of the massive, steam-powered city of Canaan, the last bastion of mankind. Unravel cen…

+12

Skip User Reviews

82%Audience ScoreBased on 1,215 reviews

story313 positive mentions

grinding43 negative mentions

Gorgeous pixel art and smooth animations with detailed and atmospheric steampunk environments.
Enjoyable and fun combat system blending melee and ranged attacks, with gradual skill tree upgrades and fluid movement.
Engaging story and rich world-building with memorable characters, supported by a strong soundtrack enhancing the mood.

Combat lacks enemy hit-stun, resulting in repetitive hit-dodge gameplay and trivializes combos and special moves.
Game is quite short with limited exploration, linear progression and insufficient fast travel leading to tedious backtracking.
Story presentation is heavy on lengthy dialogues and cutscenes that disrupt gameplay flow, culminating in an abrupt cliffhanger ending that feels unsatisfying.

story
1,073 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
64%
7%
The story in Gestalt: Steam & Cinder is heavily emphasized and rich with lore, offering an intriguing steampunk world and interesting characters. However, many find it bogged down by excessive, lengthy dialogue and exposition that interrupts gameplay and pacing, with some describing it as confusing or overcomplicated. The ending is widely criticized for being abrupt, incomplete, and sequel-baiting, leaving many players frustrated and unsatisfied.
- “It's such a lazy way of padding story. You want to tell a story, that's fine, go for it, but not like this.”
- “The story is good enough, the gameplay is good enough, and the visuals are good enough that I just keep wanting to put a couple hours in here or there.”
- “The story is a point of contention and for me I wasn't overly engrossed. Not the most inventive metroidvania out there, but the story, characters and atmosphere had me hooked throughout.”
- “The story makes no sense, takes way too many words to tell, and jerks away its one interesting thing at the end to reveal that the entire journey your protagonist took was totally pointless because someone else had the real power all along.”
- “The problem is that the ending proceeded to be the single worst ending I have ever seen in a video game or any story.”
- “The story just falls apart at the end like it was rushed.”
gameplay
481 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
63%
4%
The gameplay in this metroidvania is generally solid, featuring smooth, responsive combat and platforming with classic exploration and RPG mechanics. While it offers enjoyable traversal, skill progression, and a unique gun-and-sword mechanic, it tends to be on the easier side, with some repetitiveness, pacing issues, and interruptions from excessive dialogue that disrupt flow. Overall, it delivers a competent but somewhat unremarkable gameplay experience that is polished yet lacks standout innovation or depth.
- “The gameplay mechanics are everything you’d expect from a solid metroidvania: they’re polished, smooth, and engaging, though not groundbreaking.”
- “The core gameplay, platforming and combat, are excellently in sync.”
- “The gameplay itself is extremely tight and fun.”
- “The gameplay also has way too much vapid backtracking just to talk to someone or something else, rather pointless without enough fast travel to not make it feel like a complete waste of time.”
- “Combat: the combat is quite repetitive, it tries to expand its use through leveling up and unlocking new abilities which sadly are practically useless if none of the enemies (except for the bosses) allow you to use most of them. To elaborate, you unlock multiple extensions towards your normal attack, however your attacks provide no invincibility frames nor do they stagger the enemies due to the presence of a stature bar.”
- “The gameplay is frequently interrupted by dialogue cutscenes that don’t add much to the story or the characters, breaking the flow you had going.”
music
323 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
70%
28%
2%
The music in the game is widely praised for its epic, atmospheric, and genre-fitting quality, often described as a standout feature that complements the steampunk and pixel art aesthetic perfectly. Many reviewers highlight its memorable, well-composed soundtrack with orchestral and western influences, noting it enhances immersion and mood throughout the game. While a few find it occasionally repetitive or less remarkable, overall the soundtrack is considered a significant and enjoyable asset, with many players eager to own or revisit the OST.
- “The music complements this visual richness perfectly, weaving industrial ambience with sweeping orchestral themes that capture the tension between progress and ruin.”
- “It's an OST I will be listening to for a long time, with one piece that gives me goosebumps as its melancholic chords rang through the game's abandoned scrap sea. I picked up a copy of the OST alongside my purchase and I'm glad I did as I can now download the files and listen to them anywhere.”
- “The soundtrack was such a nice surprise; it contains music that I would listen to even if I wasn't playing the game.”
- “When you first unlock it, the game wants you to backtrack to the very first one you encounter just to connect them in order to have the fast travel work, which is a waste of time and the music isn't that great (in my opinion).”
- “I could list off so many little issues with Gestalt, so here are a few: the characters won't stop talking, the dialogue is incredibly overstuffed, the fourth boss is just the first boss but now there are multiple (reusing bosses 3 hours in is rough as hell), the upgrades are boring, the environments are uninspired, the music is mediocre, the gameplay is constantly interrupted to force you to watch VN-style cut scenes about characters that aren't related to the gameplay in any way (I guess Aletheia just magically knows what people are saying miles away?), enemies are way too tanky, enemies have very limited and uninteresting move sets, and on and on.”
