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Splasher

Splasher Review
Splasher Game Cover
87%Game Brain Score
gameplay, music
grinding, optimization
91% User Score Based on 492 reviews
Critic Score 83%Based on 2 reviews

Platforms

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Splasher Game Cover

About

Splasher is a single player casual platformer game with comedy and science fiction themes. It was developed by Dear Villagers and was released on February 7, 2017. It received positive reviews from critics and very positive reviews from players.

"Splasher is a single-player comedy shooter game with unique arcade/action gameplay and a cartoonish aesthetic. As a hero armed with a paint cannon, players must save workers and battle the factory's evil boss across challenging levels, using different paint colors for superpowers in time attack and speedrun modes."

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Splasher screenshot
Splasher screenshot
Splasher screenshot
Splasher screenshot
Splasher screenshot
Splasher screenshot
Splasher screenshot
Splasher screenshot
Splasher screenshot
Splasher screenshot
Splasher screenshot
+16
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91%
Audience ScoreBased on 492 reviews
gameplay91 positive mentions
grinding7 negative mentions
  • Splasher features vibrant and colorful graphics, creating an engaging and visually appealing experience.
  • The gameplay mechanics, particularly the use of paint to manipulate the environment, are innovative and add depth to the platforming experience.
  • The level design is well-crafted, providing a satisfying challenge that encourages mastery and speedrunning.
  • The controls can feel imprecise at times, particularly with aiming and movement being tied to the same stick, which can lead to frustrating moments.
  • The difficulty curve can be inconsistent, with some levels feeling significantly easier or harder than others, potentially leading to frustration.
  • The game lacks a robust narrative or emotional depth, which may leave some players wanting more in terms of story.
  • gameplay
    190 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay of *Splasher* is characterized by its vibrant, fast-paced 2D platforming that cleverly integrates paint-based mechanics, allowing players to manipulate their environment and movement in innovative ways. The game features a sharp learning curve with progressively complex mechanics, rewarding skillful play and encouraging speedrunning, while its level design effectively introduces new challenges and maintains engagement. Although some players may find the precision controls daunting, the overall experience is praised for its fluidity, creativity, and satisfying gameplay, making it a standout title in the indie platformer genre.

    • “The gameplay is built around a brilliant concept: using a paint cannon to manipulate the environment and your own movement.”
    • “The learning curve is sharp but rewarding—each new mechanic layers onto the previous one, and by the midpoint of the game, the player is seamlessly chaining slides, bounces, wall jumps, and sprays in a way that feels almost balletic.”
    • “The mechanics allow you to be fast, and the level design won't try to slow you down.”
    • “A promising start of the game... the flops horribly when it forces you to fight questionable game mechanics, terrible controls, input lag, and mean-spirited 'nothing other perfection allowed' level design.”
    • “In closing, while Splasher may be a competent and well-functioning game, its significant issues with difficulty balance and lack of variation or original gameplay elements will leave fans of the reflex platformer genre feeling incredibly underwhelmed.”
    • “The gameplay is this game's biggest strong suit honestly, but without any real engaging enemies, a repetitive art style, and barely any sense of a soundtrack.”
  • music
    83 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game is generally praised for its engaging industrial-electronic soundtrack that complements the fast-paced gameplay and mechanical setting, enhancing the overall experience. While some players find the soundtrack enjoyable and fitting, others note that it can become repetitive over time, lacking the memorability of standout platformers. Overall, the sound design effectively supports the game's atmosphere, with many reviewers appreciating the energetic and thematic music that drives the gameplay forward.

    • “The music and sound design keep the pace fast and engaging, with an industrial-electronic soundtrack that suits the mechanical setting and adds to the urgency of the gameplay.”
    • “Extremely well done game, you can tell the devs put their heart into making this, with amazing levels, awesome music & the rush of dashing through the level, dodging enemies, goo, & other hazards, this game was very fun.”
    • “The techno synth heavy music never gets old and always aided in the gameplay and helped me push forward through some tougher bits.”
    • “Although the soundtrack lacks the memorability of some other platformers, it serves its purpose in maintaining rhythm and intensity throughout the experience.”
    • “Pair that with a mind-numbingly boring soundtrack, and you got the perfect concoction for one of the most unsatisfying experiences you could have with a platformer of this nature.”
    • “Also the soundtrack gets repetitive and the art style is boring, newgrounds-flash-tier with little visual variety across the level themes.”
  • graphics
    62 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of "Splasher" feature a colorful, cartoonish art style that enhances its energetic gameplay, with clear visuals that aid in quick recognition of hazards. While some players appreciate the charming and simplistic design, others find it reminiscent of older flash games, leading to mixed feelings about its visual appeal. Overall, the art style is generally well-received for its uniqueness and ability to complement the game's mechanics, despite some critiques regarding its repetitiveness and lack of variety.

