Heartseeker
- October 5, 2021
- Michael Perrotta
Get on Steam"Heartseeker" is a fast-paced puzzle game where you, as a living sword, navigate through 21 hand-crafted levels filled with obstacles, seeking the hearts of the Living Dungeon. With mouse-only controls and point-and-click gameplay, the game offers easy mode, time trial mode, and Steam leaderboards to test your skills. Enjoy original music, in-game poetry, and collect bonus gems as you journey through this unique world.
PC
Windows
Linux
Reviews
- Heartseeker offers a fun and addictive gameplay experience with a unique click-to-move-and-slice mechanic, making it easy to learn but hard to master.
- The game features great visuals, a solid soundtrack, and a well-crafted aesthetic that enhances the overall experience.
- Despite its short length, Heartseeker has high replay value due to its multiple difficulties, time attack modes, and leaderboards for competitive play.
- The game is very short, with some players completing it in as little as 15 minutes, which may leave some wanting more content.
- Some settings do not save between play sessions, which can be frustrating for players.
- The writing and story elements could use more development and proofreading to enhance the overall narrative experience.
- music9 mentions
- 56 % positive mentions
- 11 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its strong synergy with gameplay, enhancing the overall experience with a high-octane soundtrack that remains engaging throughout. Reviewers highlight the soundtrack's ability to convey urgency and complement the game's aesthetic, making it a standout feature that contributes to the game's visceral satisfaction and replayability. Overall, the combination of compelling music, beautiful visuals, and dynamic gameplay creates an immersive atmosphere that players thoroughly enjoy.
“And, of course, you'll want to play it a few times just to take in the soundtrack, which is one of the best matches for gameplay I've seen in a good long while.”
“Fantastic presentation, player movement has great feedback and the exact sounds you'd want, difficulty scales well, music is good.”
“Short, sweet, high-octane score-chaser viscerally satisfying puzzle game with great aesthetic, kickass soundtrack, and actual story.”
“The menu pops in, and to the left you're given some short prose, accompanied by the game's main and singular music theme.”
“Combined with that singular music track (which literally never gets old) and all of the visuals you've experienced by the end of your first run, it all oozes and drips some fantastic imagery, with a lot of themes that I myself am particularly fond of, and I loved taking in as I sort of came down from the rush of my first run.”
“Fun action platformer with fast-paced gameplay (especially if you want to speedrun it), great pixel art monochromatic visuals, and groovy music!”
- gameplay9 mentions
- 89 % positive mentions
- -22 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The gameplay is praised for its addictive and smooth mechanics, complemented by stylish visuals and an excellent soundtrack. Players appreciate the well-crafted level design and the engaging core mechanics, although some express a desire for clearer instructions regarding potential setbacks in collecting crystals. Overall, the game offers a fun, fast-paced action platforming experience that encourages repeated play and speedrunning.
“Nice mechanic and great level design.”
“Addicting as frick, the smooth kind of gameplay where you want to keep playing and you know that every death is your fault but every win is well earned.”
“Fantastic game with such an interesting gameplay mechanic, beautiful artwork, and solid soundtrack.”
“My one singular criticism about the gameplay (and of the game as a whole) is that it's not clear that, in some levels, you can still technically die and lose the crystal you've collected after destroying a heart, even though this still progresses you to the next level. There is no option other than to restart your run if you're going for all crystals.”
“The controls feel unresponsive at times, making it frustrating to execute precise movements during critical moments in the game.”
“The gameplay mechanics are overly complicated, which detracts from the overall enjoyment and makes it difficult to fully engage with the game.”
- graphics8 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The game's graphics are praised for their striking minimalist pixel art style, featuring a bold three-color palette that creates a visually captivating experience. Coupled with a fantastic soundtrack, the aesthetic enhances the overall gameplay, making it both immersive and enjoyable. Reviewers express a desire for even more visual content, highlighting the strong foundation already established.
“The title screen immediately hits you with the game's 3-color palette of empty black space, splashed with white tiled scenery and a singular sword, and dripping with red accents from a bloody, disembodied heart, all presented in a somewhat minimalist pixel art style.”
“Combined with that singular music track (which literally never gets old) and all of the visuals you've experienced by the end of your first run, it all oozes and drips some fantastic imagery, with a lot of themes that I myself am particularly fond of.”
“Fantastic game with such an interesting gameplay mechanic, beautiful artwork, and solid soundtrack.”
“The title screen immediately hits you with the game's 3-color palette of empty black space, splashed with white tiled scenery and a singular sword, and dripping with red accents from a bloody, disembodied heart, all presented in a somewhat minimalist pixel art style. The thumping, somewhat muted lo-fi track, timed with the beating of the aforementioned heart and the game's title, belies what's to come from the moment you first click in the direction of your target.”
“Combined with that singular music track (which literally never gets old) and all of the visuals you've experienced by the end of your first run, it all oozes and drips some fantastic imagery, with a lot of themes that I myself am particularly fond of, and I loved taking in as I sort of came down from the rush of my first run.”
- story7 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 14 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
The game's story is delivered through engaging prose that enhances the overall experience, though players may initially overlook it due to the fast-paced nature of gameplay. While the narrative adds depth, some reviewers noted that it could benefit from further refinement and proofreading. Overall, the story complements the high-octane puzzle mechanics, making for a satisfying experience when players take the time to appreciate it.
“Short, sweet, high-octane score-chaser viscerally satisfying puzzle game with great aesthetic, kickass soundtrack, and actual story.”
“On that note, I have got to talk about the story a little, or at least the writing of it, and how much I adore the type of prose used to deliver it.”
“While the story text of each level definitely adds to the overall experience, I highly recommend putting it out of your mind on your first run, as you'll have plenty of time and opportunities to soak it in after.”
“Upon beginning your first story mode run, you'll see that more prose is delivered on the left side at the beginning of each level, but if you're like me, you might not even notice it at first, as to the right you'll almost immediately be aware of the timer that has started before you even have a chance to take everything in.”
“Only downsides are that some settings seem to not save or carry through between play sessions, and the writing and story could use more work and proofreading.”
“While the story text of each level definitely adds to the overall experience, I highly recommend putting it out of your mind on your first run, as you'll have plenty of time and opportunities to soak it in after, and just getting absorbed into finishing the run with almost reckless abandon makes it all hit just a little bit sweeter given some of the themes presented.”
- replayability4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -25 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
Overall, the game offers significant replayability despite its short campaign, with players encouraged to improve their performance in subsequent runs. The inclusion of various difficulty levels enhances the experience, making it appealing for both casual and dedicated gamers. At a low price point, many users find it a worthwhile investment, often recommending it to friends.
“For $2, Heartseeker is an excellent game with lots of replayability, and such a fun overall experience that I've already suggested it to a bunch of my friends and plan on gifting it to more of them in the future.”
“The campaign was short but very well-paced, and it has different levels of difficulty, which give this game that extra replayability, even for casual players :)”
“Incredibly short; however, I feel like there is a large amount of replay value in trying to improve from your last run.”
“It's quite short, but you can get a lot of replay value from it if you want some more time.”
“The campaign was short but very well-paced, and it has different levels of difficulty, which give this game that extra replayability, even for casual players.”
