Ladderhead

About

A surreal narrative focused roguelite text adventure. In it you play a man stuck in the same day who has to get to the top floor of an unusual building to find his loved one. Each floor is a perilous mystery to unravel. Each time you die the day resets.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

91%

Audience ScoreBased on 22 reviews

graphics2 positive mentions

story3 negative mentions

The hand-drawn graphics and surreal sound effects create an immersive atmosphere that enhances the storytelling experience.
The game features a cleverly designed looped story that keeps players engaged, with intriguing and abstract plot elements.
The minimalist art style and soundtrack complement the narrative well, showcasing the developer's creativity and vision.

The game lacks player agency, with many responses feeling predetermined, which diminishes the interactive experience.
There is a reliance on hints due to a lack of standard text commands, which can frustrate players seeking more freedom in gameplay.
Some players found the narrative confusing and felt that the overall experience did not deliver on the promised 'perilous mystery to solve.'

story
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
14%
65%
21%
The story is characterized by its surreal and abstract nature, enhanced by hand-drawn graphics and unique sound design that create an immersive atmosphere. It features a looped narrative where players reset upon dying but retain inventory items, leading to a cleverly designed and satisfying experience. Overall, the narrative is stronger and more focused than previous entries, appealing to fans of surreal and detective-like storytelling.
- “By focusing on a singular story, Ladderhead features a stronger narrative with events and player choices that feel less arbitrary.”
- “And the storyline is really good too - if you like surrealistic, detective-like narratives, be sure to check this one out.”
- “The plot is confusing and surreal, but it's also intriguing and, above all, satisfying because it’s cleverly designed.”
- “It’s a looped story where, upon dying, the day resets, but we keep the items in our inventory.”
- “The story is more abstract than the previous entry and imbued with more of the developer's original creativity.”
graphics
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
50%
17%
The graphics of the game are characterized by a captivating hand-drawn and minimalist art style that creates a surreal atmosphere, enhancing the storytelling experience. Coupled with a complementary and minimalistic soundtrack, the visuals contribute to a spellbinding and mysterious aesthetic, reminiscent of its companion piece, "Desert of Vice."
- “I like the hand-drawn graphics, coupled with the strange sound effects and music; it does a great job at fostering a surreal atmosphere to experience the story in.”
- “The minimalist art style chosen is spellbinding and mysterious; the soundtrack, although minimalistic, is very complementary to the rest of the game and works very well.”
- “A companion piece to Desert of Vice, Ladderhead shares many of the same aesthetic choices and design pitfalls of the former.”
atmosphere
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is praised for its hand-drawn graphics and unique sound design, which together create a surreal atmosphere that enhances the storytelling experience. While the atmosphere is compelling and worth exploring, some players feel that the overall enjoyment of the game may not meet their expectations.
- “I like the hand-drawn graphics, coupled with the strange sound effects and music; it does a great job at fostering a surreal atmosphere to experience the story in.”
- “If the game looks interesting to you, it's probably worth the price of entry to experience the atmosphere.”
music
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The music in the game is described as minimalistic yet highly effective, enhancing the surreal atmosphere created by the hand-drawn graphics and sound effects. Reviewers appreciate how the soundtrack complements the overall experience, contributing to the game's mysterious and spellbinding aesthetic.
- “I like the hand-drawn graphics, coupled with the strange sound effects and music; it does a great job at fostering a surreal atmosphere to experience the story in.”
- “The minimalist art style chosen is spellbinding and mysterious; the soundtrack, although minimalistic, is very complementary to the rest of the game and works very well.”
gameplay
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The gameplay is criticized for its text-based format, which fails to enhance the narrative or provide a compelling experience that justifies its use.
- “To put it simply, being text-based does not enhance the narrative or the gameplay in a way that justifies the format.”

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Ladderhead
$2.99
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Ladderhead

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