Mike Dies

In Mike Dies, a brutal Metroidvania game, play as Spaceman Mike, battling occult enemies and personal demons across a vast spaceship. Experience fast-paced platforming with dynamic fatalities and multiple endings. With 300+ levels, epic boss encounters, and voice-acted cutscenes, using a gamepad is highly recommended for this challenging adventure. Join the community through Discord, Twitter, Facebook, and Twitch.

Play Modes

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

Reviews

75%

Audience ScoreBased on 26 reviews

gameplay9 positive mentions

Mike Dies features tight controls and clever level design that keeps gameplay engaging and fun.
The game is well-polished with great voice acting, humorous dialogue, and a unique aesthetic that enhances the overall experience.
Exploration is rewarded with collectibles and secrets, making the game enjoyable for players who appreciate depth and challenge.

The story is considered weak or confusing by some players, with certain elements not clearly explained.
There are occasional issues with platforming mechanics, such as snapping to edges and a lack of a map, which can lead to frustration.
The game is relatively short, which may leave some players wanting more content or a more substantial ending.

gameplay
22 mentions
41 % positive mentions
45 % neutral mentions
14 % negative mentions
The gameplay in "Mike Dies" is characterized by its engaging platforming and puzzle-solving elements, featuring simple yet deep mechanics that evolve throughout the game. Players appreciate the easy-to-learn controls, creative level design, and a well-integrated story that enhances the experience without slowing down the action. The game offers a balanced challenge with generous checkpoints, making it accessible for both casual and skilled players while maintaining a fresh and varied gameplay experience.
- “The game starts off feeling like a simple puzzle platformer or metroidvania but evolves into an exciting test of skill with a story tying the different mechanics together.”
- “The levels are always interesting with new mechanics thrown in as you progress.”
- “Mike Dies is a tricky platformer that really shows how simple mechanics can have plenty of depth.”
- “The game is mainly divided into a large number of challenge rooms/platforming puzzles, and every handful plays with a certain mechanic.”
- “Each mechanic is introduced and then iterated on in subsequent rooms, cleverly advancing in difficulty and evolving into challenges with different skill demands.”
- “The bosses are on the easier side, but I think they provide a challenging evolution of their individual mechanics without devolving into frustrating repetition (dying is easy, but checkpoints are generous).”
story
15 mentions
33 % positive mentions
47 % neutral mentions
20 % negative mentions
The game's story is described as intriguing and well-integrated into the gameplay, enhancing the overall experience without slowing it down. However, some players find the narrative weak at the beginning, particularly regarding the unclear roles of certain characters like the angel and demon. Overall, while the story is engaging and features strong voice acting and thematic depth, it may not resonate with everyone.
- “The game starts off feeling like a simple puzzle platformer or Metroidvania but evolves into an exciting test of skill with a story tying the different mechanics together.”
- “I'm also really digging the story that is well integrated into the gameplay and never slows things down.”
- “The music is really great and the neat voice acting is a nice addition that complements the plot, which is simple and deep at the same time (with some nicely placed metaphors and personifications)!”
- “However, the story itself I'm not so sold on.”
- “The story feels a bit weak at the start, particularly with the angel and demon whose purpose to the story wasn't clear.”
- “I'm reminded of the scene in Galaxy Quest where Sigourney Weaver's character complains that some writer put a series of crushers in a hallway, and it's bad writing and she refuses to do it.”
humor
6 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is characterized by clever and witty level names, often featuring puns and subtle references that enhance the experience. While some players expected a similar comedic style to the developer's previous work, "Dark Scavenger," they found this game to have its own unique and expertly designed humor, with many challenges evolving in surprising and funny ways. Overall, the game is praised for its heart and creativity in delivering laughs.
- “Sniffing around the secrets leads you to more levels with hilarious names.”
- “I bought this because I got a kick out of the humor and weird characters in Psydra's other game, Dark Scavenger.”
- “Every room is given a name (usually jokes or subtle references), and many of the challenge rooms evolve in surprising and humorous ways.”
music
5 mentions
60 % positive mentions
-20 % neutral mentions
60 % negative mentions
The music in the game is highly praised for being immersive, haunting, and enjoyable, enhancing the overall experience alongside excellent voice acting and writing. Players appreciate the ability to control audio settings, and many express a desire to obtain the soundtrack due to its quality.
- “The music is great; absolutely immersive, at times haunting, always fun.”
- “The music is really great and the neat voice acting is a nice addition that complements well the plot, which is simple and deep at the same time (with some nicely placed metaphors and personifications)!”
- “Design, aesthetic, writing, music, and voicework are all superb, and all work well together.”
- “The music is forgettable and doesn't add anything to the overall experience.”
- “I found the soundtrack to be repetitive and uninspired.”
- “The background music often feels out of place and detracts from the gameplay.”
graphics
4 mentions
75 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
25 % negative mentions
The graphics are praised for their clarity and cohesive integration with the game's aesthetic, sound design, and writing, creating a divine experience. However, some users noted a lack of visual diversity, though this does not significantly detract from the overall enjoyment.
- “The aesthetic and sound design of the statues of Mike's god is, pardon the pun (and there are lots of them!) - divine.”
- “The design, aesthetic, writing, music, and voice work are all superb, and all work well together.”
- “The visuals are clear, the sounds are awesome, and the gameplay just...feels right.”
- “The only real hit against it for me is that the visuals lack diversity, though this doesn't detract from the experience much.”
emotional
1 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
Players find the emotional aspect of the game impactful, with moments like the death of a character resonating deeply and providing a sense of solace regarding personal struggles and life choices.
- “It's become a bit trite to say 'haha, the game helped me with issue x,' but... yeah, Mike's death made me feel a bit better about some of my mistakes and where I am in life.”