Monolith

About

Monolith is a single-player Science Fiction Shooter game with a masterful story, good game mechanics, and graphics. It offers smooth action gameplay with a variety of weapons and upgrades, as you explore the procedurally generated floors of an abandoned facility. With plenty of humor, outstanding atmosphere, and high replayability, Monolith provides a thrilling experience for players seeking wealth, power, and the secrets of the past.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

98%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,276 reviews

music156 positive mentions

grinding10 negative mentions

Monolith combines SHMUP and roguelite elements seamlessly, providing a fast-paced and addictive gameplay experience.
The game features a charming retro aesthetic, a fantastic soundtrack, and a variety of unique bosses and enemies.
The mechanics reward skill and precision, making each run feel fresh and engaging, with a strong emphasis on player improvement.

Some players find the game can become repetitive after a few runs, lacking the depth of other roguelikes.
The difficulty spikes, particularly with certain bosses, can be frustrating for players who are not experienced with bullet hell games.
There is no option to save and continue runs later, which may deter some players from longer sessions.

music
275 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
57%
42%
1%
The music in "Monolith" has received widespread acclaim for its catchy and engaging chiptune soundtrack, which complements the game's retro aesthetic and fast-paced gameplay. Many reviewers highlight the soundtrack's ability to enhance the overall atmosphere, with tracks that evoke nostalgia while remaining fresh and exciting. However, some players noted issues with the volume of the pause music, suggesting it detracts from the experience. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's charm and replayability.
- “The graphics are charming, the music is subtle but so good at setting the mood, and the gameplay is amazingly deep.”
- “The wonderful soundtrack by arcofdream aids this sinister but cute atmosphere, wherein happy, bouncy chiptunes give way to progressively more melancholic and spooky songs as you progress deeper into the facility's depths, becoming outright unsettling at the very lowest floor.”
- “The music alone is worth more than they're charging for this masterpiece.”
- “If I had to point out negatives, the biggest obvious one is the music: Monolith's OST is serviceable most of the time and mediocre the rest of the time.”
- “It has one seemingly minor problem that completely ruins the experience though, and that is the fact that the pause music is extremely loud.”
- “Whenever I play a game and my mom walks in I instinctively pause the game to hear what she's telling me, but I can't do that here because the pause music is so loud and distracting.”
gameplay
231 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
47%
52%
1%
The gameplay of this title is widely praised for its depth, fluidity, and engaging mechanics, combining bullet hell elements with roguelite features. Players appreciate the tight controls, variety of weapons, and the rewarding gameplay loop that encourages skillful play and strategic decision-making. The game is noted for its charming aesthetics and a captivating soundtrack, making it a standout experience in the genre.
- “The graphics are charming, the music is subtle but so good at setting the mood, and the gameplay is amazingly deep.”
- “Controllers are solid and responsive, and gameplay is always fresh with a variety of levels and weapons.”
- “The gameplay is fluid and fast, none of the weapons feel wimpy, and the item pool is (mostly) customizable.”
- “Some classic bullet hell influences here, which I don't really love - lots of fairly chaotic patterns, big bullets, tiny player hitbox (and dashes without i-frames fry my muscle memory) - and relatively shallow roguelite mechanics - there's not a ton of meaningful choices that change the way you play mid-run.”
- “The gameplay loop and boss design make Nuclear Throne seem boring by comparison.”
- “In that sense, if you're looking for originality in gameplay, this game does leave something to be desired.”
graphics
178 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
52%
46%
2%
The graphics of Monolith are widely praised for their charming retro pixel art style, which evokes nostalgia while effectively complementing the game's fast-paced gameplay. Reviewers highlight the vibrant color palette, detailed enemy designs, and smooth animations that enhance the overall aesthetic experience. The combination of well-crafted visuals and a fitting chiptune soundtrack creates a cohesive and engaging atmosphere that resonates with fans of classic gaming.
- “The graphics are charming, the music is subtle but so good at setting the mood, and the gameplay is amazingly deep.”
- “Beautiful graphical presentation, good OST, very unique and well-designed gameplay.”
- “The graphics and sound are perfect recreations of the NES style I grew up with; if it wasn't for the number of sprites on screen, I'd swear I was playing some lost 30-year-old game.”
- “The graphics are kinda meh though.”
- “While the graphics are solid, they don't have the charm of Isaac/Gungeon either.”
- “The art style can seem a bit underwhelming at first but the detailed background and fantastic bullet animations let you understand the nuances of where the sprite design was coming from in the design of this game.”
story
52 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
62%
6%
The game's story is presented in a sparse and indirect manner, primarily conveyed through bestiary entries, environmental storytelling, and brief cinematics, which some players find intriguing despite its simplicity. While the narrative lacks depth and clarity, it features quirky characters and a mysterious lore that enhances the overall experience, making it enjoyable for those who appreciate subtle storytelling. Overall, the game combines engaging gameplay with a charming, if understated, narrative that invites players to piece together its world.
- “The story/lore is mostly told through short bestiary entries, which are filled with as many funny tongue-in-cheek quips as nods to the apocalypse and cosmic horrors living in the depths.”
- “Great mixture of cute and quirky characters with legitimately interesting lore that can be pieced together through dialogue, bestiary entries, and environmental storytelling.”
- “The story is intriguing (and I don't usually care about story), the controls are perfect, the soundtrack fits great, the graphics are beautiful, and the mechanics are really cool.”
- “This game has no story.”
- “The story is very confusing, and you won't understand much of it unless you beat the game with all the characters.”
- “Apart from the intro, the story is presented in a vague and sparse manner which always had me wondering what was really going on.”
replayability