    • “Visually, Splasher adopts a colorful, cartoonish art style that perfectly complements its energetic tone.”
    • “The graphics are beautiful and incredibly stylish; enemies stand out, the inks are clear to see in advance, and the game features various level types that keep the visuals fresh.”
    • “I also absolutely loved the art style and art direction of the game; it really helped to give it its own unique identity in comparison to other 2D platformers.”
    • “The gameplay is this game's biggest strong suit honestly, but without any real engaging enemies, a repetitive art style, and barely any sense of a soundtrack.”
    • “Apart from the lazy 2D graphics (in 2017? The first 3D games came out decades ago... the industry moves on), controls are fixed and can't be remapped.”
    • “Not a huge fan of the art style—the general flatness and large spans of solid color remind me too much of a free flash game, which cheapens the experience for me.”
  • story
    51 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's story serves primarily as a backdrop for its fast-paced platforming gameplay, with a simple plot involving a mad scientist and his grotesque experiments on workers at a paint factory. While some players appreciate the humor and visual storytelling, many feel the narrative lacks depth and clarity, often leaving them guessing about character motivations and plot details. Overall, the story is considered decent but not a primary draw, with gameplay taking precedence in the experience.

    • “The story takes place in a massive paint factory, Inkorp, whose owner has suddenly revealed himself as a mad scientist, kidnapping workers and experimenting on them, as well as using an army of killer robots to do the task.”
    • “A really great platformer, nice little story, the art is really well made and beautiful.”
    • “The plot's very simple and conveyed entirely without dialogue, but it's basically an excuse plot to get the whole thing rolling, and I'm totally fine with that.”
    • “Despite some visual storytelling as you occasionally come across a ticked-off guy in a lab coat, unless you looked at the store page, nothing in-game would summarize who the antagonist is, or his motivation.”
    • “With much of the plot or context left unexplained, I can only guess that this factory is a lousy place to work, and is partially why the enemies look grotesque.”
    • “The only story you get is less of a cutscene and more of a string of pictures telling you how the boss at Inkorp has kidnapped their workers and is doing crazy scientific experiments on them.”
  • replayability
    18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's replayability is significantly enhanced by its collectibles, time trials, and speedrun modes, appealing to players who enjoy perfecting their skills and competing for leaderboard rankings. While some players may find limited replay value if they prefer a straightforward playthrough, the inclusion of various challenges and modes provides ample opportunities for those seeking a more competitive experience. Overall, the game is well-designed, offering a polished experience that encourages repeated play for fans of 2D platformers.

    • “These collectibles add a layer of replayability, especially for players who enjoy perfecting their runs.”
    • “Took me 11 hours to 100% but has a good amount of replayability due to the built-in speedrunning tools and leaderboards.”
    • “All told, Splasher is a smartly designed, tight platformer that offers up hours of replay value on top of the creative ideas it delivers.”
    • “If you're just here to play through, it's not replayable at all.”
    • “Not much replay value.”
    • “But that's not the worst part - if only that was an issue, I would actually give it a recommendation, because the game length is right. Although it offers some replay value with speedrun mode or trying to collect all of the splashers, I don't feel like going back to it because of one thing.”
  • humor
    14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game is widely praised for its cleverness and integration into the gameplay, with many reviewers highlighting its funny cutscenes, dark comedic elements, and overall lighthearted tone. While the story is minimal, it serves as a backdrop for the humor, which is described as pervasive and enjoyable, adding to the game's charm. Players appreciate the blend of fun mechanics and a whimsical art style that enhances the comedic experience.

    • “There’s a spreading of story layered on top, not enough to hide what it is, but enough to add a good bit of flavor to the game, and sprinkled sparingly throughout is a nice touch of humor.”
    • “If you want a fairly challenging 2D platformer with a really cool art style and a dark sense of humor, pick this one up!”
    • “And this is less of a story and more of an introduction of what you’ll see at Inkorp because this game is very funny in its style and ambience, and you’ll find out quickly that this game doesn’t take itself seriously in the way that you die and interact with the enemies.”
  • grinding
    9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players have mixed feelings about the grinding aspect of the game; while some appreciate the challenging level design, many find the repetitive tasks—such as rescuing co-workers and collecting items—tedious and lacking in challenge. The long distances between checkpoints and the need to replay easy sections to unlock new levels contribute to a sense of monotony, making the grind feel unnecessarily prolonged. Overall, the grind is seen as a filler that detracts from the overall experience rather than enhancing it.

