Kartong

About

"Kartong - Death by Cardboard!" is a single-player Action game with good graphics and a dense atmosphere, available for Arcades on SpringboardVR. Players are shrunk to the size of a toilet paper roll and must navigate a deadly cardboard city filled with toy enemies, in a stealth/FPS gameplay mode. The game offers procedurally generated levels with constantly changing maps, traps, weapons, and enemies, allowing for a unique experience each playthrough. Both PC and VR modes are available.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

86%

Audience ScoreBased on 56 reviews

graphics10 positive mentions

story3 negative mentions

The game features a unique and creative art style, resembling a cardboard world filled with household objects, which enhances the immersive experience.
Gameplay is engaging with randomly generated mazes that provide a fresh challenge each time, encouraging exploration and strategic use of traps and weapons.
The VR implementation is well-executed, allowing players to enjoy the game without experiencing motion sickness, and offering both teleportation and free locomotion options.

The game suffers from a steep difficulty curve early on, which can be frustrating for new players, and the tutorial lacks clarity on essential controls.
Combat can become repetitive due to a limited variety of enemy types and a lack of depth in gameplay mechanics, leading to a feeling of monotony over time.
Technical issues such as long load times, glitches, and inventory management problems detract from the overall experience, making it feel less polished.

graphics
19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
53%
32%
16%
The graphics of the game are characterized by a unique and charming cardboard art style, filled with quirky details and a "creepy cute" aesthetic that enhances the immersive atmosphere. Reviewers praise the dynamic and procedurally generated environments, which keep the visuals fresh and engaging, although some experienced occasional technical issues with fading graphics. Overall, the combination of sharp visuals, vibrant colors, and an eerie ambiance contributes to a compelling gaming experience.
- “I loved the quality of the graphics, the crisp colors and cardboard theme.”
- “The art style, overall atmosphere, and feeling of immersion is amazing.”
- “The graphics are 'creepy cute' as another reviewer said; the whole environment is really unnerving.”
- “But after playing a few minutes, suddenly the graphics start to fade in and out and the sound stops for a couple of seconds.”
- “The cardboard visuals on the entire world around you is surreal; all this filled with bizarre enemies can give some eerie chills.”
gameplay
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
67%
17%
The gameplay in Kartong is a mixed bag, featuring a unique visual style and atmospheric levels that enhance the experience, but it suffers from simplistic combat mechanics and a limited enemy variety. While the maze navigation and trap avoidance provide some engaging elements, the teleportation mechanic can be disorienting, and the overall gameplay is described as passable rather than thrilling. However, recent updates have improved fluidity and challenge, suggesting potential for further development as the game remains in early access.
- “The gameplay was intriguing and it made me want to dive right in.”
- “I'm glad to see how the game changed drastically for good, because I just played it again after a long time and now the gameplay is fluid, challenging, and fun!”
- “The gameplay is original, involving finding your way out of mazes, avoiding traps, and collecting objects along the way to use against enemies that you encounter, such as cockroaches (and during the Halloween period, a pumpkin king)!”
- “You can really ignore the whole stealth mechanic, as there is plenty of ammo to kill your way through a level and the AI isn't particularly smart.”
- “Kartong has a unique visual style and atmospheric levels, but the gameplay is just passable rather than exciting.”
- “Overall, the artistic design and story narrative help to elevate the experience, while the movement system and maze levels provide a solid gameplay foundation, yet the combat and limited enemy pool hold the game back from being good.”
atmosphere
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
91%
27%
The atmosphere in Kartong is widely praised for its unique visual style, reminiscent of Tim Burton's creations, and its immersive environments filled with creepy toys. Reviewers highlight the game's blend of surrealism and horror elements, complemented by excellent art design and music that enhance the overall experience. While the gameplay may be considered average, the atmospheric levels and level design contribute significantly to the game's charm.
- “Environments filled with creepy toys are very atmospheric and look a bit like set pieces from Tim Burton's stop-motion movies.”
- “The art style, overall atmosphere, and feeling of immersion is amazing.”
- “I really enjoy the level design and the atmosphere in this game; it's a mix between surrealism and straight-up horror clichés (mainly the enemies, who look very much like Tim Burton's creations).”
- “The dark atmosphere feels more oppressive than immersive, making it hard to enjoy the game.”
- “While the graphics are impressive, the atmosphere lacks the depth needed to draw players in.”
- “The overall ambiance is too bleak, which detracts from the enjoyment of the gameplay.”
story
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
60%
The game's story features a blend of creepy and creative elements, primarily conveyed through an online entertainer's tutorials on maze development, which are revealed after each level. While the artistic design and narrative enhance the overall experience, the gameplay focuses more on exploration and survival rather than a deep storyline, making it more of a rogue-lite adventure with FPS elements.
- “It is indeed a bit creepy gameplay-wise, but there is also a surprising amount of light creativity within its story elements.”
- “Overall, the artistic design and story narrative help to elevate the experience, while the movement system and maze levels assist in providing a solid gameplay foundation.”
- “After completing each level, there are story elements that are shown on a mobile phone of an online entertainer talking to his community of followers by providing tutorials on how to develop their own mazes.”
- “Overall, the artistic design and story narrative help to elevate the experience, while the movement system and maze levels assist in providing a solid gameplay foundation, yet the combat and limited enemy pool hold the game back from being good.”
- “As for the gameplay, don't look for any storyline or plot; it is a game you have to enjoy for what it is: a sort of roguelite with FPS elements where you adventure yourself in a world full of traps and enemies who will hunt you down relentlessly.”
music
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
25%
25%
The music in the game is highly praised for its fitting and atmospheric qualities, described as a hauntingly creepy circus or toy store style that enhances the overall experience. Additionally, the visual cue of windows turning red when enemies are near adds to the immersive effect of the soundtrack.
- “The music is great!”
- “The music represents the atmosphere, so it's perfect.”
- “Kind of a creepy circus/toy store style music that plays hauntingly in the background.”
stability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The game is generally enjoyable, but players report occasional bugs, such as glitches that allow them to pass through walls and issues with item selection. Despite these minor stability concerns, many feel that the game is worth the price and could improve with future updates.
- “The game is enjoyable, but it suffers from frequent bugs that can cause glitches, such as passing through walls and issues with item selection in either hand. These minor inconveniences could be resolved with updates, but they do detract from the overall experience.”
- “While the gameplay is engaging, the stability issues are frustrating. I've encountered several glitches that disrupt the flow, including getting stuck in walls and problems with item management.”
- “I love the concept of the game, but the stability is a major concern. There are too many bugs that lead to unexpected crashes and gameplay interruptions, making it hard to fully enjoy the experience.”
replayability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
300%
Players appreciate the game's strong replayability, distinguishing it from typical VR minigames and experiences available on platforms like Steam. This title offers engaging content that encourages multiple playthroughs, making it a worthwhile choice for those seeking depth in their VR gaming experience.
- “If you want a VR game that doesn't feel like the typical mini-games or experiences found everywhere on Steam right now and offers great replayability, then don't hesitate and go for this one!”
- “The variety of choices and paths in this game makes each playthrough feel fresh and exciting, ensuring that I keep coming back for more.”
- “With multiple endings and different character interactions, the replayability factor is off the charts; I love discovering new content every time I play!”
- “The game lacks the depth needed for true replayability; once you've completed it, there's little incentive to return.”
- “After finishing the main storyline, I found no compelling reasons to replay the game, as the choices felt superficial.”
- “While the game is enjoyable, it doesn't offer enough variety in gameplay to warrant multiple playthroughs.”