Ladderhead

55%
Game Brain Score Based on 11 reviews
  • story
  • graphics
  • atmosphere
Ladderhead Game Cover
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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.

  • iPad
  • iPhone
  • Mac OS
  • PC
  • Phone
  • Windows
  • Android
  • Mobile Platform
  • Tablet
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

55%
Audience ScoreBased on 11 reviews
atmosphere2 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 narrative elements.
  • The minimalist art style and soundtrack complement the game well, showcasing the developer's creativity and vision.
  • The lack of player agency and reliance on spoon-fed responses diminish the interactive experience, making it feel more like a linear narrative.
  • The game suffers from a limited command system, which can lead to frustration and a desire for quality-of-life improvements.
  • Some players may find the plot confusing and lacking in deeper meaning, leading to a less satisfying overall experience.
  • story7 mentions

    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 cleverly designed looped narrative where players retain items after dying, leading to an intriguing and satisfying experience. The focus on a singular storyline and meaningful player choices marks an improvement in the developer's storytelling craft, appealing to fans of surreal and detective-like narratives.

    • “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.”
    • “It’s a looped story where, upon dying, the day resets, but we keep the items in our inventory.”
    • “The plot is confusing and surreal, but it's also intriguing and, above all, satisfying because it’s cleverly designed.”
    • “The story is more abstract than the previous entry and imbued with more of the developer's original creativity.”
  • graphics3 mentions

    The graphics are characterized by a captivating hand-drawn and minimalist art style that effectively creates a surreal atmosphere, enhancing the storytelling experience. The aesthetic choices, while reminiscent of its companion piece "Desert of Vice," contribute to a spellbinding and mysterious visual presentation, complemented by a fitting minimalist soundtrack.

    • “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.”
    • “The minimalist art style chosen is spellbinding and mysterious, but it may not appeal to everyone.”
  • atmosphere2 mentions

    The game's hand-drawn graphics, combined with unique sound effects and music, create a surreal atmosphere that enhances the storytelling experience. While the atmosphere is praised and deemed worth the price of entry, some players feel the overall fun factor is lacking.

    • “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.”
  • music2 mentions

    The music in the game is described as minimalistic yet complementary, effectively enhancing the surreal atmosphere created by the hand-drawn graphics and sound effects. Reviewers appreciate how the soundtrack contributes to the overall mysterious and spellbinding experience of the story.

    • “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.”
    • “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.”
  • gameplay1 mentions

    Reviewers feel that the text-based format of the game fails to enhance both the narrative and gameplay, suggesting that it does not justify its design choice.

    • “To put it simply, being text-based does not enhance the narrative or the gameplay in a way that justifies the format.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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