    • “Difficult but not tedious, thanks to the awesome level design.”
    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “The game can get quite tedious due to checkpoints being too far apart and complex maneuvers being in the middle.”
    • “They don't pose a challenge; they're just there for you to do something tedious in the levels, probably because the devs ran out of platformer ideas and put something to fill the void.”
    • “Beating a level will unlock the next one in a completely different section of the hub, requiring you to go through the same series of tediously easy jumps to get to each new level.”
  • optimization
    7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's optimization is a mixed bag; while time attack and speedrun modes encourage players to refine their skills for better completion times, many users report significant performance issues, including constant lag and stuttering. Switching to the "forced60fps" beta branch can alleviate some of these problems, but overall, the optimization leaves much to be desired.

    • “Time attack and speedrun modes transform the game into a test of optimization, where shaving even a fraction of a second from your completion time feels exhilarating.”
    • “This mechanic adds a lot of interesting optimizations into a speedrun.”
    • “Performance is pretty bad on a computer that has no issues with any other 2D platformer.”
    • “The only downside is that it has some stuttering issues that can be reduced by switching to the 'forced60fps' beta branch.”
    • “Performance is terrible and it lags constantly.”
  • emotional
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Reviews indicate that while the game features innovative mechanics and enjoyable gameplay, it lacks the emotional depth and narrative complexity found in titles like Celeste. The art style may detract from the experience for some, but the music, particularly its emotional resonance, enhances key moments in the game. Overall, the emotional impact is mixed, with some players feeling a disconnect despite the game's strengths.

    • “Despite my success elsewhere, they made me feel tongue-tied.”
    • “The fantastical music that plays uses Ori’s memorable leitmotif and gives the sequence a serious emotional impact.”
  • atmosphere
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere of the game is characterized by a chill yet precise environment that rewards skillful maneuvers, complemented by an excellent soundtrack that enhances the overall experience. The level design is praised for its quality, drawing favorable comparisons to the Rayman series, contributing to a cohesive and enjoyable atmosphere.

    • “The atmosphere is pretty similar (though not as wacky); the level design is absolutely up to par with the Rayman games (heck, it might even be better). It's just a great experience all around.”
    • “Music is awesome and matches the atmosphere quite accurately.”
    • “Awesome mechanics, good atmosphere.”
    • “The chill atmosphere for me is fading to high-detail precision maneuvers that penalize you for failing.”
    • “The atmosphere is pretty similar (though not as wacky), the level design is absolutely up to par with the Rayman games (heck, might even be better), it's just a great experience all around.”
  • stability
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's stability is mixed, with some users reporting significant bugs and inconsistent controls that can disrupt gameplay, while others praise the fluidity of the controls and level design. Overall, the experience may vary greatly depending on individual encounters with technical issues.

    • “The game is buggy and glitchy; the aiming and controls can be inconsistent, with input lag that happens often enough to ruin runs.”
  • monetization
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The monetization aspect of the game aligns well with its advertising, offering a challenging experience without the frustration often associated with rogue-likes. Players appreciate that the game maintains its style and integrity throughout, suggesting a fair approach to monetization.

  • character development
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Reviews indicate a mixed reception regarding character development, with some players expressing dissatisfaction with the hand-drawn style of character design, suggesting it may not resonate with everyone.

    • “Even then, there's a certain hand-drawn nature to the character design that I'm not in love with.”
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83%Critics’ scoreBased on 2 critic reviews
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6h Median play time
9h Average play time
3-10h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 8 analyzed playthroughs
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Frequently Asked Questions

Splasher is a casual platformer game with comedy and science fiction themes.

Splasher is available on Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X|S, PC, PlayStation 5 and others.

On average players spend around 9 hours playing Splasher.

Splasher was released on February 7, 2017.

Splasher was developed by Dear Villagers.

Splasher has received positive reviews from players and positive reviews from critics. Most players liked this game for its gameplay but disliked it for its grinding.

Splasher is a single player game.

Similar games include DeadCore, Teslagrad, Project Earth, Cloudbuilt, Grapple Dog and others.