Smith and Winston

About

"Smith and Winston" is a Metroidvania style exploration game with twin-stick shooter combat. As the hapless mercenaries Smith or Winston, you'll explore a shattered ring world, uncovering secrets and battling enemies using a variety of weapons and power-ups. The hand-crafted levels offer a challenging experience with a focus on dexterity and evasion. * Metroidvania style exploration with twin-stick shooter combat * Hand-crafted levels with a focus on evasion and dexterity * Variety of weapons and power-ups to use against enemies and obstacles

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

81%

Audience ScoreBased on 32 reviews

graphics4 positive mentions

stability2 negative mentions

The game features enjoyable twin-stick shooter mechanics and destructible environments, providing a fun and engaging experience.
The voxel art style is visually appealing, and the game includes a variety of secrets and collectibles that enhance replayability.
It offers a humorous tone with funny NPC interactions and a nostalgic arcade feel, encouraging players to aim for high scores.

The death mechanics can be punishing, as falling off edges or making mistakes can reset progress and discourage exploration.
Camera controls are problematic, leading to motion sickness and obscured views of the player and enemies.
There is a lack of upgrades and variety in weapons, which can make gameplay feel repetitive and limit player progression.

gameplay
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
33%
33%
The gameplay is described as easy to pick up and enjoyable, featuring smooth game flow and vibrant graphics. However, players note that levels can become repetitive due to minimal gameplay variation, as visual differences often do not impact gameplay significantly.
- “This is a very fun game that works exceptionally well on Linux, with really easy-to-pick gameplay, great game flow, and nice vibrant colorful graphics.”
- “The death mechanics are frustrating; you can easily fall off the edge.”
- “Levels get repetitive quickly, as the visual differences have little gameplay effect; most 'stuff' is just destructible or not, with only different colors.”
graphics
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
33%
The game features well-executed voxel-style graphics that are consistent and visually appealing, contributing to a vibrant and colorful aesthetic. The emphasis on destructibility enhances the overall experience, making it a fun and engaging overhead shooter.
- “The voxel-style graphics are done well, very consistent and have a cool art style.”
- “This is a very fun game that works exceptionally well on Linux, with really easy-to-pick gameplay, great game flow, and nice vibrant colorful graphics.”
- “A short but fun overhead shooter with an emphasis on voxel visuals and destructibility.”
humor
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is highlighted by the presence of a snarky ship computer and amusing NPCs that provide entertaining commentary throughout the gameplay, adding a lighthearted touch to the experience.
- “The funny NPCs (AI) provide hilarious commentary from time to time.”
- “The snarky ship computer adds a lot of humor to the experience.”
- “The witty remarks from the AI characters keep the gameplay entertaining.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The reviews indicate that stability issues in games often require players to engage in unconventional methods, such as exploiting glitches or corruptions, to fully experience or "destroy" the game. This suggests that many games may not be stable enough during regular play, leading to a reliance on these techniques.
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
150%
100%
Players appreciate the game's design that encourages exploration and discovery, suggesting that the lack of highlighted elements and hidden keys enhances replayability by prompting multiple playthroughs to uncover all secrets.
- “The game encourages your own discovery, with elements not highlighted, which means you might miss some extra keys to open other portals. This adds to the overall replayability.”
- “The lack of highlighted elements fosters a sense of exploration, making each playthrough unique and enhancing the game's replayability.”
- “The game’s design allows for multiple paths and secrets, ensuring that every playthrough can feel fresh and rewarding, significantly boosting its replayability.”
- “The game lacks clear guidance, which can lead to missing important items or keys, but I suppose that adds to the replayability.”
- “The absence of highlighted objectives means players might overlook crucial elements, potentially increasing the need to replay the game.”