- “By the end of the game they resort to just "spam poison so if you don’t buy enough antivenoms you kinda just die"; visual design is outstanding, the levels look amazing all around, but the monotone soundtrack leaves the environment and ambience feeling less outstanding than it should given how the game looks.”
graphics
269 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
68%
31%
1%
The graphics of "Gestalt: Steam & Cinder" are widely praised for their gorgeous, detailed pixel art and distinctive steampunk aesthetic, with fluid animations and colorful, well-designed environments that create an immersive and visually striking world. Reviewers consistently highlight the polished visuals as one of the game's strongest points, often comparing its art style favorably to top-tier metroidvanias. While some note minor technical inconsistencies and a few design issues, overall the game's artwork and visual presentation significantly elevate the experience and appeal to fans of pixel art and atmospheric settings.
- “Let's get the obvious stuff out of the way: the game looks absolutely gorgeous, the steampunk aesthetic is nailed perfectly, the pixel art is fantastic, character designs are very nice, backgrounds are colorful and different areas of the game are easily identifiable and memorable.”
- “At least everybody agreed that the pixel art visuals were incredible, among the best I've ever seen even and probably in my top 10 along the likes of Blasphemous, The Last Faith, Rain World and Hyper Light Drifter.”
- “The visuals and sounds are so good, the story is a little in your face at times but good nonetheless (you can fast forward just about all dialogue anyway and you'll still get the gist of the story). The levels were all challenging and fun, and the break mechanic in combat is really intuitive and easy to understand.”
- “No clear correspondence between the visuals of the platforms and the ability to jump on and/or from them.”
- “And I know people praise this game for its graphics and story, but I felt the visuals were a bit drab and uninspired.”
- “The visuals (while extremely ugly on a big screen due to no resolution options) are an absolute treat on a handheld like the Steam Deck.”
grinding
47 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
6%
3%
91%
Grinding in this game is generally seen as tedious due to spongey, repetitive enemies, frequent respawns, and slow, stamina-draining combat that often forces cautious, drawn-out fights. While early grinding feels especially frustrating and exploration can be confusing or poorly paced, late-game combat slightly improves with more efficient takedowns. Overall, many players found the necessity of grinding coupled with tedious map design and interruptions detracted from the experience, though some felt it remained manageable and even occasionally engaging.
- “At least it isn't tedious anymore, I guess.”
- “This was all despite not grinding, but rather, just simply engaging in and not avoiding combat opportunities that presented themselves naturally during world traversal.”
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “There's also some enemies that can zero frame poke you with a scuffed hitbox, stretches of the game where you can't backtrack so I hope you did your grinding and upgrading beforehand.”
- “At some point it felt more tedious than rewarding, which was not helped by the fact that enemies respawned after every screen change instead of after every 'bonfire', forcing you to kill some of the same enemies over and over again within the same 10 minutes.”
- “Late game I did a lot of backtracking to finish side stuff and it does get tedious because all enemies will respawn once you leave and reenter rooms.”
atmosphere
26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
77%
11%
12%
Gestalt: Steam & Cinder is widely praised for its stunning pixel art and atmospheric music, which together create a vibrant, steampunk world that feels both alive and tragic. The detailed environments, rich sound design, and thoughtful world-building strongly immerse players, making atmosphere one of the game's standout features. While some critique the character development, the overall mood and aesthetic consistently captivate and enhance the metroidvania experience.
- “Gestalt: Steam & Cinder features beautiful pixel art, and the sound design supports the atmosphere of the scenes quite well.”
- “Each location feels unique and alive, filled with intricate machinery, atmospheric lighting, and a sense of history that draws you in.”
- “Together, these elements establish an atmosphere that’s both vibrant and tragic, a place where technology’s marvels are inseparable from the suffering they cause.”
- “What killed me was the underdevelopment of the characters and how they were slapped in the story trying to build atmosphere and a sense of identity (for the protagonist and her world), but ended up just tokens and tropes so basic I couldn't keep up... even read it has a cliffhanger for a sequel.”
- “+ steamy, dreary atmosphere”
- “Not the most inventive metroidvania out there, but the story, characters and atmosphere had me hooked throughout.”
character development
25 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
28%
12%
Character development in the game is praised for its strong and unique character designs, supported by excellent pixel art and animations, which greatly enhance the steampunk world and player engagement. The skill tree system adds meaningful flexibility and depth to character progression, though some note the story and writing can feel familiar or underwhelming despite occasional strong moments. Overall, the visual and design aspects of characters are standout elements that help compensate for narrative shortcomings.
