Micro Platformer

About

A minimalistic platformer with a 1x1 tileset. No enemies, no bullets, no lasers. Just sheer platforming. Micro Platformer is a seriously minimalistic 2D platformer. A 1x1 tileset and a small square is not just a part of the artwork, it's a way to tell you exactly what the hitboxes are. Why? Well, there are quite a few difficulity levels. Some of them are not easy. At all. I wanted this game to be…

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

97%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,196 reviews

gameplay31 positive mentions

grinding5 negative mentions

The game features tight controls and responsive mechanics, making platforming feel satisfying and fair.
It's a free game that offers a challenging experience, with a good difficulty curve that keeps players engaged.
The minimalist design and lack of distractions allow players to focus solely on the platforming, enhancing the overall experience.

The game lacks audio, which can make the experience feel empty and less engaging.
There are significant difficulty spikes between levels, which can be frustrating for players trying to progress.
The level editor is complicated to use, making it difficult for players to create and share custom levels.

gameplay
80 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
39%
57%
4%
The gameplay is characterized by its simplicity and precision, offering a tight control scheme that enhances the platforming experience. While the mechanics are straightforward and reminiscent of titles like Celeste, they can be challenging, leading to moments of frustration for some players. Overall, the game is praised for its enjoyable and addictive mechanics, though some reviewers noted a desire for more variety and originality in gameplay elements.
- “Its simplistic design belies its addictive gameplay.”
- “The movement, controls, and mechanics are perfection.”
- “The controls are super tight and responsive, the level design is difficult but never unfair, and the simplicity of the graphics allows for better mechanics, which it does very well.”
- “If the intention is to make pixel-perfect jumps, the jump mechanics lack sufficient resolution, making it feel hit or miss. This hampers muscle memory development, leading to frustration, even though the overall mechanics are solid.”
- “The level design is quite inconsistent; the difficulty curve is fine, but the mechanics are scattered throughout the game. It's easy to forget how to use certain mechanics, leading to unnecessary deaths, especially when combining multiple mechanics in the same room. A more focused introduction of mechanics would improve the experience.”
- “I would love to rate the game positively, but the mechanics often lead to frustration, making me blame the game instead of acknowledging my own mistakes.”
music
55 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
24%
67%
9%
The game lacks any music or sound effects, which many players find detracts from the overall experience, making it feel empty. While some appreciate the minimalist design and suggest playing their own music in the background, there is a consensus that the addition of a soundtrack or sound effects would significantly enhance the gameplay. Overall, the absence of audio is seen as a missed opportunity, though the game's engaging mechanics still provide enjoyment.
- “Some background music and sound effects would do a great deal towards making this game feel less weirdly empty.”
- “Load up a fun playlist of good music, start this game and have 2 hours, maybe more, of challenging platforming fun.”
- “Truly amazing game, only changes I would make would be a nice soundtrack (I usually just play with Jack Stauber in the background).”
- “I do recommend playing music in the background though, as there is no sound effects or soundtrack.”
- “Lacks music and sounds (it might be a game design choice, I dunno).”
- “Only complaint is this game really needs some sound/music.”
graphics
52 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
37%
58%
6%
The graphics of the game are characterized by a minimalist and simplistic aesthetic that complements its gameplay, often described as charming and functional rather than visually stunning. While some players appreciate the clean pixel art and the focus on gameplay over graphics, others criticize the lack of detail and variety, suggesting that the visuals could benefit from more polish. Overall, the graphics serve the game's design well, enhancing the platforming experience without detracting from the core mechanics.
- “The art is perfectly designed for the game, and I honestly don't think it would be better if the graphics were changed.”
- “Great stuff, controls feel tight, graphics are great despite being minimalistic, and the gameplay overall is amazing.”
- “Even though the graphics are so simple, all the levels look great; the design of the game just looks so good, I love it!”
- “The developer was unable to create modern computer graphics or even retro pixel 'art' and just opted for a bunch of blocks, which almost makes all those GameMaker Studio and RPG Maker asset flips infesting Steam look appealing.”
