Powers in the Basement

About

Powers in the Basement is a single player management game with fantasy, comedy, medieval and historical themes. It was developed by Illiterate Code Games and was released on December 7, 2023. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

Will Phail is a fifteen-year-old like many others: lazy, spoiled, and phlegmatic. But he has one thing that others lack: he's useless! Experience Will's drama in this short adventure as he searches for his favorite T-shirt so he can hang out with his friends trying to defend his already compromised reputation. Dodge lazy grandparents, mischievous rats, and carnivorous plants, and find the courag…

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76%

Audience ScoreBased on 34 reviews

graphics4 positive mentions

gameplay3 negative mentions

A well-crafted homage to classic 90's point-and-click adventure games with charming retro pixel art and nostalgic atmosphere.
Puzzles are generally well thought out, quirky and provide a fair challenge with some fiendish moments, appealing to fans of the genre.
The game is free and offers a short but enjoyable experience with humor, good writing, and a fitting soundtrack, making it accessible to newcomers and enthusiasts.

Gameplay is hindered by unintuitive mechanics, cumbersome command interface, and some illogical or obscure puzzle solutions leading to player frustration.
The achievement system includes a controversial requirement to purchase the soundtrack for 100% completion, which some players found off-putting and coercive.
Limited game length, few locations, and many red herrings or unnecessary items dilute the experience, alongside occasional bugs and lack of modern conveniences like autosave or a hint system.

music
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
40%
30%
The music in the game is praised for its quality and nostalgic, retro style that complements the overall 90s point-and-click adventure vibe. However, a notable downside is an achievement that requires purchasing the extended soundtrack, which some players find makes supporting the developers feel mandatory rather than optional.
- “Lovely retro art style, nice music, all those things that tickle the old LucasArts adventure bones.”
- “Art, music, jokes and speech register are carefully designed to give you that 'early 90s point-and-click culture' vibes; puzzles are entertaining and not so obvious, with the exception of a couple being quite difficult to spot.”
- “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.”
- “Worst of all is the achievement which you can only obtain by buying their soundtrack, so you cannot get 100%.”
graphics
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
12%
38%
The graphics receive mixed feedback, with some praising the well-executed retro pixel art and animation that evoke classic Lucasarts adventures, while others criticize the visuals as poor-quality pixel art lacking real 3D graphics. Despite varying opinions on the style, the retro aesthetic and artwork are generally acknowledged as fitting and charming for the game's adventure theme.
- “Nice game, retro pixel style graphic adventure with humor.”
- “Great artwork and animation.”
- “Lovely retro art style, nice music, all those things that tickle the old LucasArts adventure bones.”
- “This features really godawful pixelcrap "art" instead of real graphics.”
- “It's hard to say if this was because the developer didn't have the skill to do the job of creating 3D visuals, or couldn't afford to hire someone who does, but it also doesn't matter.”
- “Games like Terraria and Stardew Valley succeeded despite the bad graphics, not because of them.”
story
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The story has received mixed feedback, with some praising its quirky, classic point-and-click charm and ease of engagement, while others criticize it for being less compelling and feeling derivative compared to professional LucasArts titles.
- “Classic point and click game, 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.”
- “The graphics, gameplay, plot, and writing are all incredibly, astoundingly much worse than the professionally developed LucasArts games the developer is ripping off so badly here.”
- “More about getting click trophies than any story.”
- “Some mission-critical items can be acquired only by doing an action, which got you one useless item already, twice.”
gameplay
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
100%
The gameplay is criticized for poor execution, with implemented mechanics that are not properly functioning, making the simple 90's point-and-click experience frustrating rather than enjoyable. Achievements are also seen as poorly designed, focusing on monetary transactions instead of actual gameplay.
- “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.”
- “The graphics, gameplay, plot, and writing are all incredibly, astoundingly much worse than the professionally developed LucasArts games the developer is ripping off so badly here.”
- “Achievements should be based on actual gameplay, not monetary transactions.”
- “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.”
humor
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game features clever, retro-style humor with well-written, funny jokes that enhance the enjoyable pixel art adventure experience. Its comedic tone is consistently praised, despite the game's short length and limited locations.
- “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
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users feel that the game's monetization leans too heavily on profit-focused tactics rather than rewarding in-game achievements, suggesting developers should better balance monetization with player satisfaction to avoid alienating their audience.
- “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.”
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game evokes strong nostalgia and emotional resonance by paying heartfelt homage to classic adventure titles like Monkey Island and Indiana Jones, richly incorporating references that fans of old school masterpieces will appreciate.
- “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.”

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Frequently Asked Questions

Powers in the Basement is a management game with fantasy, comedy, medieval and historical themes.

Powers in the Basement is available on PC, Mac OS, Windows and Linux.

Powers in the Basement was released on December 7, 2023.

Powers in the Basement was developed by Illiterate Code Games.

Powers in the Basement has received mostly positive reviews from players. Most players liked this game for its graphics but disliked it for its music.

Powers in the Basement is a single player game.

Similar games include Beyond The Edge Of Owlsgard, VirtuaVerse, Loco Motive, Time Gentlemen, Please!, Alum and others.

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