- “Fast paced and satisfying combat, cool skill tree that gives you dope new attacks, I loved the story as well as the twists, and the character development was pretty nice too.”
- “The character development tree was interesting; you can branch out in a few directions as usual, but you get a new starting point for every major upgrade, and the sub-upgrades to that are usually locked behind a junction that needs you to meet it from both the main start and the start point for the upgrade.”
- “Despite the plot being more familiar than your favorite worn-out hoodie, the game weaves in enough cohesion, world-building, and character development to transform that old favorite into a retro-chic piece you'd proudly display on Fifth Ave.”
- “The art, character design, animation, and music show that a lot of care went into parts of this game, but everything surrounding those elements—story, gameplay design, progression—just doesn’t hold up and drags the game down.”
- “It's a shame the writing isn't stellar, because the character designs are fantastic and when the writing sings it really sings.”
- “Despite the plot being more familiar than your favorite worn-out hoodie, the game weaves in enough cohesion, world-building, and character development to transform that old favorite into a retro-chic piece you'd proudly display on fifth ave.”
replayability
23 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
13%
39%
48%
The game is generally criticized for having little to no replayability due to its linear design, lack of character or build variety, absence of additional difficulty modes, and non-skippable cutscenes. While some find it enjoyable for a single playthrough, most agree it offers minimal incentive to revisit once completed, making it best suited as a one-and-done experience.
- “Given the time it takes to complete, I will probably go back and play it once a year.”
- “Just something to add to the experience, I think would do a lot to improve the overall package and give it some good replay value.”
- “Equipment is limited, but the upgrade system allows for some replayability.”
- “There's no replayability though... no extra characters to play as, and I doubt speedrunners will enjoy non-skippable cutscenes (fast forward is there, but no skip).”
- “The other problem I have with the game is the super linear nature doesn't lend itself to any replayability; it's a one and done game.”
- “There is no replayability to this game to speak of and it is a poor candidate for randomization because of the progression design.”
emotional
17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
82%
18%
The emotional aspect of the game is generally seen as lacking impact, with many players feeling underinvested until late in the story, which is often described as rushed and unsatisfying. Attempts at emotional engagement are weakened by repetitive exposition, long dialogues, and minimal character interaction, leading to a flat and incomplete narrative experience.
- “As far as the story goes, I never felt like I didn't know what was going on, but I also didn't really feel emotionally invested until the back third of the game as there was a lot of build up towards a mystery that had no red herrings.”
- “I haven't quite hit the culmination yet but there have been emotional moments already.”
- “Attempts at emotional moments in the story feel flat, mostly due to lack of interaction with characters.”
- “Boring story and disgustingly long dialogues.”
- “This game could be a good very linear metroidvania but it’s tedious to play because of the constant exposition dumps, cutscenes, interruptions and the excruciating long-winded boring story that cannot be skipped.”
- “A very fun game but with a very boring story.”
humor
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's humor is a mix of light, somewhat quirky moments and unintentionally funny dialogue, with some users finding the writing hilariously bad yet charming. While the humor adds a nice touch to the overall experience, elements like awkward combat interactions and generic plot twists sometimes undermine the comedic effect. Expressive character animations and sharper delivery could enhance the humor beyond just the text.
- “Mixing themes and mechanics add up to an overall fun package with a little extra humor as a nice treat.”
- “The lore was unique but didn't overstay explanations, also, art, gorgeous, loved the humor and writing.”
- “The plot is pretty straightforward chosen one(s) stuff, with a series of last minute twists that are hilariously generic.”
stability
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game's stability is mixed, with some users experiencing multiple minor and major bugs, while others report smooth, bug-free gameplay. Despite generally running well on platforms like the Steam Deck, certain design flaws and quality-of-life issues, such as lack of dialogue skipping, detract from the overall experience.
- “My gameplay was completely bug free and I didn't notice any translation errors.”
- “Runs great on Steam Deck.”
- “Other than that, the game also felt a bit janky and buggy to me.”
- “Bugs: Gestalt launched in a kind of buggy state, with a bevy of minor glitches as well as some major ones.”
- “Former doesn't have some quality of life features like skipping dialogues and is kinda buggy.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game demonstrates excellent optimization, running smoothly without any noticeable performance issues or bugs, even on devices like the Steam Deck.
- “Performance: excellent (played with Steam Deck).”
- “The game ran very smoothly, and I didn't notice any performance issues or bugs.”
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The reviews indicate that the game's monetization does not align well with its advertised action RPG elements, leading to a disappointing experience for players expecting robust action RPG gameplay.