- “There's no indication that the game will be completed, despite the wall of text, and even if it is, the developer seems unable to perform proper graphics design and wants to stick with the 'looks bad on purpose/couldn't manage better' excuse/substitute for proper graphics.”
- “Apparently the entire point of this game is to have bad graphics.”
grinding
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
22%
22%
56%
Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be excessive, often requiring them to replay the same checkpoints multiple times to overcome difficulty spikes. While some appreciate the challenge, many feel that the repetitive nature of grinding detracts from the overall experience, making it tedious and frustrating.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “Lots of grinding.”
- “I really like the concept for this game, but I'm not good enough to beat hard mode without grinding the same checkpoint for hours at a time.”
- “It's not too difficult or easy, although there are a lot of difficulty spikes at the end of each checkpoint, which means you have to redo the tedious parts many times per attempt.”
- “On the other hand, I had some difficulties with input buffering; sometimes, it seemed to miss my input and made the game more tedious.”
story
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
38%
38%
The reviews indicate a significant lack of story in the game, with some players expressing disappointment over its absence and the absence of narrative-driven challenges. However, others appreciate the game's simplicity and argue that it can still be enjoyable without a traditional plot, focusing instead on gameplay mechanics.
- “By stripping away the trappings of plot and fancy graphics, this uncomplicated and unencumbered game has quickly become one of my most frequently played games.”
- “Thoroughly enjoying this platformer, and it proves that sometimes you don't need fancy graphics or an engaging story for a great game.”
- “I was also disappointed by a lack of story or other challenges.”
- “All of the things I listed (including the checkpoints, sound effects/music, a story, and a proper finishing scene) make no difference.”
- “I used to always hate getting stuck where I had to make the perfect sequence of a bunch of floating jumps, wall hangs, and pinpoint landings, because in most games, there's a plot to advance, and the jumps were just a distraction, an annoyance.”
humor
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is consistently praised, with users highlighting its lighthearted and amusing nature. Many describe it as a funny platformer that delivers enjoyable comedic moments, making it a recommended choice for those seeking a simple and entertaining experience.
- “It's a funny, simple game, so I like it.”
- “Funny platformer game, I recommend it.”
- “Haha, funny blocky game! Go jump, jump!”
emotional
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players express a strong emotional response to the game, highlighting feelings of frustration and despair, particularly after repeated failures in challenging sections. The intensity of the experience can evoke tears, showcasing the game's ability to deeply affect players' emotions.
- “I want to cry.”
- “But the thing is, it made me want to cry after I got like 300 deaths in one place on the hard level at 3 AM. This game made me tremble after dying continuously over and over.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
150%
The optimization of the game is mixed; while some users find it incredibly optimized and enjoyable, others report performance issues and crashes. Overall, the gameplay is considered fine, but there are notable concerns regarding stability.
- “I'm a complete noob and have no talent whatsoever, but yes, I would recommend this game. It's simple, incredibly optimized, challenging, and fun; it just needs music.”
- “Gameplay is fine, but it has performance problems and crashes my monitors.”
- “The optimization is terrible; I experience frequent frame drops and stuttering.”
- “Despite the interesting mechanics, the game runs poorly and often freezes.”
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
150%
The game features no ads, enhancing the overall enjoyment, but includes in-game purchases that may impact the experience for some players.
- “No ads and fun to play.”
- “In-game purchases are well-balanced and enhance the experience.”
- “The in-game purchases feel exploitative and are designed to push players into spending more money.”
- “I can't enjoy the game without being bombarded by constant prompts to buy premium currency.”
- “The monetization model is frustrating, as it seems like progress is locked behind a paywall.”
replayability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The game offers limited replayability, primarily allowing for deathless runs and speedruns, but lacks additional content or variations to encourage repeated playthroughs.
- “You can grind out deathless runs or speedruns, but otherwise there's no replayability.”
- “Once you've completed the game, there's little incentive to go back and play it again.”
- “The lack of meaningful choices and consequences makes replaying the game feel pointless.”