Powers in the Basement

About

"Powers in the Basement" is a point-and-click adventure game following teenage protagonist Will Phail as he searches for his favorite T-shirt in his chaotic household. Players will navigate humorous interactions with lazy grandparents, mischievous rats, and carnivorous plants, while facing challenging puzzles and uncovering mysterious powers in the basement. The game boasts state-of-the-art 9-verbs interface, 3D graphics, and MT-32 music for an immersive experience.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

80%

Audience ScoreBased on 60 reviews

music6 positive mentions

monetization2 negative mentions

Charming retro pixel art style with humor that appeals to fans of classic point-and-click adventures.
Engaging writing and funny jokes that enhance the overall experience.
Free to play, making it accessible for anyone interested in the genre.

Puzzles can be overly difficult and unintuitive, often requiring a guide to complete.
The achievement system includes a monetization aspect that feels coercive, as players must buy the soundtrack to achieve 100%.
Many items and actions in the game seem pointless or confusing, leading to frustration during gameplay.

music
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
55%
15%
The music in the game is praised for its quality and nostalgic appeal, effectively capturing the essence of early 90s point-and-click adventures. However, the requirement to purchase the soundtrack for a specific achievement has drawn criticism, as it feels like a heavy-handed tactic that detracts from the overall experience. Despite this, the attention to detail in the music and sound design contributes positively to the game's charm.
- “Lovely retro art style, nice music, all those things that tickle the old LucasArts adventure bones.”
- “Sound and music are also quite good.”
- “This little adventure is an introduction to a bigger game, but the attention to detail in the setting, music, and animations is phenomenal!”
- “One achievement is literally buying the soundtrack with real money.”
- “Now, to achieve a 'perfect game' status, players are essentially required to support the developers by buying their soundtrack.”
- “While supporting the game is commendable, making the soundtrack a compulsory purchase feels rather heavy-handed.”
graphics
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The graphics of the game are characterized by a charming retro pixel art style that resonates well with fans of classic adventure games, reminiscent of LucasArts titles. While many appreciate the great artwork and animation, some players express a preference for a different visual style over the pixelated aesthetic. Overall, the graphics are well-executed and contribute positively to the game's nostalgic appeal.
- “Great artwork and animation.”
- “Lovely retro art style, nice music, all those things that tickle the old LucasArts adventure bones.”
- “Although very well done, I am personally not an enormous fan of retro pixel art; I would've loved this game in its store page title artwork style.”
story
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
25%
25%
The game features a charming and quirky story typical of classic point-and-click adventures, making it enjoyable and accessible for players. However, some users noted frustration with mission-critical items being tied to actions that initially yield useless items. Overall, the narrative is well-received, contributing to the game's fun and engaging experience.
- “Classic point-and-click game with a fun story.”
- “A nice little old-style point-and-click adventure with a quirky story.”
- “The game has a lovely little story and is easy to pick up.”
- “Some mission critical items can be acquired only by doing an action, which got you one useless item already, twice.”
- “A nice little old-style point and click adventure with a quirky story.”
humor
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is praised for its retro pixel art style and clever writing, delivering a humorous experience filled with funny jokes. Despite its short length and limited locations, players find enjoyment in the comedic elements and the variety of items to interact with.
- “Great writing, very funny jokes.”
- “Powers in the Basement is a super funny old-school adventure: the game is short, with few locations but a lot of items to mess around with.”
- “Nice game, retro pixel style graphic adventure with humor.”
monetization
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Reviews highlight a concern that developers must strike a balance between monetization strategies and player satisfaction, as some tactics may risk alienating the audience. There is a sentiment that certain monetization elements feel more focused on profit rather than rewarding players for their in-game achievements.
- “Developers need to find a balance between monetization and player satisfaction, without resorting to tactics that could potentially alienate their audience.”
- “This seemed like an odd addition, veering more towards monetization than rewarding in-game accomplishments.”
gameplay
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The gameplay is criticized for its poor implementation of mechanics, making the experience frustrating rather than enjoyable. Additionally, there is a call for achievements to reflect actual gameplay rather than monetary transactions, highlighting a disconnect between game design and player expectations.
- “It's a simple 90's point and click game and it would probably be enjoyable if it was playable... the developers implemented a bunch of mechanics but decided to not implement any of them correctly.”
- “Achievements should be based on actual gameplay, not monetary transactions.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is praised for its emotional resonance, serving as a heartfelt homage to classic adventure titles like Monkey Island and Indiana Jones, filled with nostalgic references that evoke a sense of warmth and fondness for the genre.
- “A heartfelt love letter to old school masterpieces like Monkey Island, Indiana Jones & the Fate of Atlantis, Simon the Sorcerer, and so on, with plenty of references to them.”