Skip Critic Reviews

65%Critics’ scoreBased on 12 critic reviews

Skip Game Offers

Buy Gestalt: Steam & Cinder

10h Median play time

9h Average play time

8-12h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 19 analyzed playthroughs

Skip Videos

Videos

Skip Games Like Gestalt: Steam & Cinder

76%1.5kreviews

9 Years of Shadows

2023

Role Playing

85%7.8kreviews

Momodora: Reverie Under the Moonlight

2016

Role Playing

82%522reviews

Vernal Edge

2023

Hack and Slash

88%6.7kreviews

Blasphemous 2

2023

Hack and Slash

+10

84%1kreviews

Ghost Song

2022

Open World Role Playing

91%11.4kreviews

ENDER LILIES: Quietus of the Knights

2021

Role Playing

+11

88%1.8kreviews

Momodora: Moonlit Farewell

2024

Platformer

95%594reviews

HAAK

2022

Casual Role Playing

76%2.9kreviews

Timespinner

2018

Role Playing

84%2.5kreviews

Iconoclasts

2018

Open World Platformer

+12

More games like Gestalt: Steam & Cinder

Skip FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

Gestalt: Steam & Cinder is a role playing game with fantasy and anime themes.

Gestalt: Steam & Cinder is available on Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and others.

On average players spend around 9 hours playing Gestalt: Steam & Cinder.

Gestalt: Steam & Cinder was released on July 16, 2024.

Gestalt: Steam & Cinder was developed by Metamorphosis Games.

Gestalt: Steam & Cinder has received mostly positive reviews from players and mostly positive reviews from critics. Most players liked Gestalt: Steam & Cinder for its story but disliked it for its grinding.

Gestalt: Steam & Cinder is a single player game.

Similar games include 9 Years of Shadows, Momodora: Reverie Under the Moonlight, Vernal Edge, Blasphemous 2, Ghost Song and others.

Gestalt: Steam & Cinder

Platforms

story

gameplay

music

graphics

grinding

atmosphere

character development

replayability

emotional

humor

stability

optimization

monetization