Hazelnut Hex

About

Hazelnut Hex is a single player and multiplayer arcade shooter game with a fantasy theme. It was developed by chunderfins and was released on November 29, 2023. It received overwhelmingly positive reviews from players.

A strange curse falls across the land! Breakfast everywhere has disappeared, and it's up to you to save the most important meal of the day! Blast your way through 5 colorful stages jam-packed with dangerous enemies, dense bullet patterns, and ruthless bosses to rescue breakfast once and for all! Soundtrack available at Bandcamp! (Cover art by the inimitable MisMash!)UPDATE 11/30/2023 - version 1.1…

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99%

Audience ScoreBased on 91 reviews

music25 positive mentions

Charming and unique art style with vibrant, colorful visuals and well-crafted animations.
Engaging gameplay combining classic shmup mechanics with a satisfying charged shot system and fair, approachable difficulty.
Excellent soundtrack and sound design that complements the gameplay and enhances the overall experience.

Some players find the color palette and pastel tones reduce contrast, making enemy and bullet visibility challenging without adjustment.
Relatively short game length which may limit its appeal for players seeking longer experiences.
Limited controller support issues and minor usability concerns such as lacking a dedicated slow movement button.

music
32 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
78%
19%
3%
The music in this game is consistently praised for its catchy, energetic, and well-crafted soundtrack that perfectly complements the charming art style and gameplay. Many reviewers highlight it as a standout feature, describing it as fun, memorable, and integral to the overall enjoyable experience.
- “One of my favorite OSTs of all time, and considering that there are on-screen events that occasionally coincide with the music, it feels at times like a playable album.”
- “It is a masterclass on ensuring your storytelling, animation, palette choice and music design all pull in the same direction to give the player the experience you want them to have.”
- “The soundtrack also didn't impress me at first but its giddy lighthearted sound of rock n' roll mixed with chiptunes wormed its way into my head with time - it's quite catchy and gives the game a fun tone.”
graphics
24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
25%
8%
The game's graphics are widely praised for their charming, cute, and unique art style that enhances the classic shmup genre with visually appealing, consistent, and readable designs. Many reviewers highlight the playful, expressive characters and the effective use of color and aesthetics, complemented by excellent visual accessibility options that aid gameplay. Overall, the visuals significantly contribute to the game's engaging and light-hearted atmosphere.
- “A cute, short shmup game where the art style and charm add a unique flair to an old genre.”
- “Fantastic indie cute 'em up with a gorgeous art style and great soundtrack, featuring some classic shmup gameplay and superb, arcade-style presentation.”
- “The art style is pretty, unique and kind of Halloween-y, and I especially love the characters!”
- “The color scheme and art style alone would've usually been red flags for me, but I'm very glad I didn't judge the book by its cover and gave it a try.”
- “I was a bit skeptical of this game because of the pastel aesthetic, but it quickly grew on me, both because it is unique and because it gives the game excellent shot visibility.”
gameplay
24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
37%
13%
The gameplay of Hazelnut Hex is praised for its tight, classic shmup mechanics combined with a unique charged shot that clears enemy bullets, adding strategic depth without excessive complexity. Players appreciate the fun scoring system, variety of enemies and bullet patterns, and accessible yet challenging survival mode. Overall, the gameplay is engaging, fluid, and enjoyable, complemented by charming visuals and music.
- “Where Hazelnut Hex separates itself from other shooters is with its charged shot mechanic.”
- “This key mechanic not only delivers a powerful attack, but it also clears out path of most enemy bullets.”
- “Instinctly understandable and fluid, the charge shot mechanics add some extra Strikers-y interest and space for strategy/scoring without bogging things down and being overly technical.”
- “Since as a shump player I hate the charged shot mechanic.”
- “I honestly do not like charged shot mechanics in my shumps.”
- “However, it all depends on how the game forces me to yield and that allows me to tolerate those types of mechanics.”
story
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
57%
The story is lighthearted, quirky, and humorously nonsensical, complementing the game's unique art style and music to create a cohesive and enjoyable experience. It’s simple yet entertaining, evoking a nostalgic, cartoon-like charm that adds to the game's overall good vibes.
- “It is a masterclass on ensuring your storytelling, animation, palette choice, and music design all pull in the same direction to give the player the experience you want them to have.”
- “The difficult gameplay, quirky characters, unique art style, fantastic music, and light-hearted story make for a bowlful of unforgettable goodness.”
- “The story is just what it needs to be: nonsensical, funny, and entertaining.”
replayability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
25%
The game offers excellent replayability with multiple difficulty levels and magic firing options, making each playthrough engaging despite its short length. Its charm, music, and character designs encourage players to replay for mastery and to experience all content.
- “Excellent replayability with 2 main difficulties and 3 different magic firing options.”
- “The game is pretty short, but that makes it ideal for replayability - I credit-fed my first time through just to see everything, and I enjoyed it so much I kept retrying to get the 1cc.”
- “If you just want to beat it, it takes about 30 minutes, but being a shmup, the main appeal is obviously the replay value.”
character development
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The character development is praised for its adorable and well-executed designs with strong animation, contributing to a cute and engaging visual style. While the color scheme is noted as more fitting for animation or posters than a shooter, the overall character design enhances the game's charm and replay value.
- “Great character design and animation, but the color scheme seems something that would fit an animation or a poster, but not a shooter.”
- “A really cute game with a lot of replay value, some really good music, and some really fun character designs!”
- “Cute game, incredible character designs, classic well done cute em up gameplay!”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor is nonsensical, funny, and highly entertaining, with hilarious writing that enhances the overall gameplay experience.
- “The story is just what it needs to be: nonsensical, funny and entertaining.”
- “Great game, hilarious writing and works perfectly.”