49 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
55%
39%
6%
Overall, the game is praised for its high replayability, with players noting a wealth of content, diverse enemy designs, and engaging gameplay mechanics that keep each run fresh and challenging. While some comparisons to other roguelikes suggest it may not have the same depth, the variety of unlockable upgrades, game modes, and the addition of DLC significantly enhance its replay value. Many reviewers highlight the satisfying controls and the game's ability to maintain interest over extended play sessions, making it a worthwhile experience for fans of the genre.
- “Enough variety in complex enemies and combat options, keeping repeatability and replayability fresh and challenging.”
- “The weapon combinations, unlockable upgrades/game modes, bosses, and secrets keep the game fresh and the replay value at an all-time high.”
- “Monolith is an excellent shmup-roguelite hybrid that provides the best of both worlds: it has the replayability you'd expect from a roguelite with a huge variety of different randomly generated weapons, randomized floors, a good number of unlockables, and secrets, but retains the tight control, great level & bullet pattern design, skill-based gameplay and game feel you'd want from a shoot'em up.”
- “You can play it for, I believe, one whole month until you start getting bored of it, due to the high amount of content and replayability (without the DLC it's less than that).”
- “This game is a lovely little roguelite, although it doesn't have nearly as much content and replayability as Isaac or Gungeon.”
- “Even though I managed to beat it under 4 hours, there are much more things to do after you beat the game, so replayability is not an issue.”
atmosphere
23 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
61%
26%
13%
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its unique blend of charm and eeriness, enhanced by a captivating soundtrack that shifts from cheerful chiptunes to haunting melodies as players delve deeper into the game. Reviewers highlight the appealing art style and immersive sound design, which together create a rich, engaging environment reminiscent of classic titles like Cave Story. Overall, the atmosphere is described as both inviting and intense, contributing significantly to the game's replay value and enjoyment.
- “Unceasingly fun, easy to get into but hard to master, and a captivating and charming atmosphere.”
- “The wonderful soundtrack by arcofdream aids this sinister but cute atmosphere, wherein happy, bouncy chiptunes give way to progressively more melancholic and spooky songs as you progress deeper into the facility's depths, becoming outright unsettling at the very lowest floor.”
- “Incredibly catchy and moody music with a dark and gloomy atmosphere that reminds me of H.R.”
- “A very fun game with a good pixel visual style and satisfying, tight controls, as well as a surprisingly eerie atmosphere at times.”
grinding
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
8%
8%
83%
Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be excessive, particularly when it comes to unlocking new characters and advanced weapons, which often requires multiple successful runs. While some appreciate the challenge and skill development that comes from the gameplay, many feel that the grind detracts from the overall enjoyment, making the process feel tedious and less rewarding. However, the game's core mechanics and action-oriented design are praised, suggesting that the grind may not be necessary for enjoying the experience fully.
- “No grinding is a bonus, just pure action and fun from the get-go.”
- “In this game, you must meet the unlock requirements and then further spend a resource you get from doing runs. The costs are quite a grind, with several individual unlocks ranging from 3-5 runs. It's a bit anti-fun as far as that goes.”
- “It's still a great shooter, but grinding to see a few more weapons added to the drop table just feels pointless.”
- “The only things I don't like about the game are how grindy it is to unlock all the store items, and that the blink power-up, which lets you dash through hazards without taking damage, has to be randomly acquired.”
humor
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized by witty, tongue-in-cheek quips found in bestiary entries and interactions with quirky characters, such as a gossiping cat shopkeeper. Players appreciate the blend of dark humor and lightheartedness, which enhances the overall experience, making the challenging gameplay more enjoyable. The game's charm is further amplified by its humorous easter eggs and engaging dialogue, contributing to a fun and positive atmosphere.
- “The story/lore is mostly told through short bestiary entries, which are filled with as many funny tongue-in-cheek quips as nods to the apocalypse and cosmic horrors living in the depths.”
- “My number one reason for recommending this is that it is fun, funny, and just an overall positive experience.”
- “This is one of the better rogue-lites I've played, and it even has a good sense of dark humor in the interactions with the main shopkeeper and other sorts who show up in your den from time to time.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players highlight the game's ability to deliver impactful emotional moments, with significant revelations that evoke strong feelings. The emotional weight of encounters, particularly boss fights, is noted as being unique and deeply resonant, rather than repetitive or superficial.
- “I don't want to talk about this element too much, but suffice to say, there are plenty of revelations to come after this point, including some serious emotional gut-punches.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
150%
The game's optimization is praised for its efficient map navigation, allowing players to plan routes for better scores and resource management. Additionally, the Windows version reportedly runs smoothly without any crashes.
- “Nailed the pacing by making navigation of the map just a click away, allowing you to plan your routes for more optimized scores and resource management before facing the stage boss.”
- “Indeed, the Windows version runs smoothly without crashing!”
- “The game suffers from severe optimization issues, making it frustrating to play on lower-end devices.”
- “I often experience lag and stuttering during crucial moments, which ruins the overall experience.”
- “The lack of optimization means that even on high-end systems, the game can struggle to maintain a steady frame rate.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users report stability issues, including frequent freezing on Ubuntu 16 and bugs that require troubleshooting to resolve launch problems, such as encountering a black screen.
- “The only complaint I have is that it constantly freezes on my Ubuntu 16.”
- “It's a bit buggy; I had to do some troubleshooting to get it to launch without a black screen.”