Pankapu

While it had its disconnections from plot, Pankapu is definitely a game I want to invest more into for future episodes. It’s fun and continuously challenging, with new puzzles and obstacles to overcome with each level, making the player think on their feet, and sometimes in the air! The characters are solid and visually appealing and help move the story along from chapter to chapter.

65%Game Brain Score

story, graphics

grinding, monetization

74% User Score Based on 66 reviews

Critic Score 81%Based on 3 reviews

Platforms

Buy Nowfrom $1.59

Buy NowGet on Steam$11.99

Buy NowGet on itch.io Store$11.99

About

"Pankapu is a single-player fantasy platformer game with stunning game mechanics and wonderful graphics. Players journey through the dreams of a troubled child, Djaha'rell, battling Nightmare's invasion and uncovering the story of Djaha'rell's real-world tragedy. With naïve and epic undertones, the game's narrative is told in the style of a fable and offers two levels of reading."

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

74%

Audience ScoreBased on 69 reviews

story12 positive mentions

grinding2 negative mentions

Pankapu features stunning visuals and a charming art style that enhances the overall experience.
The gameplay is engaging with a unique ability system that requires players to switch between different forms, adding depth to both combat and platforming.
The game offers a healthy challenge with well-designed levels and plenty of collectibles, making it rewarding for completionists.

The controls can feel unresponsive and clunky at times, leading to frustrating gameplay experiences.
The story is often considered weak and uninteresting, with some players feeling it detracts from the overall enjoyment.
The game has a significant difficulty spike in later levels, which may be off-putting for casual players.

story
40 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
63%
8%
The story of the game is described as cutesy and visually appealing, with charming characters and a pleasant aesthetic, but it often feels aimed at a younger audience, leading to mixed reactions from older players. While some find the narrative intriguing, especially in its final moments, many criticize it for being incomplete or lacking depth, with some elements feeling tedious or frustrating. Overall, the storytelling is seen as having potential but ultimately falls short, leaving players wanting a more satisfying conclusion.
- “Pankapu is a very vibrant, beautiful game with charming characters and an easy-to-follow story, structured around platforming with a focus on changing play styles on the fly to accomplish the quest at hand.”
- “The artwork is beautifully designed and the backstory is amazing.”
- “It's so epic and touching at the same time... Pankapu also has a narrator that will tell you the story and transport you into this both cute and terrifying world!”
- “The story as presented seems like it's intended for a much younger audience, but the gameplay (especially later into the game) becomes so tedious and frustrating that no child will have the patience to deal with it.”
- “The story is cute and has a lot of potential, but the ending leaves it incomplete.”
- “After dropping a major bombshell at the very end and defeating a major boss, the game simply ends and the credits roll as the narrator states that the next story will have to wait for another night.”
graphics
36 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
64%
28%
8%
The graphics of Pankapu are widely praised for their stunning art style, vibrant colors, and whimsical character designs, contributing to a delightful visual experience. Many reviewers highlight the game's beautiful artwork and well-crafted aesthetics, although some note that the visuals alone cannot compensate for issues with gameplay and controls. Overall, the game's graphics are considered a major strength, enhancing its magical and immersive atmosphere.
- “Pankapu is a delightful platformer with a gorgeous art style, beautiful music, and innovative ideas.”
- “The visuals are bright and colorful, and both character and world designs are creative and whimsical.”
- “Absolutely underrated action platformer with stunning visuals, great music score and gameplay that can be unforgiving.”
- “This game is so not worth the money, the visuals are horrible, it looks like you're playing a dumb online game.”
- “The graphics options are limited, but that's to be expected given the nature of the game.”
- “Although the very sleepy music, the art style managed to make me finish the game, and guess what?”
gameplay
28 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
46%
11%
The gameplay in Pankapu is generally well-received, featuring responsive controls, solid mechanics, and a variety of abilities that enhance player mastery over time. However, some players find the pacing and later levels tedious, with criticisms aimed at the floaty platforming and combat mechanics. Overall, while the game offers a polished experience with beautiful visuals and music, it can become frustrating for younger audiences as it progresses.
- “The gameplay is solid: the levels are well designed, the platforming is smooth and the combat is fun.”
- “The game does a really good job of introducing various mechanics and combinations so that you can develop your mastery of the game over time with little frustration.”
- “Simple but solid platforming gameplay and combat open up into a challenging and only rarely frustrating experience.”
- “The story as presented seems like it's intended for a much younger audience, but the gameplay (especially later into the game) becomes so tedious and frustrating that no child will have the patience to deal with it.”
- “The gameplay is boring as hell.”
- “I don't like the pacing, I don't like the fighting mechanics, and I don't like the floaty platforming.”
music
24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
63%
25%
13%
The music in Pankapu is widely praised for its beauty and atmospheric quality, enhancing the game's charming visuals and gameplay. While some reviewers noted that the soundtrack can be slow at times, it is generally described as solid and well-composed, contributing significantly to the overall experience. The involvement of notable composers adds to the game's musical appeal, making it a standout feature.
- “Pankapu is a delightful platformer with a gorgeous art style, beautiful music, and innovative ideas.”
- “The music is absolutely incredible, and the artwork is clean and well done.”
- “A beautiful and completely unintrusive soundtrack rounds out the package in the best possible way.”
- “Although the music is very sleepy, the art style managed to make me finish the game, and guess what?”
- “However, the game is very deceptive in this regard as the pretty colors and usually soothing music ease you into what will eventually become a gauntlet of precise challenges.”
- “The music and art go hand in hand to make a charming platformer.”
atmosphere
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its enchanting music and beautiful aesthetics, which create a captivating and immersive experience. Players find themselves drawn into the world, with the soundtrack enhancing the overall ambiance and making the gameplay enjoyable for both casual and dedicated players.
- “Especially later on, the music creates an absolutely wonderful atmosphere; don't be surprised if you find yourself gazing starry-eyed at the world around you.”
- “Even for more casual players, the game's atmosphere and beautiful aesthetics more than make the experience pleasant and refreshing.”
- “The soundtrack is nice and very atmospheric.”
emotional
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its touching moments and an epic narrative, with characters that evoke strong feelings, potentially bringing players to tears. The presence of a narrator enhances the storytelling, immersing players in a world that balances both cuteness and terror.
- “On the other hand, Pankapu's story is much more epic, but there are also very touching moments that will bring tears to your eyes!”
- “It's so epic and touching at the same time... Pankapu also has a narrator that will tell you the story and transport you to this both cute and terrifying world!”
- “Touching.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and frustrating, particularly in the later stages, which may deter younger audiences despite the story's intended demographic. The gameplay is criticized for its repetitive mechanics, including a lack of enemy variety and the cumbersome process of filling the "anima" meter.
- “The story as presented seems like it's intended for a much younger audience, but the gameplay, especially later in the game, becomes so tedious and frustrating that no child will have the patience to deal with it.”
- “The primary shortcomings of this game are the somewhat 'floaty' jumping mechanics of Pankapu, the lack of variety in the enemy roster, and the tedious blocking required to fill the 'anima' meter.”
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
While some users find the monetization frustrating due to poor advertising, they are willing to overlook it because of the game's engaging platforming mechanics and intelligent level design.
replayability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
300%
Players appreciate the replayability of the game due to its light RPG elements, such as health and weapon damage upgrades, along with a variety of collectible items scattered throughout the levels, which encourage exploration and repeated playthroughs.
- “There are some light RPG elements: upgrades for health, weapon damage, etc., and plenty of collectible items throughout the levels to keep you occupied and enhance replayability.”
- “The game offers a variety of choices and paths, making each playthrough feel unique and encouraging multiple runs.”
- “With different character builds and strategies to explore, the replayability factor is incredibly high, keeping the game fresh and engaging.”
- “The game lacks meaningful choices, making replayability feel pointless.”
- “Once you've completed the main story, there's little incentive to play again.”
- “The levels are repetitive, which significantly diminishes the desire to replay.”